Another tell of The Game...

[Steve_orino]

Hope he doesn't mind...but the last paragraph is splendid!   :045:  :045:

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/

March 18, 2010
Fulham 4-1 Juventus
Filed under: Match info — weltmeisterclaude @ 10:51 pm

Read that scoreline again.  And again.   Fulham 4, Juventus 1.   Wonderful.  Unbelievable.   Wonderful.

I can not imagine how this can be bettered.  From whatever angle you look at this game it was astonishing.  There we were, 4-1 down on aggregate, a goal down in the first minute, playing against an Italian side that, one would assume, would be able to defend a big lead without too much trouble.   But no.  We did it.

It is easy to go over the top after famous victories, but the performances tonight were out of this world.  Bobby Zamora:  can a centre-forward do any more?   Damian Duff is to Fulham what petrol is to a car.   Zoltan Gera thinks he’s Nandor Hidegkuti.   Chris Baird thinks he’s Glenn Hoddle.  My brain cannot comprehend all this.

That wily old fox David Trezeguet scored in the first minute and that seemed to be about that.  If the buildup to the game suggested a rousing evening of cat and mouse football, Trezeguet’s goal ended all of those ideas.  For one thing it meant that Juve were almost certainly through; for another, and perhaps this was vital, Fulham realised that the only way back would be to take off the handbreak.

A goal was needed, and arrived quickly.   Konchesky – excellent – curled a ball into the area that Zamora controlled expertly and hammered past Juventus’ third choice goalkeeper.  It was a brilliant strike, but very un-Italian defending.  He should never have had so much room.

Fulham built momentum, Simon Davies slamming a free-kick against the bar from wide on the left, Dickon Etuhu hitting the post with a header.  So close!

Gera was unleashed again, but his run on goal was halted by Cannavaro’s trip.  The red card (yes! we thought) was exciting but seemed harsh.  On the one hand Gera was in, but on the other, so were some defenders.    This changed the game.

Fulham’s second goal was as good as we’ll see.  Baird took a free-kick in the middle of the park and swung the ball wide into the path of Konchesky.  Konchesky found Zamora, Zamora looped a ball over the defence for Davies, Davies reversed the ball into the six yard box and Gera levered the ball into the roof of the net!   It doesn’t get any better than that.   Passing and moving of the sort you might imagine, but rarely see.  Phenomenal.

Now we had a chance.  Another away goal would finish things, but Juve were all over the place now, couldn’t get the ball, couldn’t keep the ball, and Fulham were in absolute control.

So the next goal would be key.   The second half began, and here was Duff, having a storming game again, fizzing in and out on the right flank.  His cross hits a hand, and the referee awards a penalty!  No Murphy, no Dempsey, who wants this?  Gera?  Fair play to the man.  Up he steps, the ‘keeper goes one way, the ball the other, and Gera has bloody well done it!  3-1!   The game is level, stark raving level.  Who’d have guessed?

We now enter what was expected to be a period of consolidation, with Fulham anxious not to concede and Juventus anxious to get to penalties.  Roy has other ideas though, and on comes Dempsey, Davies drops to right back (why not – nobody’s attacking down there) and off comes Stephen Kelly (to a standing ovation, it must be said.  Good on him).   The game huffs and puffs along, and then….

…..

…..

Clint Dempsey gets the ball on the edge of the box.  You remember that goal Eric Cantona scored?  The chip?  Dempsey, in this most extraordinary game, this most important game, this game against Juventus, fiddles around for a moment, then dinks the ball high………..high………… and in!  In!  In!  4-1!   Ridiculous!  Absolutely ridiculous!   We felt like crying.   How can this be?   Not only are we beating Juventus in extraordinary circumstances, but we’ve done it with a goal of intergalactic quality, a shot that calmly, angelically, floated through the cold riverside air, ducked under the bar, and nestled in that Hammersmith End net, a goal fit to win any game.

What else is there?

[LBNo11]

...yet another quality post from their 'stable', thanks for the post.. :045: