Old Masters Defiant Despite Rooney Heroics in Milan
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Old boys Beckham, Scholes, Ronaldinho and Seedorf showed younger players a trick or two.
The headlines may be about Wayne Rooney’s two goals at last night’s thrilling Champions League encounter between Manchester United and AC Milan, but the match was really a story of old-timers showing flashes of inspiration, even if their efforts could not be sustained consistently for the full 90 minutes.
David Beckham, who at 34 still resides right in the eye of every media maelstrom, managed to overcome the excessive hype of the occasion with a trademark performance.
Much had been made of how Beckham would fare against his old team, seven years after leaving Manchester United, this was the first time he had faced old team mates from his youth. Whilst the match was not the emotional set-piece excited journalists had expected, it took Beckham just three minutes to make his mark on the game, setting up team mate Ronaldinho via a curling free kick, which the Brazilian tucked away amid a woeful United defence.
Ronaldinho, another player past his best but with a point to prove, looked revitalised on the pitch and was the centre of most of Milan’s possession and attacking play in the opening hour. The Brazilian showed moments of his former glories at Barcelona and not a bit like a player ready to turn 30 in just a month’s time.
35-year-old United warhorse Paul Scholes brought the visitors back into the match with a lucky strike which cannoned off his standing foot after the midfielder mistimed his kick.
Talisman Wayne Rooney, the only youngster on the pitch to make a real impact on the game then added a brace of goals to put United 3-1 ahead.
Clarence Seedorf then showed his 33 years of experience with the best goal of the game, a deft and skilful finish five minutes from time to keep the tie alive at 3-2 for the second leg next month at Old Trafford.
United were stretched and challenged at the San Siro, and were perhaps lucky to come through the encounter as victors. The good news for England is that Rooney is in the form of his life, and Beckham still has what it takes to have earned his place on the plane to South Africa. Fabio Capello can start worrying about other problems, these two are beyond doubt.
