Man Utd 0 Spurs 0 (Utd win 4-1 on penalties): United seal Carling Cup triumph Big Ben's finest hour

02 March 2009 01:11
[LNB]Planting a football in a skip from the top of an office block is not something David Bentley finds terribly challenging. [LNB]He demonstrates as much on YouTube.[LNB]But put that ball on the penalty spot and Tottenham[LNB]troubled winger would appear to be like the majority of Englishmen. [LNB] Rio Ferdinand lifts Manchester United's second trophy of the season[LNB]Hopeless.[LNB]Absolutely hopeless.[LNB]No more surprising than seeing  Manchester United[LNB]  collect another trophy here at Wembley on Sunday was the sight of two English professionals cracking under the pressure from 12 yards out.[LNB] Manchester United v Tottenham: Carling Cup final as it happened[LNB]Rio: Gaffer still goes bananas when we have done badly[LNB]TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB [LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB]A Welshman, an Argentine, a Portuguese and a Brazilian had no trouble guiding the ball from the penalty spot beyond the grasp of diving Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. [LNB]A Croatian converted with similar ease for Spurs. [LNB]But Jamie O'Hara saw his effort saved and Bentley did not even force United goalkeeper Ben Foster to move, so woeful and wide was his attempt on goal.[LNB] Ben Foster was United's penalty shoot-out hero, saving from Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara's spot-kick[LNB] Presumably Foster expected as much, having watched the opposition players in action on an iPod.[LNB]O'Hara, rather like last year, ended the afternoon in tears.[LNB]Last year because he missed out on a place in Tottenham's squad.[LNB]This year because the poor lad missed his penalty. [LNB] O'Hara was distraught after his penalty miss [LNB]But O'Hara will just have to accept that somethings never change, and that includes United's mastery under Sir Alex Ferguson when it comes to collecting silverware.[LNB]In United's favour was the fact that their four penalty-takers had all endured the same lottery in the rather more pressurised atmosphere of Moscow last May during the Champions League final, with Cristiano Ronaldo exorcising that particular ghosthe missed from his spot-kick —by scoring on this occasion.[LNB]But this also amounted to another demonstration of United's remarkable strength in depth.[LNB]On Friday Ferguson dismissed the competition as nothing more than 'a bonus'. [LNB]By last night a bonus actually amounted to a second trophy this season with more now expected to follow, not least because of Liverpool's[LNB]miserable display in the Barclays Premier League at Middlesbrough[LNB]the previous afternoon.[LNB]Predictably, the football left much to be desired. [LNB]It was billed as a contest between two teams with much more important matters on their mind and 120 minutes of goalless, largely soulless, battle was exactly what they produced.[LNB]Memorable moments were certainly limited. [LNB] Manchester United v Tottenham: Carling Cup final as it happened[LNB]Rio: Gaffer still goes bananas when we have done badly[LNB]TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB [LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB] [LNB]A goalkeeper did not have a proper save to make until the 71st minute, when the outstanding Foster denied an equally impressive Aaron Lennon, and it was two minutes into second-half stoppage time before United even responded. [LNB]A surging run from Ronaldo was followed by a left-foot shot that rebounded off a post. [LNB]Only one real chance then followed in extra time, Foster again excelling in blocking a vicious strike from Darren Bent with his feet before then emerging as the one English hero of the penalties. [LNB] [LNB] Cristiano Ronaldo (centre), Ryan Giggs (right) and Sir Alex Ferguson celebrate United's Carling Cup win[LNB]A hero whose performance would have encouraged a watching England manager Fabio Capello as much as Ferguson.[LNB]United's manager will be criticised for selecting the side that he did, even if he did leave the world's best player on the pitch for the duration of the encounter. [LNB]As well as omitting Dimitar Berbatov and Edwin van der Sar from his squad, there was no Wayne Rooney, either. [LNB]And why? [LNB] Manchester United v Tottenham: Carling Cup final as it happened[LNB]Rio: Gaffer still goes bananas when we have done badly[LNB]TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB [LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB] [LNB]Because he had a 'virus' that did not stop him sitting with his colleagues behind the dugout and celebrating at the end of the shootout.[LNB]With the exception of Foster, those who were instead selected largely failed to impress. [LNB]Danny Welbeck was 'hooked' after 55 minutes and Darron Gibson struggled to hold his own in midfield against a strangely subdued Paul Scholes. [LNB]Clearly the whole'it's not very important' speech failed to inspire the chaps.[LNB]But then nor, seemingly, did the six-minute motivational video that Harry Redknapp chose to show to his players. [LNB] Champagne moment: United celebrate their Wembley triumph[LNB]A collection of great Tottenham moments of the past that will not need re-editing because of this final. [LNB]Which is a pity when players like Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric actually played pretty well.[LNB]Modric never stopped running and rarely has Patrice Evra had a more uncomfortable afternoon.[LNB]Lennon ran him ragged for much of the game.[LNB]When he watches the replay, a young winger who should join Foster in earning a place in Capello's next England squad will wince at the one great opportunity he squandered. [LNB]It was a decent ball from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and a delightful dummy from Modric. [LNB]But Lennon probably took one touch too many before unleashing a shot that was the right height for Foster and a fraction too close to him, even if it did remain a super save.[LNB] Anderson hit United's winning spot-kick[LNB]Having been booked for divingwhen there was actually a case for awarding him a penalty for Ledley King's trip Ronaldo produced United's one real moment of promise in normal time.[LNB] The shot that struck a post. But it was Tottenham who then threatened in extra time, with Bent inviting Foster to impress again in the 115th minute.[LNB] Manchester United v Tottenham: Carling Cup final as it happened[LNB]Rio: Gaffer still goes bananas when we have done badly[LNB]TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB [LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB]He would make one more fine save, thanks in part to the video that had been compiled by his coach, before Anderson punished Bentley and O'Hara for their inaccuracy with that final penalty kick.[LNB]'They will be toasting Fosters rather than Carling,' remarked an Italian observer afterwards.[LNB]As well as a classic English flaw.[LNB][LNB]Graham Poll - The Official LineChris Foy had a relatively routine game and applied common sense in his officiating none more so than when dealing with John O'Shea who could have been sent off for a late lunge on Roman Pavlyuchenko when on a yellow card.[LNB]Soon afterwards Cristiano Ronaldo was upended by Ledley King in the penalty area.[LNB] Given the Portugal winger's propensity to simulate and exaggerate contact, it has become increasingly difficult to see when a foul has actually taken place. [LNB]All referees would hate to be seen to decide the outcome of a cup final by being deceived by a dive and so Foy erred on the side of caution.[LNB]For Ronaldo it could be time to reflect on his reputation which led to Foy not awarding the legitimate penalty —very much a case of the boy who cried wolf[LNB] [LNB]  

Source: Daily_Mail