Wayne Rooney Reflects on Champions League Final Loss to Barcelona
Wayne Rooney of Manchester United in action as he scores a goal during the UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC at Wembley Stadium on May 28, 2011 in London, England.
This excellent Wayne Rooney goal vs Barcelona was the equaliser and United's only goal in the Barcelona v Man Utd Champions League final on May 28, 2011.
Wayne Rooney Celebrates With Team After Scoring Equalizer Against Barcelona
Wayne Rooney Reflects on Champions League Final Loss to Barcelona
Man Utd superstar striker, Wayne Rooney reflected on his side's 3-1 defeat at the hands of Barcelona. Manchester United was defeated in the UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC at Wembley Stadium on May 28, 2011 in London, England.
"It hurt," he said. "I watched the game again because you can always learn by watching football.
"It was very disappointing but you have to put your hands up and say they were the better team.
"They are the best team I’ve seen and Lionel Messi the best player.
"I think he got three nutmegs in the first-half. On my Playstation I can make him do what I want but he’s even better in real life.
"The speed he moves his legs, in fact his whole body, is amazing. Messi wins them games but Xavi and Andres Iniesta destroy you."
The United man also conceded that Barcelona are the team to catch, adding: "They are simply a fantastic team, a very special side.
"That’s the level we want to be at and we have to up our game to achieve this. The manager will be doing what he can to see we do this."
Despite praising Messi, Rooney believes the Argentine might struggle in the Premier League.
"If you bring Xavi and Iniesta with him, yes [he could be a success]. But it would be difficult, almost impossible for him to play as he does in Spain,” he said.
"The game is more physical here, going to the likes of Birmingham and Stoke away is very demanding.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is more suited to the English game than Messi. Cristiano is taller and good in the air."
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Sir Alex Ferguson's Team Goes High Tech to Win Champions League Final
Man United have issued every member of the squad with an iPad complete with detailed statistics on every arch rival Barca player.
Rio Ferdinand said the data is invaluable.
"Individually we all get stuff put onto our iPads about certain players, week-in, week-out," said Ferdinand. "It's more fine-tuned stuff in terms of what you get to see.
"It's all about different scenarios in games. We do it for every game. We watch different players doing different things and what their habits are.
"We've been studying Barcelona just this week, collectively, but no more than we would do with any other team to be honest with you.
"We've also watched a re-run of the defeat to Barcelona in the final two years ago. Some of us watched it on our own and some of us watched it as a team experience.
"It's all part of doing your research before a game and there's no better time than a week before."
"You have to be adaptable and in this game we will have to do things we don't normally do," said Ferdinand. "We play against one or two strikers, traditionally, but this time we might have no-one around us for long periods, yet they will be still as dangerous."
"We just need to make sure we give the right account of ourselves. If the real Manchester United team goes out and gives the right account of ourselves, then hopefully we'll get a better result.
"It's our third Champions League final in four years and that tells you everything about our consistency, as does four Premier League titles in five years.
"We're a consistent club and we know what it takes to win. But on any given day you can be beaten by anybody and I'm sure Barcelona will be thinking the same thing.
"They've got players who can hurt us and we've got players who can hurt them, so it makes for a good final.
"We know Barcelona won't be underestimating us. We know what we are capable of and they know what we're capable of."
"That's the key in all games," said Ferdinand. "You've got to have a good balance in your team and that's what we've done better than anyone else in the Premier League this year.
"We need to take this into the game, but against a team like Barcelona they've got so many attacking threats that you have to make sure everything is clicking in the right order. If we do that, we know we can win."
Champions League Final: Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar - Man Utd Star Goalkeeper
EDWIN VAN DER SAR WANTS FIRST GOAL ON SATURDAY AT WEMBLEY
Manchester United's superstar goalkeeper, Edwin Van der Sar is adamant that the key for Manchester United is to score first goal against Barcelona on Saturday.
Fourty year old Van der Sar will be playing the final competitive match of his career and wants to end with a trophy and victory against Barcelona at Wembley.
"The key is for us to score the first goal,” said Edwin.
"We lost a goal in Rome and then it was quite difficult to come back so, if we can, we need to change that."
"We've lost two good players in Cristiano] Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez; others came in, we've matured and maybe we changed our way of playing a little bit," he said.
"What sticks out is the penalty save in 2008 against Anelka," Van der Sar continued.
"That won the trophy and you never really win the game as a goalkeeper.
"Normally someone has to score the last penalty so that was a nice feeling and something that would be nice to replicate again."
Referring to United playing in the Champions League Final clash against Barcelona, he said, “We deserved this – the way that we played this season, especially in the second half, shows we are on the right track and hopefully we will learn from our mistakes in the 2009 final to go one better at Wembley."
If United wins the Champions League Trophy, it will be Van der Sar’s third time lifting the trophy after hoisting it in 1995 with Ajax and in 2008 with the Red Devils.
Man Utd lost the 2009 Champions League final 2-0 to the Catalans.
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Champions League Final Tickets
Champions League Final: Lionel Messi Onboard to Win for Barca
LIONEL MESSI ONBOARD FOR BARCA
With Lionel Messi onboard, Barcelona have won three Spanish league titles, three domestic cups, a Champions League title, a UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup in the last three seasons.
Barcelona superstar striker Lionel Messi, who many consider the best player in the world, is only 23, and getting better every season.
Messi recently stated that winning the Champions League Final Trophy on Saturday against Manchester United matters more to him than scoring goals to win a world record.
“Goals are only important if they win you games,” he said.
“If I don’t score and Barcelona win the Champions League it’s unimportant whether I find the net or not.
“My interest is in the collective success of the team, not individual glory. I’ve not given any great deal of thought about not scoring in England.
“And I’m not driven by the desire to score more goals in a Champions League campaign than any other player.
“If it’s meant to happen, it will happen.”
The superstar has scored a staggering total of 52 goals in all competition this season - 11 were scored in Champions League matches.
If he scores in Saturday’s match at Wembley Stadium, he would share or surpass Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 12 goals scored in a single campaign in Europe.
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo finished the 2010-11 campaign with 11 goals in his last four games to break the Spanish scoring record.
Sir Alex Ferguson Not Worried About Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi – Luis Lionel Andrés Messi – FC Barcelona
Alex Ferguson says that his side are fit for their Champions League Final clash with Barcelona on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London.
Fergie adamently stated that neither he nor United are scared by Lionel Messi.
Although Messi has scored an astonishing 52 goals in Barca's amazing 2010-11 season, Sir Alex is confident that his side can stop Messi from controlling the match at Wembley.
“We’ve played against Barcelona three times with Messi in the team and there’s always a solution to every good player – and we hope we can find a solution on Saturday.
“But you’ve also got to recognise that they have other good players and we have good players, and that is why it’s such an appealing game.
“But I’m sure Barcelona are aware of the threats we can offer, and hopefully that is the case.
“I’ve just got to trust my players that they can perform on Saturday and that makes a difference.
“I know they’ll be ready.”
FC Barcelona Champions League Final Wembley Shirt
FC Barcelona has presented their commemorative Wembey shirt in traditional club colors. Barça’s shirt for the upcoming Champions League Final clash at Wembley Stadium bears a commemorative inscription across the chest:
“Final London 2011. 28 de maig-Wembley Stadium. FC Barcelona vs Manchester United FC”
This is the second commemorative shirt the team have worn this season, following the special shirt for the Spanish Cup Final in April.
Premium football tickets are still available online for the Champions League Final.
Champions League Final - FC Barcelona v Manchester United Tickets
La Liga champs, FC Barcelona, clash with Manchester United, current Premier League Trophy holders, for the UEFA Champions League Trophy this weekend at Wembley Stadium in London.
Premium Champions League Final tickets are still available.
A victory in this mouth-watering match will be the crowning glory to a magnificent season for either team.
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final will be played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, to decide the winner of the 2010–11 campaign of the UEFA Champions League. Kickoff is at 19:45 BST.
The winners will receive the European Champion Clubs' Cup also known as the European Cup.
The 2011 final is the culmination of the 56th season of the tournament, and the 19th in the Champions League era.
The final is between Spanish side Barcelona and Manchester United of England, a repeat of the 2009 final held in Rome, Italy - Barcelona won 2–0.
Wembley Stadium is hosting its first European Cup final.
Both teams have won the trophy three times in the past - Manchester United in 1968, 1999 and 2008; and Barcelona in 1992 and 2006, as well as 2009.
To reach the final, in the knockout phase Barcelona beat Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk and lastly Real Madrid in the 212th El Clásico derby.
On their way to Wembley, Manchester United beat Marseille, Chelsea and Schalke.
In their respective domestic seasons, both teams entered the final as Premier League and La Liga champions but neither team had won a domestic cup that season.
The Champions League winners will play against Porto, the winners of the 2011 UEFA Europa League Final, in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup in Monaco on 26 August 2011 and also enter the semi-finals of the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup in December of 2011.
Do not miss this clash of superstars from the best team in the England Premier League and the best team in La Liga - the Spanish League.
Man Utd Criticism is "Talking Nonsence" says Fergie
Sir Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs
Red Devils' manager, Sir Alex Ferguson says anyone who criticises Man United after they won a record 19th league title this season is "talking nonsense".
David Beckham agrees saying Ferguson's current side deserve their place among the Old Trafford greats.
'They're up there with the best United sides of all time because the trophies they've won prove it,' he said. 'You can't ask for more.'
United came from behind to beat Blackpool 4-2 on the final day of the season to preserve a season-long unbeaten home record.
"All that nonsense about this not being a great United team. It's a great feat," said Fergie.
"We had some disappointing performances away but at home we've been fantastic."
"Apart from the excitement, there have been all those last-minute goals. It is the nature of our club to do it that way. They epitomise the spirit of Manchester United," he stated.
"There have been a a lot of great performances. We scored another four goals today, seven against Blackburn, five against Birmingham.
"We have beaten Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham here. That is pretty good.
"And now we have won the title more times than anyone else in the country. It is great for our history."
Ferguson now hopes to lead the club to a third Champions League title in 12 years when they take on Barcelona in the final at Wembley next Saturday.
And he clearly felt his team had enough strength in depth to meet any challenge from the Spanish side.
"I could pick four or five teams next week and they wouldn't let us down," he added.
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Manchester United Lifts the 201011 Premier League Trophy
Soccer genius and Man United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson is on top of his game – and his squad are definitely tournament ready - and preparing for their upcoming clash with Barcelona next weekend.
Ferguson’s side has yet to concede away from home in the Champions League.
Red Devil’s superstars Berbatov, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Valencia and Rooney all are expected to play. United’s formation will be key – the Reds lost the 2009 final against Barcelona.
United must prepare for Barcelona threat, Lionel Messi, who some say is the most dangerous man in football, to achieve a United victory.
Dani Alves, considered to be the best attacking right full-back in the game, presents another major threat.
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