Manutd vs. Derby
This should have been an easy game for United, or at least that’s what Sir Alex thought. He had no choice with Foster, but started O’Shea, Park, and Giggs. And had Ronaldo playing up top with Rooney. It looked like Sir Alex wanted Ronaldo to reach 22, 23 and maybe even 24 goals in this match.
Apparently he had no choice with Ferdinand either as he is out with a back problem
With in 5 minutes United had broken Derbys defense 2 times. First Giggs was fed a great ball by Park, but Giggs hit it with his purse. Next Ronaldo was given a wonderful through ball by Evra just inside the eighteen that made the keeper come off his line, but Ronaldo put it wide, very wide. Everyone expected something a little better from Ronaldo, he could have easily chipped Carroll who was out 8-9 yards.
It only took Moore 3 minutes to get booked, on a rough challenge against Ronaldo
Rooney ran over to the sideline to change his shorts, maybe he tore them.
United connect some great passes to allow Park to feed a square ball to Giggs 15 yards out, unfortunately it went to Giggs’s right foot but he got a corner out of it.
United run the exact same play in the 12th minute only this time Park dishes of to Ronaldo and he strikes it a little better then Giggs but was still not lucky enough to put it in the back of the net.
United needed to score with all those opportunities because was United was going to become very frustrated. All Manchester needed to do was score 1. The 1st one is always the most difficult, as soon as the 1st goes in the rest will come.
Ronaldo took one to many touches and was dispossessed by Savage
Ronaldo complains about how refs need to protect talented players, but he puts himself in situations were he gives opposing defenders an opportunity to challenge and injure him, by holding the ball to long.
Rooney slid a ball past the derby defense for Giggs who should have done better, his first touch was horrible. He should have been able to take one touch around the goalie and score but instead gets caught up with the ball and it looks like he panics and takes a wild left footed shot.
Ronaldo was hit again, this time by David Jones and he gets booked.
In the 34th min Giggs chases a ball down and allows for Rooney to win a ball and put it square, and somehow it lands on Ronaldos feet, but he pauses and attempts to score using the outside of his right foot, but is denied by Carroll
It wasn’t until the 38th minute that Derby got a decent scoring opportunity. Miller came into Uniteds box completely unmarked and was able to redirect a center, But Foster made an awsome save by diving to his left.
Fosters save is complete skill, he was positioned perfectly and his reflexes were superb.
A mistake by O’Shea led to another chance for Derby. He played a very relaxed hospital ball to Ronaldo and which Derby won and quickly got the ball to Miller. He tested Foster once more, and Foster denied Miller for the second time, by deflecting a ball Miller attempted to slide in far post
Another brilliant save by Foster, He was determined to lead United to a victory and keep a clean sheet
In the 45th minute Rooney was fed a great ball and did brilliantly by lobbing Moore and continued to goal as he chested the ball down and took a wicked volley shot that just went wide and hit the side netting
To start the second half there weren’t any changes.
The first bit of action in the second half came from a Cristiano Ronaldos free kick after Wayne Rooney was fouled by Moore. It was 30 yards out and it took a “Ronaldo” dip and came off of Carrolls chest, but Park was just a little late
One minute later Ronaldo connects brilliantly with a header off a corner kick taken by Giggs, Carroll just happened to be in the right place at the right time and denied the young Portuguese international.
United just couldn’t seem to find the back of the net
59th minute Ronaldo had another free kick and again gave the ball a killer dip, but its just wide.
In the 63rd minute Fergie called both Scholes and Park off for Carrick and Saha
Carrick lost the ball to a Derby forward at half field and had to commit a foul to keep Derby from getting a counter attack and was unnecessarily booked
Finally in the 75th minute Ronaldo got a long deserved goal. It all started when O’Shea put a ball to Rooney down the left flank and Rooney put a great ball across for Ronaldo, and I could not picture Ronaldo ever missing a ball from that distance. As he steps in front of two defenders to redirect Rooneys center.
And he was ecstatic as he celebrated this possibly season saving goal for United and it proved to be the goal that would put them back atop the table
Referee Phil Dowd called for the trainer in the 81st minute with a hamstring problem, This was the first time I had ever seen the referee call for a trainer, and require a substitute, the 4th official came on and took over.
With that much time wasted the official could’ve justifiably added up to 10 min.
3 minutes into injury time Ronaldo has a great 1v1 but Carroll defends brilliantly.
And United are back on top of the Barclays Premier league, with one less game then Arsenal!
