True, it was unrealistic to expect a set of very average footballers to beat legends twice, but they were clearly the better side throughout the game – and they demonstrated their grit and dedication again.
What they lacked was inspiration – what they lacked was Steven at the top of his form – and lady luck deserting Rafa. They did it in 2005, and it would be very unfair to hold them responsible for the defeat – as I’m sure many Liverpool fans might be doing right now.
Milan had a minimal impact game from their star performers, and Inzaghi – I like to call him the “wild” card, scored each time he was not offside – intentionally or not, that is another issue! Not to be hypocritical, I would not have minded the ball hitting Crouch’s head twice and going through Dida’s fingers if it meant Liverpool would have been champions of Europe again.
What was clearly evident was, Football lost and the better side did not win the game. I am a huge fan of Maldini, and am glad he won his 5th Champions League title, but his contribution was nowhere as significant as it was in the previous 4 winning campaigns. Kaka and Gattusso are the real champions of this Milan side of 2007, and full marks to them. Milan know in their hearts that they hold the trophy, but it is Liverpool’s name which is written on it.
What do I get by supporting Liverpool is a question many of my football crazy pals have asked me, and they support clubs where the weekly wages of one of the players make up for yearly wages of most of the Liverpool players put together. What I get is inspiration – what I know is that you are most valued where you make your bones, not where the fans of the very club you play for jeer you if you do not perform in one game, or the club does not get any silverware for one season, or where you are viewed as a business acquisition than a human being.
But above all, what I get is that feeling of ecstacy, maybe for once in my entire lifetime, when I did not switch off the television at half-time during the early hours of May 26, 2005, and saw my team achieve the impossible. What I saw was how one man galvanised 11 foot soldiers into fierce knights, and when Istanbul was painted Red.
Go Pool – You’ll never walk alone.
Looks like you are a huge fan of football bro..
Me too. to play but not to watch
By: bachodi on May 26, 2007
at 2:09 am
[...] Globalisation: One of the best flavors of the club soccer world is when an Argentine legend in the making playing for a Spanish club comes up against an EPL club with their version of a Portuguese Maradona (27 May 2009). Let’s hope this year’s T20 Champions League (October 2009 in India) can produce cricket’s own Istanbul (see my blog) [...]
By: Comparing EPL & IPL « Strat . In on May 25, 2009
at 7:17 pm