Preview: UEFA Champion’s League Final

Part 1
The dust has finally settled this time around and the results are most surprising. For the first time in the tournament’s history both clubs call England home. Clubs from all over the European continent qualify and compete in a miniature World Cup of sorts battling through group stages and knockout rounds and now have given birth to the two most worthy competitors.

Manchester United the newly crowned English Premier League champions, eliminated FC Barcelona in a series where both teams relied on their defenses to carry them through, and for them to bend but not break. The first leg at Barcelona’s Nou Camp ended in a 0-0 draw, but began as United’s Cristiano Ronaldo wastefully missed a penalty in the 3rd minute. From then on Manchester struggled to find a rhythm against Barcelona trademark passing and heavy possession style. The second leg at Manchester’s Old Trafford stadium produced a 1-0 win in favor of United after Barca’s Xavi’s pass went astray and lands at the feet of United’s Paul Scholes who buried the shot from 30 yards in the 14th minute.

Chelsea, who coincidentally finished second behind ManU in the Premiership, are coming off of a much more dramatic clash with another English side, Liverpool FC. The series began at Anfield when Liverpool went up after a Dirk Kuyt goal in the 43rd minute. After that, the game was hard fought and Liverpool had the game in the books with the lead going to Stamford Bridge with a goal up, until an astonishing mistake in injury time. Liverpool defender John Arne Riise makes a diving header in front of the goalmouth trying to clear the cross, but instead the ball ends up in the back of the net, an own goal. This heartbreaking goal gave Chelsea the advantage going into their game at home.

The second leg of the series proved an absolute roller coaster, most notably for Chelsea midfield Frank Lampard who faced the loss his mom at her bedside just 72 hours before the start of the game. The scoring opened with Chelsea striker Didier Drogba drilling a rebound from Saloman Kalou’s shot in the 33rd minute, but Liverpool equalized in the second half with a strike from striker Fernando Torres. The game remained level and treading on thin ice until the end, when extra time began. A reckless tackle by Liverpool defender Sammie Hyypia gave Chelsea a penalty in the 98th minute. Frank Lampard calmly steps up to the penalty spot to take the kick, pounds the ball into the back of the net, and run’s over to the sidelines in tears of emotion after overcoming the past couple of days and nailing the immense penalty kick for his team. The game ended 3-1 and Chelsea goes through for an all-English Champion’s League final.

The Champion’s League Final will be broadcast on ESPN2 Wed, May 21. Coverage begins at 2 est and kickoff is set to begin at 2:45 est.