AnfieldEd
I am Leg End
A few minutes pass and we go forward again and Carra is in a forward position!!! He passes to Gerrard who runs at full speed and is fouled. Penalty!!! Oh believe me it was a foul. It may look like a dive but running at high speed even a slight kick will knock you off balance and make you slip over. Definite penalty. It wasn’t a red though as Cafu was covering Gattuso. Now then who was taking the pen? Gerrard? Garcia? No it would be Alonso. I was surprised by that but if he was confident then let him. Dida made a extremely fantastic save (which isn’t remembered btw but it was a truly great save) and Alonso put in the rebound 3-3. Deary me!!!!!
I had no energy left after that – much like the players. The rest of the second half is hazy for me. Of course I’ve watched it back dozens of times but in real time its quite hazy. What I do remember is Dudek fluffing about and Traore clearing off the line.
Nevertheless extra time and its attack v defence and Gerrard is at right back! Another clever move because he stopped Serginho’s influence in the main, apart of course from that other moment no one will ever forget.
I thought it was a goal as soon as the ball met Shevchenko’s head. Mentally there and then I acknowledged a Milan goal and a 4-3 win for them. That Dudek saved it did not register to my mind UNTIL he made that second save. Oh my goodness I am a believer in fate but if I wasn’t then I’d have been converted there and then. It must have been fate because how else does the best striker in Europe miss from one fucking yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then the first save registered on me and watching the replay I couldn’t believe it. It has to go down as the greatest save of all time. It was better than Banks’s save against Pele in 1970. Certainly it has to be the greatest double save of all time.
Penalties and to be quite frank I thought we’d beat them on pens because of our record in them in second to none. I saw Carra taking hold of Dudek and the commotion going through the players. I knew that the players who took pens for Milan in 03 would do so again so it was no surprised to see Serginho take the first one. What was surprising was his miss. Hamann was a bit lucky with his pen but it was well placed. Pirlo did the same as Hamann but failed. That was the luck we had. Cisse scored to make it 2-0 on pens. At this stage I was not feeling anything I was just engrossed in the shoot out and could not say or do anything at all. Tomasson made it 2-1 and Riise had his pen saved. Kaka scored from his – I knew he would to make it 2-2. Now it was even but we had the advantage to having two more pens to there one. Then comes my friend Mr Smicer. I shouldn’t have doubted him but I did and my head was in my hands……he scored. Match point. Shevchenko comes up to take Milan’s next pen he must score otherwise we are the champions!!!!!!! That miss still played on his mind. I could just tell on his face that he was still thinking about it. He tried a panenka but failed miserably and the CL was ours for keeps!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jumping up and down screaming it was the greatest night of my life and those nine years have gone so quickly.
Everyone of them them a legend or cult-hero status forever. Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carra, Traore, Alonso, Gerrard, Hamann, Smicer, Kewell, Baros, Cisse, Mellor, Biscan, Sinama-Pongolle, Le Tallec, Garcia and others who played a part of our 2005 CL journey they are legends or cult-hero in my eyes. Biscan is a legend just for his performances against Depor, Juve and Chelsea. Traore is a Cult-Hero for being so bad that we all loved him for it!!! Mellor and Sinama-Pongolle are legends for Olympiakos. Le Tallec for his Cult-Hero for against Juve. Smicer cult-hero for Istanbul.
Dudek Hyypia, Carra, Alonso, Gerrard, Hamann and Garcia though will all go down as icons for us. No matter the actual talent of those players. They more than anyone else in that squad took us to No.5
Hope you enjoy reading the epic/boring (depends on your perspective!!) essay of our 2005 CL journey.
I had no energy left after that – much like the players. The rest of the second half is hazy for me. Of course I’ve watched it back dozens of times but in real time its quite hazy. What I do remember is Dudek fluffing about and Traore clearing off the line.
Nevertheless extra time and its attack v defence and Gerrard is at right back! Another clever move because he stopped Serginho’s influence in the main, apart of course from that other moment no one will ever forget.
I thought it was a goal as soon as the ball met Shevchenko’s head. Mentally there and then I acknowledged a Milan goal and a 4-3 win for them. That Dudek saved it did not register to my mind UNTIL he made that second save. Oh my goodness I am a believer in fate but if I wasn’t then I’d have been converted there and then. It must have been fate because how else does the best striker in Europe miss from one fucking yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then the first save registered on me and watching the replay I couldn’t believe it. It has to go down as the greatest save of all time. It was better than Banks’s save against Pele in 1970. Certainly it has to be the greatest double save of all time.
Penalties and to be quite frank I thought we’d beat them on pens because of our record in them in second to none. I saw Carra taking hold of Dudek and the commotion going through the players. I knew that the players who took pens for Milan in 03 would do so again so it was no surprised to see Serginho take the first one. What was surprising was his miss. Hamann was a bit lucky with his pen but it was well placed. Pirlo did the same as Hamann but failed. That was the luck we had. Cisse scored to make it 2-0 on pens. At this stage I was not feeling anything I was just engrossed in the shoot out and could not say or do anything at all. Tomasson made it 2-1 and Riise had his pen saved. Kaka scored from his – I knew he would to make it 2-2. Now it was even but we had the advantage to having two more pens to there one. Then comes my friend Mr Smicer. I shouldn’t have doubted him but I did and my head was in my hands……he scored. Match point. Shevchenko comes up to take Milan’s next pen he must score otherwise we are the champions!!!!!!! That miss still played on his mind. I could just tell on his face that he was still thinking about it. He tried a panenka but failed miserably and the CL was ours for keeps!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jumping up and down screaming it was the greatest night of my life and those nine years have gone so quickly.
Everyone of them them a legend or cult-hero status forever. Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carra, Traore, Alonso, Gerrard, Hamann, Smicer, Kewell, Baros, Cisse, Mellor, Biscan, Sinama-Pongolle, Le Tallec, Garcia and others who played a part of our 2005 CL journey they are legends or cult-hero in my eyes. Biscan is a legend just for his performances against Depor, Juve and Chelsea. Traore is a Cult-Hero for being so bad that we all loved him for it!!! Mellor and Sinama-Pongolle are legends for Olympiakos. Le Tallec for his Cult-Hero for against Juve. Smicer cult-hero for Istanbul.
Dudek Hyypia, Carra, Alonso, Gerrard, Hamann and Garcia though will all go down as icons for us. No matter the actual talent of those players. They more than anyone else in that squad took us to No.5
Hope you enjoy reading the epic/boring (depends on your perspective!!) essay of our 2005 CL journey.
Honestly cheered me up after yesterday.
