Man U wins…in pointless fashion
Posted by Dan on May 21, 2008
THe UEFA Champions League Championship game was a hard fought 120 minutes of futbol and showcased some of the best talent in the world. Manchester United eventually came out on top, but really didn’t prove they were the better team.
After the second overtime period, it was one to one on the scoreboard. I was prepared to grab a snack and come back to watch the third overtime. Instead, I was shocked, utterly shocked, when the teams were lining up for a shootout! What the hell kind of a way is that to end the championship game in the world’s most popular sport? It basically just shows which team is going to be more lucky on that given day. Man U only won because the 5th and final shooter for Chelsea slipped and fell while he was attempting to shoot the winning goal and the ball hit the wrong side of the post and didn’t go in. A couple shooters later the Man U goalie stopped a shot and it was all over.
To me, this is so ridiculous that this game went into a shootout. What is the point to having a shootout when for 120 minutes both teams have competed so strongly. If the game hasn’t been decided in 120 minutes, let them keep playing! These elite athletes don’t want to kick from a few yards from the goalie five times and see who makes more goals. Instead, they’d probably rather fight it out on the whole pitch until someone finally scores another goal. This is even worse than the PGA Players Championship where the first playoff hole was the 17th, which has the island green. A sporting even of such stature, like the Champions League’s last game, should be played out until the best team emerges victorious.
