2.The Famous Win at the Nou Camp (1999)
This event was achieved by the the greatest football (only to the Americans does this sport is referred to as soccer. I mean seriously, we use the feet more then you do in you football man) team in the world Manchester United in the legendary season of 1998/99. It was a breath taking moment. I was twelve at the time, and was watching the game with my father at home. We had to wake up early in the morning to catch the live game on television. The match was on the 26th of May 1999, but because of the time difference i was actually watching the match on the 27th of May 1999. I remembered that I was so happy when Ole Gunner Solskjaer scored the late winner, that I burst into tears. Manchester United has completed the treble that season, winning the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
Man Utd started the season campaign badly, but their improved performance in January, got them closer to the defending English champions Arsenal. At the end of the league season, Man Utd clinched the league title from Arsenal by 1 point. Their season boosted when 4 days before the Champions league final in Barcelona, the had beaten Newcastle United in Wembley, London to lift the FA Cup trophy. 2 goals which was scored and set up by the veteran Teddy Sheringham (thus all criticism of signing an aged striker was silenced), was enough for Man Utd to beat Newcastle, and claim the FA Cup.
On the 26th of May however, was a different matter all together. They are playing in the Champions League. A competition for the best of the best of the best clubs in Europe. The whole Champions League campaign did all go too smoothly. Manchester United had to enter the tournament through the qualifying round as they failed to win the English title the season before. They qualified by beating the Polish champions LKS Lodz in the qualifying. Since Manchester United had a terrible reputation in Europe back then, there were drawn under the 3rd seeded teams. As a result they were drawn into Group D. Along with Bayern Munich of Germany (their opponent in the finals), Barcelona of Spain and Brondby of Denmark. All are great teams in their national league, thus this group was labelled as the 'group of death'.
With matches ending in deadlock on 4 occasions (home and away against both Barcelona and Bayern Munich), and the thrashing against Brondby both in Old Trafford (5-0) and Parken Stadium (6-2), Man Utd qualified for the quarter-finals as the 2nd placed team in group D. In the quarter-finals they had to face Italian giants Inter Milan, with their striker the Brazilian Ronaldo as the attacking force. Man Utd had beaten Inter at Old Trafford (2-0) to give them the upper hand. This lead to a nervy away game in Milan, but even with Ronaldo at the helm, United was able to hold them off in a 1-1 draw at the San Siro. Next in the
Semi-Finals they face the mighty Juventus of Italia. They were the team to beat in what they call 'The Lippi success era', owning to their manager Marcelo Lippi who had lead them to win this very competition not two seasons ago, and even though Lippi was released by the club, his replacement was none other then Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti had with him, the equivalent of the Spanish Armada of 1588. A team that was bolstered by great talents. In between the post he had Angelo Peruzzi, an Italian legendary goalkeeper. The strength in defense was empowered by the steadiness of Mark Iuliano and the rock of Ciro Ferrara. In the middle of the park he had the hard hitting Edgar Davids, the composure of the French captain Didier Deschamps and the flair of one of the greatest player the world had ever seen, Zinedine Zidane. Up front in the attacking department they had the might of Alessandro Del Piero, the silent assassin in Filippo Inzaghi and the rising star of Thierry Henry (whose move to Arsenal in the coming year would haunt United forever).
With the 'Italian Armada' at the ready, they came to Old Trafford for their first encounter. Through the pass of Edgar David, captain Antonio Conte, had scored a vital away goal (an away goal in Europe could determine the tie in an event of a draw) in the 25th minute. Man Utd were in trouble and for the rest of the game they struggled to keep up with Juve. Then in the final minute, their hard work paid off. Ryan Giggs a long serving star of Man Utd, the 'Welsh Wizard' as they called him scored an equalizer on the 92nd minute, sending the Old Trafford faithful to burst into celebration. As the final whistle blew, all was quiet for they know that Man Utd has to achieve victory in the home of Juventus. The lair of the giants Stadio delle Alpi in Turin. It like sending an army into Mordor, as Boromir claimed to be "folly."
21st April came with a sense of silence in the air, Alex Fergerson and his army of players, great legends in the making, had to attempt the impossible, a win in Turin. They entered the stadium with pure unnerving determination. Not to beat Juventus, but to win the Champions league. The whistle blows, the battle begins, hearts pounding, fans cheering. Nothing more could be so beautiful. Thing didn't go as planned for the 'Red Devils'. As early as the 6th minute of the match deadly Inzaghi put the host in front, with a goal. Things got bad to worst as Inzaghi again scored on the 11th minute, to make it 2-0 to Juventus. The rumors are true, it is impossible to beat them in Turin. That however did not stop Man Utd. They to were giants. The giants of England finally showed it's true colors as on the 24th minute Roy Keane, the captain pulled one back for United. Followed by a goal scored by the feet of Dwight Yorke, one of the most feared strikers in England, and in the 84th minute, Andy ANDY Cole scored in the winner goal, to show Juventus that they are in fact a bigger giant then them. Man Utd advanced to the final with and aggregate of 4-1 against the mighty Juventus. The whole Europe, if not the world (except the Americans) was shocked.
It was Manchester United of England, and not Juventus of Italy, that will take the stage at Nou Camp. It was the 'Red Devils' not the 'bianconeri' that will be facing Bayern Munich in Barcelona, Spain.
A month later, it was set. The final game is upon them. During the line-up in the tunnel, many of United and Bayern players wait in anxiety. Hearts pounding. United were without captain Roy Keane and the 'pass master' Paul Scholes as both were suspended for this game. Bayern also suffered absence as French star Lizarazu and their top foward Elber had suffered injuries.
What happened was a miracle. With the way Bayern had played throughout the game till about the time of Sheringham's goal, it would seem like United will not win. In the half-time talk, Alex Fergerson said to his players, "that was pathetic, did you see the cup? because that is the closest you will ever get if you continue to play like that, and I tell you, non of you will ever win it if you don't win it today."
Man Utd started the season campaign badly, but their improved performance in January, got them closer to the defending English champions Arsenal. At the end of the league season, Man Utd clinched the league title from Arsenal by 1 point. Their season boosted when 4 days before the Champions league final in Barcelona, the had beaten Newcastle United in Wembley, London to lift the FA Cup trophy. 2 goals which was scored and set up by the veteran Teddy Sheringham (thus all criticism of signing an aged striker was silenced), was enough for Man Utd to beat Newcastle, and claim the FA Cup.
On the 26th of May however, was a different matter all together. They are playing in the Champions League. A competition for the best of the best of the best clubs in Europe. The whole Champions League campaign did all go too smoothly. Manchester United had to enter the tournament through the qualifying round as they failed to win the English title the season before. They qualified by beating the Polish champions LKS Lodz in the qualifying. Since Manchester United had a terrible reputation in Europe back then, there were drawn under the 3rd seeded teams. As a result they were drawn into Group D. Along with Bayern Munich of Germany (their opponent in the finals), Barcelona of Spain and Brondby of Denmark. All are great teams in their national league, thus this group was labelled as the 'group of death'.
With matches ending in deadlock on 4 occasions (home and away against both Barcelona and Bayern Munich), and the thrashing against Brondby both in Old Trafford (5-0) and Parken Stadium (6-2), Man Utd qualified for the quarter-finals as the 2nd placed team in group D. In the quarter-finals they had to face Italian giants Inter Milan, with their striker the Brazilian Ronaldo as the attacking force. Man Utd had beaten Inter at Old Trafford (2-0) to give them the upper hand. This lead to a nervy away game in Milan, but even with Ronaldo at the helm, United was able to hold them off in a 1-1 draw at the San Siro. Next in the
Semi-Finals they face the mighty Juventus of Italia. They were the team to beat in what they call 'The Lippi success era', owning to their manager Marcelo Lippi who had lead them to win this very competition not two seasons ago, and even though Lippi was released by the club, his replacement was none other then Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti had with him, the equivalent of the Spanish Armada of 1588. A team that was bolstered by great talents. In between the post he had Angelo Peruzzi, an Italian legendary goalkeeper. The strength in defense was empowered by the steadiness of Mark Iuliano and the rock of Ciro Ferrara. In the middle of the park he had the hard hitting Edgar Davids, the composure of the French captain Didier Deschamps and the flair of one of the greatest player the world had ever seen, Zinedine Zidane. Up front in the attacking department they had the might of Alessandro Del Piero, the silent assassin in Filippo Inzaghi and the rising star of Thierry Henry (whose move to Arsenal in the coming year would haunt United forever).
With the 'Italian Armada' at the ready, they came to Old Trafford for their first encounter. Through the pass of Edgar David, captain Antonio Conte, had scored a vital away goal (an away goal in Europe could determine the tie in an event of a draw) in the 25th minute. Man Utd were in trouble and for the rest of the game they struggled to keep up with Juve. Then in the final minute, their hard work paid off. Ryan Giggs a long serving star of Man Utd, the 'Welsh Wizard' as they called him scored an equalizer on the 92nd minute, sending the Old Trafford faithful to burst into celebration. As the final whistle blew, all was quiet for they know that Man Utd has to achieve victory in the home of Juventus. The lair of the giants Stadio delle Alpi in Turin. It like sending an army into Mordor, as Boromir claimed to be "folly."
21st April came with a sense of silence in the air, Alex Fergerson and his army of players, great legends in the making, had to attempt the impossible, a win in Turin. They entered the stadium with pure unnerving determination. Not to beat Juventus, but to win the Champions league. The whistle blows, the battle begins, hearts pounding, fans cheering. Nothing more could be so beautiful. Thing didn't go as planned for the 'Red Devils'. As early as the 6th minute of the match deadly Inzaghi put the host in front, with a goal. Things got bad to worst as Inzaghi again scored on the 11th minute, to make it 2-0 to Juventus. The rumors are true, it is impossible to beat them in Turin. That however did not stop Man Utd. They to were giants. The giants of England finally showed it's true colors as on the 24th minute Roy Keane, the captain pulled one back for United. Followed by a goal scored by the feet of Dwight Yorke, one of the most feared strikers in England, and in the 84th minute, Andy ANDY Cole scored in the winner goal, to show Juventus that they are in fact a bigger giant then them. Man Utd advanced to the final with and aggregate of 4-1 against the mighty Juventus. The whole Europe, if not the world (except the Americans) was shocked.
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| the winning ball signed by 99 United team |
A month later, it was set. The final game is upon them. During the line-up in the tunnel, many of United and Bayern players wait in anxiety. Hearts pounding. United were without captain Roy Keane and the 'pass master' Paul Scholes as both were suspended for this game. Bayern also suffered absence as French star Lizarazu and their top foward Elber had suffered injuries.
What happened was a miracle. With the way Bayern had played throughout the game till about the time of Sheringham's goal, it would seem like United will not win. In the half-time talk, Alex Fergerson said to his players, "that was pathetic, did you see the cup? because that is the closest you will ever get if you continue to play like that, and I tell you, non of you will ever win it if you don't win it today."
What happened was nothing short of a miracle. A miracle is something that seemed impossible, but happens anyway. One thing this moment has thought me, is that when the chips are down, when all seems lost, all we can do is pray and struggle. If you pray hard and sincerely enough, and you have struggle your hearts out, a miracle can appear to help you on your way.
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