Manchester Utd 3 Chelsea 1:THE COMMUNITY Shield becomes a conundrum when teams of this stature are pitted against one another. History counts, but it does not lie in the lore of this particular occasion. It was the fresh memories that mattered and Manchester United had the look of men seeking therapy after enduring the sight of Chelsea doing the Premier League and FA Cup Double.
Their victory was merited and satisfaction lies not simply in the three goals but also in the knowledge that they had restricted the harm done by their opponents after the interval. United had zest, whereas Chelsea took a long time to work themselves into a dynamism that was ultimately impressive.
The punishment for losing the game will lie in more discussion of the ageing look of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. They ultimately showed persistence rather than explosiveness and there was not enough to allay fears that this could feel like a long campaign for someone like Frank Lampard, a 32-year-old with the pains of the World Cup still felt. Even so, he and his side did not drift to defeat.
They surged for a time and were not checked until Javier Hernandez, United’s new acquisition, struck in a manner that was absurd but also smacked of a serial scorer. The Mexican came on as a substitute to convert a ball from Antonio Valencia 15 minutes from the close, but found the net only after misconnecting with his foot and deflecting the delivery off his own head. Alex Ferguson will no doubt deduce that it was the mark of a natural scorer.
The old lags, all the same, continue to illustrate their relevance. There was a freshness of vision and execution in the 35-year-old Paul Scholes, but the key issue for the manager may have lain in the work of Wayne Rooney. A Community Shield display will never amount to proof of regeneration, but Ferguson saw a footballer who made as much as he could of the day until going off at half-time.
Rooney created the opener, even if he is still without a goal since March 30th. The forward took an excellent long ball from Scholes and instantly set up Valencia to score in the 41st minute. At that stage, United had an incisiveness that slashed Chelsea’s confidence. Had Rooney, for instance, been efficient enough to present Michael Owen with an open goal, instead of firing wide, United would have had the lead as early as the 18th minute.
Chelsea, whatever is said of the dependence on veterans, are not to be treated as if they are now harmless. The circumstances are a trial to Ancelotti and his players, with the 32-year-old Didier Drogba appearing from the bench so soon after the World Cup finals and a bout of surgery, but the team will not be afflicted by fatalism. The confidence was high enough for United to be pummelled.
Curiously, considering the impression conveyed by the result, Edwin van der Sar had as much to do with the outcome as anyone in the United ranks. The Dutchman pulled off a series of saves, but in the 83rd minute his block from Dean Sturridge left Salomon Kalou to knock home the ball. It is the measure of United that they reacted and extended the lead once more. The substitute Dimitar Berbatov coolly lofted a third United goal in stoppage time following neat service by Nani.
Although Andre Marriner did not have to reach for a yellow card, the goodwill will not be seen in the clashes to come. Any misgivings on Chelsea’s part should lie with the concern that the many months to come will take their toll on an ageing squad.
The Community Shield is not necessarily a game without consequences. Ancelotti, in the wake of this outcome, can expect a greater interest in Chelsea’s efforts during the transfer window. Allusions to the emerging talents of Gael Kakuta, Jeffrey Bruma and others will not be a complete comfort to fans. The signing of Ramires from Benfica seems imminent, but that in itself will not spark excitement in the Stamford Bridge audience.
So far as those without an allegiance to either club are concerned, there is a curiosity as to whether these two clubs will set themselves apart once more. Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Valencia at the weekend was no cause of frenzy.
Arsenal, too, are not without hope and there is time yet to address the flimsiness in defence and midfield that so bedevilled them in games with sides such as Chelsea and United.
Still, Ferguson must have been content last night. Scholes may have been at the heart of the Community Shield outcome, but old-timers need not be the essence of the campaign. United, after all, virtually did without Ryan Giggs, who took the field as late as the 79th minute.
There was solidity to the side, with Michael Carrick in midfield even though he had been reported injured. Many trials are yet to come for the victors and for Chelsea. By their own standards, neither club did well in the Champions League. All the Community Shield really confirmed was that their struggles with one another will remain intense.
CHELSEA: Hilario, Paulo Ferreira (Bruma 79), Ivanovic, Terry, Cole (Zhirkov 79), Essien, Lampard, Mikel (Drogba 60), Kalou, Anelka (Sturridge 60), Malouda (Benayoun 72). Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Van Aanholt.
MANCHESTER UTD: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Jonathan Evans, Vidic, Fabio Da Silva (Smalling 71), Valencia, Scholes (Fletcher 80), Carrick (Giggs 79), Park (Nani 46), Owen (Hernandez 46), Rooney (Berbatov 46). Subs not used: Kuszczak.
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands).
