Sung and dance
Park winner lifts Manchester United to Champions League semifinals
By Yoon Chul
Korea’s first English Premier League footballer Park Ji-sung sent home fans wild with a game winning goal against Chelsea in the second-leg Champions League quarterfinal at Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium, Wednesday (KST).
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba netted to tie the game at 1-1 but Park, dubbed “Oxygen tank,” replied immediately finding the right corner of the net for a 2-1 victory.
United led 1-0 after an away win in the first-leg and advanced to the semifinal 3-1 on aggregate.
It is Park’s fourth goal in the Champions League and United have now reached the semifinal four times in five years.
“He’s done it again,” Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said to Sky Sports. “Ji-sung’s record in big games, goal-scoring wise, has been fantastic. It was a fantastic finish.
“The second goal came at exactly the right time, they had just scored, so us scoring so quickly really knocked the stuffing out of them.”
The 37-year-old Rian Giggs showed his value for the Red Devils’ setting up both Javier Hernandez and Park for goals in his 870th appearance for the three-time European champions.
“He’s incredible, a unique person and player,” Ferguson said to The Associated Press. “It’s a great contribution and his experience and composure were vital.
“He’s lucky with his physique, he’s never carried weight and has got fantastic balance. He looks after himself. He has to, to play at 37. It must be a great sacrifice to do that.”
The visitors needed goals and they almost scored in the 15th minute.
Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda eased past three United defenders and found Frank Lampard free in the penalty area.
But the English midfielder’s shot was comfortably saved by United’s Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
Hernandez’s diving header in the 26th minute seemed to give the home side the lead but the referee whistled for off-side.
In the 43rd minute United fans had real cause to celebrate. Giggs’ cross from the right of the box was met by Hernandez at the far-post for a 1-0 lead.
In the second half the Blues were left with a mountain to climb when Ramires was shown a second yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Nani in the 70th.
The 10-men saw a glimmer of hope when a long pass found Drogba, on for the again-disappointing Fernando Torres, and he fired the ball home in the 76th.
Chelsea then needed just one more goal to reach the semifinal on away goals, but their hopes were dashed in less than a minute by Park.
Giggs crossed to Park located on the right of the box and he rifled a left-footed shot past Chelsea goalie Petr Cech.
“산소탱크” 박지성, 결승골 터뜨리며 맨유 챔피언스리그 4강 견인
맨체스터 유나이티드 (이하 맨유) 에서 한국 최초의 프리미어리그 선수로 활약 중인 박지성이 수요일 (한국시간) 열린 유럽축구연맹 챔피언스리그 8강 2차전에서 첼시를 상대로 결승골을 터뜨리며 팬들을 열광시켰다.
박지성은 전반 20분 눈 주위 부상으로 인한 출혈을 극복하며 팀 승리를 견인하였다.
1차전에서 1-0 승리를 거머쥐었던 맨유는 1,2차전 합계 3-1 승리로 챔피언스 리그 4강에 선착했다.
박지성은 챔피언스리그 통산 4번째 골을 기록했고, 팀은 지난 5년간 4강에 4번 진출하게 됐다.
퍼거슨 감독은 경기 후 스카이스포츠와의 인터뷰에서 “박지성이 다시 한 번 해냈다”며 격찬했다.
이어 “박지성은 큰 경기에서 환상적인 골 결정력을 보여줬다”고 말했다.