FA Community Shield - Running Diary

Decided to bring a little life back into the blog by doing a running diary, Bill Simmons-style for the Community Shield match between Manchester United and Manchester City.

The FA Community Shield is the traditional opening match of the new Premier League season. It would usually pit the winner of the Premier League season (Man United) against the winner of the FA Cup (City).

Man United are of course the cream of English football, with their 19 championship trophies. Manchester City meanwhile have used their funds and investments to get quality players. Kinda like the Heat in last year, minus the trophy. The fact that they play in the same city (and believe me, the rivalry of United and City is really something else, as this would highlight) would contribute to the excitement and passion.

Didn't get to watch the first half hour, so this blog begins at the 30 minute mark. Hard to compete with one TV and there's MasterChef and the PBA finals also. There really should be cueing system here.

30’ – Greetings from Wembley Stadium, and to your right you will see Mario Balotelli fall under a phantom challenge by Nani. Pretty good acting, though nobody was convinced, even Phil Dowd.

32’ – United in their classic red, City in their blue. Nothing spectacular about the United kit, but who does the font at the back of the City jerseys? Looks like it’s Courier New. The richest club in the world can’t provide for a proper typeface.

33’ – Comentators talking about United not winning last time they were at Wembley, losing to Barcelona 3-1. At that moment, Yaya Toure, City’s captain, gets a yellow for complaining. Third already for City.

34’ – A Nigel De Jong sighting, taking out Danny Welbeck’s legs. He misses Xabi Alonso apparently. Free kick for United just outside the box.

35’ - Rooney and Nani on the ball, it’s Nani, just misses. Corner United. Ashley Young will not be mistaken for David Beckham with his corner, Nani goes over the bar. Goal kick for City.

37’ – Foul on the United end against Patrice Evra, free kick for City. Early on and the Community Shield has a derby feel.

38’ – Silva with the kick, Lescott with the header and goal for City! Good goal, Ferdinand and Vidic went on the wrong side of Lescott.

39’ – Evra with another foul and it’s getting angtsy. Typical of the French to look at the ref with the “What, me?” look. Yellow card for Evra.

40’ – More yellow cards than goals already. Free kick again for City. Silva’s kick gets deflected, corner.

42’ – Evra’s pissed as he takes the throw in. He and De Jong should get into a fistfight, loser wears opposing team’s kit for a week.

44’ – Shot of Sergio Aguero on the City bench. Could see him later, preferrably never. One side of Wembley is noisy, and they’re in blue.

45’ – Sir Alex Ferguson chewing gum as usual. Does he still have any teeth?

45’+1 – Goal by Dzeko! What a cracker of a goal. Defense gave him way too much space, and David De Gea went down too late. It was well hit, and City lead 2-0.

45’+2 – Good goal, Stephan Schrock could learn a thing or two from that. It had power in that kick.

Halftime – Against the run of play at the start of the game, Manchester City lead United 2-0. Though it’s only an exhibition game, pretty sure the hairdryer from SAF would be out. David De Gea isn’t Edwin Van Der Sar yet, but he should be doing better.

So far, United's doing well, but the defense needs to collapse on the City midfield, they've given them lots of space. Expecting a lot of substitutions today, as it is still an exhibition match. Too bad Chicharito is not around, that would have given them a lot of options. Looking at the lineup of United now and the reality is that VDS, Scholes, Brown, Neville and O'Shea are not around anymore.

2nd Half and Tom Cleverley and Phil Jones are in for United, so is Jonny Evans, for Carrick and Vidic and Ferdinand. No changes for City so far.

47' - United on the ball, and I'm admiring the Wembley pitch, grass and atmosphere. How soon before Rizal Memorial or Panaad can be something like this?

50' - Header for Welbeck after a nice setup by Cleverley and Jones. Good stuff by the young United kids. Meanwhile, the rain is falling in Wembley.

52' - Free kick for United and from the kick of Ashley Young, Chris Smalling with the goal! Similar to the first City goal, the defenders left one man open. 2-1 City now, and we have a game.

54' - United fans finally find their voice.

55' - United pushing forward and Wembley sounds like Old Trafford. Foul (yellow card again) on Milner, free kick to United outside of the box. United fans screaming themselves hoarse. Young, Rooney and Nani on the ball.

56' - And... Young kicks it over the bar. Relax, son. City about to make a sub, Berbatov still not warming up for United.

58' - Goal Nani! Great passing from Rooney, Cleverley, Welbeck and Nani. Barcelona was that you? We are tied!

59' - Feels like a midseason game, the United crowd in midseason form. Gareth Barry comes in for Balotelli. Just to be clear, no overtime for the Community Shield. If this game ends in a tie we go straight to penalty kicks.

60' - Yellow card for City again, Kolarov. Expecting Mancini to get one too the way they're picking up cards.

62' - Young with the cross, Rooney's header gets deflected. Corner for United. Ball bounces back to Rooney, and it gets deflected again for another corner.

63' - Rooney gets a chance but goes wide. Fans chanting Rooney's name in the way they can: Roo-neh! Roo-neh! Roo-neh!

65' - Great work for Richards but United get the ball back. Space on the City box for United. It's all one way traffic now at the moment.

67' - 6 subs per team can be used for the Community Shield. Adam Johnson comes in for City for James Milner, Aguero warming up. These guys are all good players and can start for other teams. Kinda makes me think there are too many Alpha Males in the City team.

68' - Rooney with the near breakaway, desperate tackle by Lescott. On the other end, City with the chance but De Gea with the pick up.

71' - Foul on Kompany at the edge of the box, free kick for United. Sub for United as Rafael comes in for Evra. Rooney should be the captain now, but Rafael decides to wear the armband for himself. Cheeky lad.

73' - Sub for City as Gael Clichy comes in for Kolarov. Corner for City now, cleared by Cleverley.

75' - Clichy chases the ball and City gets another corner. Good defense for United now.

76' - Wembley attendance 77,619. That's not even a full house. Damn.

77' - Johnson gets a shot, De Gea with a nice save. City still pressuring United on goal, but United clear and breakaway with Nani.

78' - I swear, the font on the City kit. That's gotta be Courier. Come on, City, you can do better than that. The aesthetics!

80' - Pressure for United, Cleverley's shot goes high. Anderson should have shot it, but what pressure.

82' - Less than 10 minutes to a shootout, United pressing for a winner. City holding on, no sign of Aguero and Berbatov yet.

85' - United fans standing up for the Champions. Goosebumps.

86' - Corner United, Rooney and Cleverley dictating. Clever chip by Cleverley, Kompany had to clear.

87' - Hey, it's the Berba! The Continental!

88' - City with the header and Richards with the scorching header. De Gea with the save, but foul on Richards. Last 2 minutes.

89' - Berbatov comes in for Welbeck. City leads United in the yellow cards category 5-2. Dzeko with a chance but straight at De Gea. 1 minute left.

90' - Smalling with break, Nani's shot blocked by Lescott. Cleverley gets excited, skys it over the bar. 4 minutes injury time.

91' - United playing for the win, Berbatov's header just wide on the break. 2 minutes to go before penalties.

93' - NANI!!!!!!!! Clichy and Kompany don't handle the clearance from the break and Nani breaks away. He goes past Hart and scores.

94' - Woohoo!

96' - The whistle sounds and what a comeback for United, winning 3-2. Smiles for Mancini and SAF. What a way to start the season. Great game for both teams, and it had to take a moment of inspiration to clinch the game. United put the pedal to the metal the whole game, and just overran City in the second half.

As United accept the shield for the 15th time, I believe it's going to be a great season ahead. United are the champions, but City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool will challenge this year. It's going to be a good fight and I'm looking forward to it.


































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