365 days have flown by - Fulham 4 - Juventus 1

[LBNo11]

Fulham 4 Juventus 1 - as it happened The best night in Fulham's history? We haven't seen them all – but it's got to be close


Share42  Guardian report
Min-by-min
Match facts
.UEFA Europa League Round of 16 2nd Leg
Fulham 4 Zamora 9, Gera 39, Gera (pen) 49, Dempsey 82
Juventus 1 Trezeguet 2


You can still read David Hytner's match preview here, if you like. Now, let's get on with it, shall we?

5.33pm: So a big-name, big-reputation Italian team are about to play a relatively obscure English outfit. One of those teams is publicly expressing their concern about the other's tendency towards rough, over-physical play. No surprise there, except it's the English who are doing the worrying. In other news, Mark Schwarzer says "the Italian teams aren't used to playing in this type of stadium". By which he means what? Bad ones? Because Juventus are pretty used to that, I'd have thought. Small ones? Ones with fans in? Stadiums near rivers?

"We've got nothing to lose," says Simon Davies, and that much certainly is true. The game could go one of two ways: Fulham, needing to attack, go for broke and a blood-and-thunder thrill-a-minute spellbinding action-fest is the result; or Fulham, needing to attack, go for broke, don't get anywhere, get a bit disheartened and the last 70 minutes is really dull.

Finger crossed for No1, then.

5.34pm: And here are your big match teams!
Fulham: Schwarzer, Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Duff, Baird, Etuhu, Davies, Gera, Zamora. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Nevland, Riise, Dempsey, Smalling, Dikgacoi, Marsh-Brown.
Juventus: Chimenti, Salihamidzic, Zebina, Cannavaro, Grosso, Camoranesi, Felipe Melo, Sissoko, Diego, Candreva, Trezeguet. Subs: Pinsoglio, Iaquinta, Del Piero, Poulsen, Grygera, De Ceglie, Marrone.
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Oldenzaal).

5.49pm: Roy Hodgson is, basically, the anti-Mourinho. One says things that are sensible but not particularly interesting. The other says things that are ridiculous but quite entertaining. Having had a total Mourinho overdose this week, I'm appreciating a bit of the antidote.

5.51pm: "I think Schwarzer was referring to the fact that in this stadium they can be spat on by opposing fans, something the Italians are only used to from opposing players," writes Alistair Lee in Argentina.

5.57pm: The teams are out, Juventus in an astonishingly shiny gold lamé top.

5.58pm: I don't know that it's lamé, really. I don't know what lamé is. It's certainly very shiny, though. It looks like something Jimmy Savile might have worn on Jim'll Fix It.


GOAL! Fulham 0 Juventus 1 (Trezeguet, 2) A hopeful ball into the box towards Salihamidzic rolls loose as two defenders flap about trying to get in the way and ends up at the feet of Trezeguet, 10 yards out, who passes the ball with his left foot across the goal and in at the far post. A disaster.

5mins: It was quite a good move, if truth be told, but with quite a scrappy ending. Weirdly, the day's other 6pm kick-off, at Werder Bremen, has also seen a second-minute goal from the away team's main striker, in that case Valencia's David Villa.

8mins: You get the feeling this might be a very long evening for Fulham's fans. Juventus are doing a lot of passing. When Fulham manage to get the ball they hit it first time, long towards their strikers, and Juve win it back again. On the plus side, they should get to the pub a few hours before closing.

GOAL! Fulham 1 Juventus 1 (Zamora, 9) At which point, Konchesky crosses from the left, Cannavaro falls to the floor and Zamora chests the ball down unopposed and scores from six yards. I'm not sure what Cannavaro could have been thinking. Presumably he was banking on the referee giving a free-kick, but it was a hell of a risk.

12mins: A booking for Camoranesi, who went in high on Konchesky, means he would miss Juve's next game, if they have one.

13mins: From the free-kick, Konchesky crosses and Zamora beats Cannavaro to the header. He doesn't get it anywhere near target, but still – there's still hope here for Fulham, and given the start they made that's a result in itself.

15mins: Kelly crosses from the right, Gera heads it back in and Zamora, four yards out, is offside (perhaps because Cannavaro was quite emphatically holding him there).

16mins: Scoreflash from Germany: Werder Bremen 0 Valencia 2 (Juan Mata 15), so 1-3 on aggregate.

18mins: "It's like something from WWF every time there's a set piece," says the commentator and he's not entirely wrong. Fulham have a corner and two Juve players are detailed to physically restrain Zamora. There's plenty of holding elsewhere as well. They should have had a penalty there.

25mins: "The only WWF is the World Wide Fund for Nature," complains Adam Timmins. "I suspect the commentator means WWE – World Wrestling Entertainment. I thought they were supposed to prepare?!?!" Sorry about my absence for the last few minutes, I've been sorting out a new picture. Multi-tasking, they call it.

27mins: Red card! Fabio Cannavaro goes! Zamora jinks inside his man, finds space and passes towards Gera, running bang central, towards goal. I'm not sure he was going to reach the ball, and Gross would probably have got there first, but Cannavaro gave him a tug to make sure. He's had a stinking 25 minutes, and now he's off.

29mins: Juve bring Grygera on for Candreva, and from the free-kick Chimenti does pretty well to divert Zamora's goalbound shot, at full stretch.

30mins: More news from Germany: Werder Bremen 1 (Miguel Hugo Almeida 26) Valencia 2.

34mins: An hour to play, two goals needed, a man up and in total control. It's been a remarkable first half-hour for Fulham, to be sure.

35mins: Damien Duff passes inside to Zamora and runs towards the middle. Zamora lays the ball back into his path. Under pressure from Camoranesi, Duff goes flying. Camoranesi has already been booked. The referee decides he got the ball. I'm not so sure – I think his tackle was late, caught the man and that he's pretty lucky to still be on the pitch. Remarkable.

37mins: You get the feeling this might be a very long evening for Juventus's fans. Fulham are doing a lot of passing. When Juve manage to get the ball they hit it first time, long towards their strikers, and Fulham win it back again. On the plus side, they should get to the pub a few hours before closing.

38mins: Simon Davies takes a free-kick from the corner of the penalty area on the left side. It's either a terrible, terrible cross or he's gone for goal. I think it was a shot. Anyway, it slaps the meat of the bar with the keeper nowhere, rebounds into play and is cleared for a corner.

39mins: The corner comes in, Etuhu gets a run on it and wins the header, eight yards out – and he hits the post too! This time it's the outside of the post, and it goes out for a goal kick.

GOAL! Fulham 2 Juventus 1 (Gera, 39) HOLY CRAP! Am I allowed to say that? To hell with it. Zamora drops deep, flicks the ball over Juve's defence, Davies just stops it from going out of play, crosses low and Gera, two yards out at the near post, converts. Zamora is destroying them single-handed. Honestly, this is incredible.

42mins: Long, crossfield balls towards Camoranesi aren't much use when Hangeland's in the neighbourhood. Juve should have figured that out by now.

45mins: "I hate to show my expertise on this subject but the record should be, nay...must be, set straight," insists Jonathan Roscoe. "The World Wildlife Fund sued the World Wrestling Federation because they felt pro-wrestling and saving animals would be confused. The WWF's (the animal lovers, not the wrestlers) wasted energy is tragicomic - much like the tragicomic argument of Bobby Zamora for England." Never mind Zamora for England, he'll be up for the Ballon d'Or the way this is going.

45mins: Two minutes' added time to be played.

45+1mins: Another goaflash from Germany, a game which sounds just as bonkers as this one: Werder Bremen 1 Valencia 3 (David Villa 45). "It could easily have been 6-4 to Bremen," writes Rob in Düsseldorf.

Half-time: Genuinely astonishing. When Trezeguet scored to put Juve 4-1 up on aggregate, it was over. Since then: Two goals, two woodwork-thwackings, one red card and my eyebrows raised so high I'll need scaffolding to get them down again. I'm off for a drink. Maybe I'll make it a double.

6.55pm: Consensus in the studio is that the red card was "a very poor decision". It certainly was pretty harsh, but then Juventus could have conceded half a dozen penalties in that half so they can't be doing too much whingeing.

6.59pm: If you've got a couple of minutes to spare during the half-time interval, or later this evening, or another time altogether, why don't you check out James Richardson's Champions League newspaper review? Go on, why don't you?

46mins: Peeep! They're off! Again!

47mins: Just before the restart, ESPN showed highlights of Juve's first-half shirt-pulling. Remarkable. It goes on all the time, of course, but not like that.

48mins: PENALTY FOR FULHAM! Another bad decision, for me. Diego is standing two yards from Damien Duff, doesn't have his arms extended noticeably. Sure, the ball hits him, but...

GOAL! Fulham 3 Juventus 1 (Gera, 49) A good penalty, the keeper wouldn't have stopped it even if he hadn't gone the wrong way. It's all level now, and Fulham have 40 minutes against 10 men to get the winner.

50mins: Diego also got booked for the handball, which is just bewildering.

51mins: Sissoko has a shot, possibly Juve's first since the goal, I can't remember. Anyway, it's abominably bad. Juve bring the stinkingly poor Camoranesi off, De Ceglie coming on.

54mins: "In the NFL, offensive linemen wear their jerseys uber-tight to avoid shirt-pulling," writes Kurt Raatzs. "Surprised that hasn't caught on yet in the association-style game." Well, one team did once try it in a major competition. Ironically, it was Italy.

56mins: Another Juve shot. Not much more dangerous than the last – a Trezeguet volley from the left corner of the penalty area, on target but with no pace – but a warning that Fulham shouldn't be sitting back now they're level.

58mins: Yet more news from Germany: Werder Bremen 2 (Torsten Frings Pen 57) Valencia 3.

59mins: "Do you have any idea what it would do to Italy's Uefa coefficient (or whatever the relevant value is) if Juve go out here? Might Mourinho and Inter's efforts end up having been in vain (in that respect) and Italy lose their fourth Champions' league place anyway?" I've got no idea, frankly. Anyone?

50mins: Another Juve effort, Zebina heading well over the bar. Fulham seem to have lost their intensity since the equaliser.

61mins: Zamora again plays the ball over Juve's defence towards Gera, who gets sandwiched between two defenders just outside the penalty area. The referee waves play on, Duff picks up the ball, cuts onto his left foot and shoots well over the bar.

63mins: "If I say, Zamora for England in a pub, i guarentee most will laugh," writes James Hadley. "Honestly, how much does this man have to do, to even be considered? More goals and assists than Heskey or Crouch, or both put together i would imagine, he's a one man team. Surely worth a seat on that plane?" OK, let's do this.

67mins: A short delay for Etuhu to receive treatment after a nasty landing. Meanwhile, in Germany: Werder Bremen 3 Valencia 4 (David Villa 65, Hat-trick).

68mins: "Bobby Zamora for England? He might be better than Heskey, and can't be any worse than, say, Carlton Cole," says Aidan Gibson. Vote!

69mins: "One of the wildest games I've seen in ages!" writes Xavier Vermeren. He's not talking about this one, though – he's watching Werder Bremen. Should all matches kick off at 6pm?

71mins: Davies shoots from the edge of the area, straight at the keeper really but it comes at him so fast. He pushes it right in front of goal, but no Fulham player is there.

71mins: Stephen Kelly comes off, with Clint Dempsey coming on. An attacking substitution – Fulham don't want extra time if they can avoid it.

74mins: Duff escapes down the inside right channel, slides the ball towards goal, but it's a bit behind Zamora. If someone had been busting a gut to join the attack from midfield, he'd have arrived in the penalty area just in time to hammer in the loose ball.

76mins: As for Uefa co-efficients, the latest rankings can be found here. Italy are still ahead of Germany, but only just. Presumably if Werder Bremen and Juventus both go out tonight nothing much would change. Thanks to CJ O'Keeffe for the link.

78mins: Davies crosses from the right, Dempsey has a free header 10 yards out, but the ball's a bit behind him and he can't direct it well enough – it's straight at the keeper and saved.

80mins: "Given the mentality of Italian teams," says ESPN's commentator, "will Juventus now be thinking: 'penalties'?" Well, maybe, but then 70 minutes ago they were thinking '4-1'. What they're thinking isn't necessarily that important, if Fulham get a head of steam going.

81mins: Now Gera shoots from 20 yards. Again, it's straight at the keeper, but it's serving and he pushes it away.

GOAL! AMAZING, BRILLIANT GOAL! Fulham 4 Juventus 1!!!!!!!! (Dempsey, 83) Etuhu passes to Dempsey, just outside the penalty area. He carries the ball a few paces to his left and then lifts it over the keeper and looping in at the far post. Brilliant. He didn't even look up, so far as I can see, between collecting the ball and shooting. Which makes him a bit of a genius. Or a fluke. One or the other, for sure.

84mins: Obviously, any Juve goal would be disastrous. And they just had their best attack of the half. Diego ends up with the ball, towards the right of Fulham's area, five yards out. He could have fizzed it across goal first-time towards Trezeguet, but instead he stops, passes backwards and the eventual cross is intercepted.

85mins: Juve replace Grosso with Del Piero. And Riise comes on for Fulham, replacing Gera.

86mins: Zamora works space outside Juve's penalty area, nudges the ball into the box and shoots low. The keeper collapses on the ball, with two Fulham players sniffing about for a rebound.

88mins: "I voted a resounding "yes" to the poll as I think it would be a great idea for England to take Bobby Zamora to the world cup," writes Paul McMillan. "I'm sure the rest of Scotland agrees with me."

89mins: Ellis Jones reports: "The geordie co-commentator on American GOLTV, on Dempsey's goal: 'He took into account everything in the universe there.'"

90mins: Konchesky gets booked for timewasting at a free-kick. And in Germany: Werder Bremen 4 (Claudio Pizarro 84) Valencia 4.

90mins: RED CARD! JUVENTUS DOWN TO NINE!

90mins: It happened just as the fourth official raised the board (three minutes, by the way). I wondered why the crowd were cheering the board so much, but then the camera cut to the referee. Zebina took a little kick at Duff. Didn't seem to be much contact, or much violence, but he certainly wasn't trying to kick the ball, so he got what he deserved I suppose.

90+3mins: Melo gets booked for a really silly foul on Konchesky.

90+3mins: "To hell with Zamora, Hodgson for England is the more pressing claim," writes David Wall. "Much better than that chancer Capello - what's he ever done?"

90+3mins: It's all over! Fulham are through! Juventus are out! Incredible, incredible stuff.

7.52pm: I'm jealous. I really wish that I was a) a Fulham fan; and b) at Craven Cottage. What a night for them. The players are still on the pitch, loving it.

7.53pm: "Some people ask me why I support Birmingham City," writes Andy Simpson, "and although they don't win all the time like Fulham, you follow them for years just for those one or two games that you'll never forget and make it really worth it. Tonight, this is that game for Fulham fans."

Final thoughts: Well, that is not what I was expecting. Credit, enormous credit to Fulham for keeping their chins up when Juventus scored so early, seemingly killing the game. At that point, just not losing the match would have been an achievement. They got some luck, to be sure: I disagree with two key refereeing decisions, in Cannavaro's red card and the penalty. They could have had another few penalties, of course, but the red card was probably decisive. But that's to take nothing away from a brilliant, gutsy performance. Juventus looked like amateurs. Old, useless amateurs. There were about 20 minutes in the second half that were anything but completely gripping.

It's been a thrill. Thanks for being part of it.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/18/fulham-juventus-europa-league-live

[Rambling_Syd_Rumpo]

Quite simply one of the best days of my life :yay:

[Matt]

GOAL! Fulham 2 Juventus 1 (Gera, 39) HOLY CRAP! Am I allowed to say that? To hell with it. Zamora drops deep, flicks the ball over Juve's defence, Davies just stops it from going out of play, crosses low and Gera, two yards out at the near post, converts. Zamora is destroying them single-handed. Honestly, this is incredible.

:54: :yay:

[The Equalizer]

I love this:

8mins: You get the feeling this might be a very long evening for Fulham's fans. Juventus are doing a lot of passing. When Fulham manage to get the ball they hit it first time, long towards their strikers, and Juve win it back again. On the plus side, they should get to the pub a few hours before closing.


37mins: You get the feeling this might be a very long evening for Juventus's fans. Fulham are doing a lot of passing. When Juve manage to get the ball they hit it first time, long towards their strikers, and Fulham win it back again. On the plus side, they should get to the pub a few hours before closing.

[Jimpav]

I read this commentary by chance yesterday when trying to see if we had the same ref as the barcelona v Arsenal game.

My favourite line..

7.52pm: I'm jealous. I really wish that I was a) a Fulham fan; and b) at Craven Cottage. What a night for them. The players are still on the pitch, loving it.

[Burt]

Lots of great quotes and memories wrapped up in that.

It's been a thrill. Thanks for being part of it.

Great post, Mr LB sir. Time has certainly flown by.

[os5889]

7.53pm: "Some people ask me why I support Birmingham City," writes Andy Simpson, "and although they don't win all the time like Fulham, you follow them for years just for those one or two games that you'll never forget and make it really worth it. Tonight, this is that game for Fulham fans."


I like this journo for this comment alone, he gets it!

[SmithyFFC]

Quite possibly the best night of my Fulham supporting life. The atmosphere in the Hammersmith end that night was out of this world.

[MJG]

I remember my arsenal supporting mate sent me a text during the game that we were trending on Twitter and that most of England were supporting us.

For me the greatest game that I have every seen watching Fulham.

[Peabody]

There was me saying nothing would ever surpass Fulham v Newcastle back in 1956 as the greatest ever game I had ever seen at the Cottage. When, suddenly, I had to completely change my mind because the Juventus game was absolutely the best ever but then and here I am in a quandry, the Hamburg game came along and seriously challenged that assessment. Still not sure on this but for now, I will stick with the Juventus game.

[Sheepskin Junior]

I went to all the knockout games (bar wolfsburg because I was ill) and sitting behind the goal in the Putney right where Bobby scored our first - best game I have ever seen. Not because of the result, but because we played so well and so smoothly, it was just amazing and I'm glad I was there to witness it.

[FatFreddysCat]

 As said by others simply the greatest night of my Fulham life, and to think i was still queing to get in when they went 1-0 up and i almost thought feck it i might as well go back to the pub  :028:

[bog]

Great posting Les. That has to be our greatest result. I was at work and my wife kept on txting me. I have never been so tense. I have to say that the semi final 2nd leg was the best for me. Given the occasion and what the result meant the Cottage was rocking all night long. Then driving down the Fulham Palace Road with horns a blowing....I still have not got over the loss... 

[Scrumpy]

Great posting Les. That has to be our greatest result. I was at work and my wife kept on txting me. I have never been so tense. I have to say that the semi final 2nd leg was the best for me. Given the occasion and what the result meant the Cottage was rocking all night long. Then driving down the Fulham Palace Road with horns a blowing....I still have not got over the loss... 

I agree. I was deliriously happy with the Juvé game. Could not help smiling for days. But the Hamburg semi-final was my greatest match ever. We had so much to lose if we failed, but we bloody well won. I had tears in my eyes at the final whistle and looking around me, I was in good company. In nearly 30 years of supporting The Whites, that was my proudest moment, and greatest match. Juvé was a bloody close 2nd though!

[FatFreddysCat]

Great posting Les. That has to be our greatest result. I was at work and my wife kept on txting me. I have never been so tense. I have to say that the semi final 2nd leg was the best for me. Given the occasion and what the result meant the Cottage was rocking all night long. Then driving down the Fulham Palace Road with horns a blowing....I still have not got over the loss... 

I agree. I was deliriously happy with the Juvé game. Could not help smiling for days. But the Hamburg semi-final was my greatest match ever. We had so much to lose if we failed, but we bloody well won. I had tears in my eyes at the final whistle and looking around me, I was in good company. In nearly 30 years of supporting The Whites, that was my proudest moment, and greatest match. Juvé was a bloody close 2nd though!

Cried at the end of both games, even saw a certain Shady charactor at the end of one them and even he seemed to be a bit teary eyed. Weirdly enough i wasn't that gutted we lost the final, i was just so proud we was there, at yep i cried again just walking into the ground. Just rembered i'd lost my Armani top after the Hamburg game so that was probably why i was in tears  :dft004:

[Scrumpy]

I was the same Fred. I was just happy to be in The Final, with the whole of Europe watching. The sight of that main square packed with Fulham fans, getting pissed with loads of familiar faces and Fulham families who had experienced nothing bit dross for years, the banter with the Spanish fans, the whole occasion will live with me forever. I was disappointed we lost, but just enjoyed the whole experience. I guess some would call me lacking ambition.

But if we'd lost in the semi-final, I would have been absolutely gutted.  :019:

Sorry about your Armani shirt. It's a little loose around the chest, but looks good on me  :011:

[FatFreddysCat]

I was the same Fred. I was just happy to be in The Final, with the whole of Europe watching. The sight of that main square packed with Fulham fans, getting pissed with loads of familiar faces and Fulham families who had experienced nothing bit dross for years, the banter with the Spanish fans, the whole occasion will live with me forever. I was disappointed we lost, but just enjoyed the whole experience. I guess some would call me lacking ambition.

But if we'd lost in the semi-final, I would have been absolutely gutted.  :019:

Sorry about your Armani shirt. It's a little loose around the chest, but looks good on me  :011:

Yeah them 34 inch Armani tops do come up on the loose side. luckily i found a nice St pauli baseball cap, tried to find the owner, but i guess i';ll just keep it.

[White Noise]

Seems a lot longer ago but the memory of how good it felt is still strong -

http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=1860.0

[SG]

Got to be Hamburg for me too. Against Juve, although they were a big name, we were definitely helped with a dubious sending off and a dubious penalty - at least in hindsight but clearly not what I thought on the night. Against Hamburg we were out when they scored the away goal but we turned it around. They thought they were through to play the final at their own ground.
'Stand up if you still believe.' The back of my neck still tingles when I listen to that and the commentary at the end of the game. I managed to get Ed his ticket for that game and I have never known anyone thank me so many times !