Carling Cup - United win Carling Cup on penalties

Eurosport - Tue, 03 Mar 14:51:00 2009

Manchester United won the Carling Cup 4-1 on penalties against former holders Tottenham Hotspur after 120 goalless minutes at Wembley.

2008-2009 Manchester United celebrate winning the Carling Cup - 0

Jamie O'Hara's spot-kick was saved by Ben Foster and David Bentley missed his, while all four United takers converted - Anderson's cool finish delivering the first part of a possible quadruple for Alex Ferguson's men.

United's delight proved there is still a place for the League Cup in an increasingly congested football calendar.

It may not have been the greatest game, or the most important prize, but football is above all about trophies and the two sides' contrasting emotions demonstrated the great divide between joy and despair that comes with the penalty shoot-out.

Ferguson made good on his promise to stick with the players who helped United reach the final, as Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson and Ben Foster all started.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Patrice Evra also featured from the outset, so one could hardly call it a reserve side.

Wayne Rooney would also have started had he not been struck down by a virus.

Tottenham's Jonathan Woodgate, who scored the winner in last year's final against Chelsea, also missed out because of an Achilles injury.

Roman Pavyluchenko and Darren Bent both played up front, albeit only in the loosest sense of the word. The Russian, in particular, was woeful and Harry Redknapp hauled him off just after the hour mark.

United started faster, with Ronaldo keen to make his presence felt. The world player of the year smashed an early free-kick just over, before bringing a save from Heurelho Gomes in the Tottenham goal.

Gibson flashed a superb 25-yard shot inches wide, while Scholes delivered some pinpoint passes that appeared too good for their startled recipients, Welbeck and the perennially frustrating Nani, who did at least test Gomes early on.

It seemed business as usual for United, but gradually Spurs came back courtesy of the electric Aaron Lennon on the right wing.

Evra is one of the Premier League's best, and fastest, full-backs, but he was repeatedly beaten by the nifty footwork and rapid acceleration of Lennon. Yet time and again, Lennon delivered his final ball and could only find United players.

Rio Ferdinand - captain in the absence of Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs - made several last-ditch interceptions and, at the other end, saw an ambitious dipping volley drop just over the crossbar.

On the hour mark, Carlos Tevez nearly broke the deadlock with an instinctive back flick from a wayward Jonny Evans shot, but sent the ball just wide.

Then controversy reigned as Ledley King appeared to foul Ronaldo in the Spurs box, but the Manchester United man was instead booked for diving.

If that was harsh on United, it perhaps offset Chris Foy's decision not to show John O'Shea a second yellow card for a clumsy, late foul on Luka Modric.

Then Lennon squandered Tottenham's best opportunity, collecting the ball on the right side of the box but seeing the impressive Foster push the ball to safety.

From that point, extra time looked a certainty until Ronaldo - with 20 seconds of stoppage time left - jinked inside from the right and hit a savage left-foot shot.

Wembley stood still, but the ball came back off the inside of the right-hand post and Nani sent the rebound wide.

The extra half-hour produced few moments of quality, with both sides sapped of energy. Only Bent's shot at Foster troubled either keeper and penalties duly followed.

Ryan Giggs, Tevez, Ronaldo and Anderson all converted for United - Vedran Corluka was Tottenham's only successful taker.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 259 - 278 of 278

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  1. united!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From Robert, on Mon 2 Mar 6:42PM

  2. i hate Man U, but they played well to win the cup,­ Spuds you spent £80 million on players this year but­ you lost the 4th place for the next year CL, you lost­ FA cup against Man U, you lost league cup against Man­ U, you lost UEFA cup against the Zenit,.
    what left to­ play for this season opsssssssssss SURVIVAL HA HA HA

    From Zak33uk, on Mon 2 Mar 6:36PM

  3. comment 281 im sorry but how can u say andy gray doesnt­ favour united, he is united thru and thru do u actually­ listen to what he says or are u like most of us who­ cant understand him! ronaldo should stop diving then­ maybe he would get a penalty, all u english man u fans­ didnt like it when he dives for his country against­ england do ya! so its ok to do it week in week out,­ o'shea should of been sent off but wasnt,

    From samanthamccarthy, on Mon 2 Mar 6:28PM

  4. Any other player it should have been a penelty, serves­ Ronaldo right for diving and winning free kick in the­ past.

    From thegingerbreadmen, on Mon 2 Mar 4:56PM

  5. u can say wat u want against utd but for me they played­ really good and we had a penalty and not a dive from­ ronaldo, so wat they won on penalties .. did u see half­ of the 1st team players dressed up in suits?? its­ better winning with penalties than not reaching the­ final u know that .. and btw I HATE SCOUSERS

    From jhon.darmanin, on Mon 2 Mar 4:00PM

  6. john b - your comment is laughable, that was a 2nd­ string side put out by SAF, the majority of his 1st­ team players were either on the bench or in the­ stadium. Well done ManU

    From redimaster, on Mon 2 Mar 1:50PM

  7. GOES TO SHOW UTD HAD A BETTER GOALIE...WELL DONE LADS.

    From L H, on Mon 2 Mar 11:28AM

  8. Spurs were extremely lucky. Lucky that the Ref did not­ know the difference betweena dive and a foul tackle.­ Even Andy Gray, who never really favours United,­ described the incident as a "clear penalty".­ This is now the third time this season that Ronaldo has­ been penalised for diving, when the cameras have­ clearly shown that the opposing player made contact­ with him. Lecky Eh!

    From BRIAN, on Mon 2 Mar 10:38AM

  9. one thing i have come to find out is that; those that­ are not man utd fans are always jealous and pained and­ thereby loose all sense of good judgement.If it was­ Spurs that won, you will hear so much praises from all­ these wrong guys, however, every man utd fan will­ accept in good faith. Man utd fans are no noise makers­ as in, talking aimlessly out of pain and anger for no­ just cause. *C*O*N*G*R*A*T*U*L*A*T*I*O*N*S* MAN­ UTD!!!!.

    From otuyelu, on Mon 2 Mar 10:32AM

  10. well done utd

    From silverfox296, on Mon 2 Mar 10:30AM

  11. THATS 3 IN THE BAG ALREADY LOL WHAT A TEAM NOT THE BEST­ CUP BUT I CALL IT THE LIVERPOO CUP ANYWAY GOT PISSED­ LAST NIGHT AND WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY IT IS TO DAY THE SUN­ IS SHINING YOU CAN TELL GODS TEAM WON YESTERDAY THE­ LIVERPOO FANS SOUNDS DEPRESSED MAY BE NEXT YEAR­ LOLOLOLOLOLOL AND DONT SAY FACT. OR I BY THE WAY­ CHELSEA THATS CALLED TEAM SPIRIT­ HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHH

    From be, on Mon 2 Mar 10:28AM

  12. this goes to show that M U are beatable if a lower­ premier side like tottenham can hold them to a draw for­ 120 minutes then teams that are higher should be able­ to beat them

    From John B, on Mon 2 Mar 10:21AM

  13. I agree that Nani doesn't look like he will make it­ but Wellbeck is 19, do we honestly expect every player­ to be world class before their 21st birthday? not so­ long ago people were saying how good he was after that­ goal v Derby. Gime him some time for god's sake.

    From james b, on Mon 2 Mar 10:00AM

  14. Ben Foster is England's number 1, i saw him when he­ was on loan at watford and he was the reason we got­ promoted 2 the EPL, quality keeper.

    From terri-ann, on Mon 2 Mar 10:00AM

  15. The game was equal throughout and no team deserved to­ win it in normal time, although United should of had a­ penalty and O'shea should of been sent off.
    With­ regards to winning on penalties, so what? That's­ how Liverpool have managed to keep Benitez in a job, by­ winning on penalties after being outplayed in two­ different finals.

    From james b, on Mon 2 Mar 9:57AM

  16. Memo to Mr Ferguson:- you nearly blew it with your team­ selection but Tottenham were not good enough or lucky­ enough to beat your nine men.
    Nani and Wellbeck are­ NOT UP TO IT and merely put extra pressure on the­ remaining players.

    From peterhatt, on Mon 2 Mar 9:37AM

  17. Wayne Rooney's virus confirms that the young man is­ prone to virus attack at anytime and anywhere, be it in­ Abuja, Nigeria or Manchester, UK. He may also be left­ out in next summer's trip to Asia before he­ contacts another virus and raises alarm about the­ Asians.

    From sylvesterakere, on Mon 2 Mar 9:27AM

  18. WELL DONE MANCHESTER UNITED ANOTHER TROPHY TO ADMIRE ON­ THE TOUR

    From ALAN, on Mon 2 Mar 9:25AM

  19. mantiger56 Loudest fans!!! haha I can tell u have never­ even been to old trafford!

    From 1982, on Mon 2 Mar 9:21AM

  20. no one would complain if england won the world cup on­ penalties would they jealousy and envy its so sad to­ see get a life people the futures red man united red

    From DAZGGMU-RED-LEGEND-OF-YAHOO, on Mon 2 Mar 9:16AM
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