Friday, May 17, 2002
Friday, May 17, 2002 |
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Football
THE MAN, THE MOMENT, THE MAGIC: From invisible to invincible. It's not a transition ordinary mortals are capable of. But if you know your football you'd know, too, that there is nothing ordinary about Zinedine Zidane. The French maestro, almost invisible through the first 44 minutes, dashes across to celebrate after his breathtaking match-winning 45th minute volley for Real Madrid in the European Champions League final in Glasgow on Wednesday night. — AFP
French star Zidane met a left wing volleyed centre from Roberto Carlos in the final minute of the first half and let fly from the edge of the area with a hip-high shot that flew past the 'keeper. Earlier, Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez struck in the ninth minute from a surprise move that came from a long throw by Roberto Carlos and Brazilian defender Lucio headed the leveller in the 14th from a Bernd Schneider free kick. In second half injury time, goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who replaced injured Cesar Sanchez midway through the second half, made three great saves to foil the Germans. If Zidane's high quality strike underlined Madrid's position as the true aristocrat of world soccer, it has counted for nothing if Casillas hadn't beaten out those blocks. Casillas was in tears after the game. ``It was a hard match but in the end we're champion,'' said Zidane, who received the Man of the Match award. ``All the players on both sides deserve the Man of the Match. The title is much more important than a Man of the Match award. Casillas, Cesar and everybody else did so well.'' Zidane's strike was the highlight of a final that had action throughout before 50,000 fans at Hampden Park. Casillas, who replaced injured Cesar Sanchez in the 67th minutes to go, beat out shots and headers from Yiliray Basturk and Dimitar Berbatov during injury time while Leverkusen goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt joined his outfield players at a series of corners and free kicks and headed just wide. The result meant that Madrid, beaten in the league and Spanish Cup final after being on course for the treble, finally won the biggest prize of all in its centenary year. Leverkusen, which also had been chasing triple success, went home with nothing. Once five points clear, it saw Borussia Dortmund take the Bundesliga title on the final of the season and last Saturday was beaten 4-2 by Schalke in the German Cup final. The huge army of Madrid fans had to wait only nine minutes before they were cheering a goal. The Leverkusen defenders were caught out by a long throw down the left by Roberto Carlos, Raul outpaced the lone defender and rolled the ball past 'keeper Hans-Joerg Butt, who moved too slowly to even attempt a save. Leverkusen hit back strongly, throwing three men forward, and equalised five minutes later. Following a foul on the left by by Makelele, Lucio beat Hierro to Bernd Schneider's free kick and headed home from six yards. The Madrid defence suddenly looked shaky and Thomas Brdaric got clear when Roberto Carlos missed the ball on the left only for goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez to rush off his line and block the shot. The two teams looked like going into half time until Zidane's moment of magic and the goal gave Madrid new confidence. With the Frenchman orchestrating moves, Madrid began to slice open the Leverkusen midfield at ease and only the final ball was missing. The biggest culprit was Figo, who has been out of action through injury, and he was replaced by English international Steve McManaman on the hour after he ruined a slick move with a poor cross behind the goal. To beef up his attack, Toppmoeller sent on Ulf Kirsten for defender Zoltan Sebecsen while Madrid 'keeper Cesar Sanchez was injured in a collision with Lucio and had to be replaced by Casillas. A run and cross by McManaman, who has been overlooked for the World Cup by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson despite several injuries almost brought a third goal when Butt missed it but Raul and Fernando Morientes were grounded and couldn't take advantage. Watched by a worldwide TV audience of 350 million the two teams met at Hampden Park 42 years after Madrid crushed another German team, Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the same stadium. Some of the players in that memorable final were in the stands including Ferenc Puskas, who scored four goals in that game, and Alfredo Di Stefano, who scored three. Both are age 75. Winner in the first five seasons between 1956 and '60, Madrid also triumphed in '66, '98 and 2000. A three-time runner up, this was its 12th final. — AP
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