Date:22/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/22/stories/2008122260602200.htm

Sport - Football

Rooney stars for Manchester United

— PHOTO: AP

GOAL!: Wayne Rooney scores Manchester United’s winner.

YOKOHAMA: Wayne Rooney’s 73rd minute strike saw Manchester United beat South American champion Liga de Quito 1-0 on Sunday to win the Club World Cup football and lift one of the few trophies to have eluded it.

His goal gave the team an unprecedented treble this year, with the English and European champion now able to call itself World champion and silencing those who have criticised the long trip here.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men also became the first British team to win the tournament.

Goalless in the first half, the game looked like it could go either way when Michael Carrick slipped the ball to Cristaino Ronaldo who deftly laid it off to Rooney and the 23-year-old made no mistake, side-footing beyond Cevallos and fired into the right hand corner.

The win earned United $ five million, with Liga taking home $ four million.

In the third-place playoff, Japan’s Gamba Osaka beat Pachuca of Mexico 1-0.

Masato Yamazaki scored the winner in the 30th minute, volleying a pass from Ryuji Bando past goalkeeper Miguel Calero. — Agencies