United !

We all hate penalties to end a soccer game - even one going on for two hours - but since it was Manchester United that emerged on top in the shoot out over Chelsea - well, I'm not complaining. Winning their third Champions League trophy in their history stamps United as the best team in Europe - until they have to prove it again when the season starts again in eight weeks.

And I think they deserved it. The first half was was controlled by United- though largely the second half was Chelsea. The game - played in Moscow under an increasingly harder rain - was very sloppy @ times. Often players on both sides - two teams filled w/ incredible players - stumbled over the ball or slipped. But there was also many great plays on both sides. It was a great game to watch.

I watched it Fado, an Irish bar on Grand and just east of State. I was supposed to meet people @ the bar, but when I got there 45m before kickoff, there already was a line out the door to get it. Packed? Again and again the manager had to walk around w/ fire marshals making sure the capacity wasn't over maxxed. As we didn't get shut down, I suppose we were under the limit.

The crowd was great. More Manchester Red than Chelsae Blue , both sides were in fine singing form. They tended to sing the same songs over and over -and since I entombed myself in one of the Red pockets I heard far more songs about Giggs, Rio , Scholes, Vidic, and Tevez. Very beautiful crowd.

And good. I like songs praising United players. And what a fucking team this is. Take a look @ the line up-

Edwin van der Sar,
Wes Brown (Luis de Abreu Anderson, 120),
Rio Ferdinand,
Nemanja Vidic,
Patrice Evra,
Owen Hargreaves,
Paul Scholes (Ryan Giggs, 87),
Michael Carrick,
Cristiano Ronaldo,
Wayne Rooney (Luis Carlos Nani, 101),
Carlos Tevez

I totally know that many readers will have no idea of how powerful this line up is, but those who do - look @ that shit!! Not many world Cup teams could beat a team like this - but Chelsea almost did.

My favourite Blue? Well, he was red - Didier Drogba, The Blues great forward, was red carded right before penalties. It meant that Chelsea had to play a player down for the last 5m of the match. Playing down for that short amount of time didn't hurt the team, but it did mean that he wouldn't be able to take part in PK's.

Old man as I am, I was glad to see reminders of the 1999 team still around. Alex Ferguson is still coach. Wes Brown and Paul Scholes started the 2008 game. And best of all, Ryan Giggs, on as as sub in the 87th minute, played in his 759th game as a Red - the new record.