I know this game was a couple days ago, I felt I needed to write about it. What a crazy finish to an unbelievable game. Who would have thought we would see 2 goals in stoppage time. You rarely ever see 1 goal never mind 2. It took every bit of the 44 years, 93 minutes and 20 seconds for Manchester City to end the agony of being the No. 2 team in a town where traditionally only one has ever really mattered. Manchester City has always been the little sister to the world soccer power, Manchester United. And yet again they were almost placed in that same spot. Until that epoch-defining moment when Sergio Aguero slashed through the QPR penalty area, collected Mario Balotelli’s layoff, sidestepped a defender and buried the ball in the back of the net, United were still the Lords of Manchester as well as champions of all they surveyed in English soccer. With 2 goals in stoppage time, Man. City was able to take the upper hand over United and take over a city for the first time in 44 years.
Now, as I have looked at this game, I have been questioning whether this was just a once in a lifetime comeback or just another choke job by the opposing team. And of course I believe it has elements of both. You can’t ever have a great comeback without the choking of another team. It’s like the peanut butter without the jelly, it just doesn’t work out. Although QPR may have been a man down, to let up 2 goals in stoppage time is just unacceptable. They had only let up 1 goal throughout the entire game! But I look at what Man. City did as extremely impressive and I do look at it as an unbelievable comeback. They were able to use there one man advantage and take control of the game. They were aggressive, physical, and it seemed as if the Man. City players realized, well jeez we can’t lose another title to United. In 125 nerve-shredding seconds, Mancini’s (Man. City Coach) men displayed the other Manchester’s patented ability to snatch the miraculous from the jaws of the impossible.
The best part of it all was the way that the Manchester United players, coaches and fans reacted after learning of the improbable comeback, and learning that the trophy had been taken from one end of Manchester to the other. The United faithful reacted to the last five breath-stopping minutes at the Etihad as if they had been nutted by the Man. City players one by one. After Aguero’s strike hit the back of the net, Sir Alex’s (Man U. Coach) face deflated like a hot air balloon (only redder, saggier and with more hot air).
It was an unbelievable ending to a day, Mother’s Day, that always has great sporting events. Who would have thought a soccer game would have provided so many sports fans with so much excitement and glee.
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