Community Shield: Chelsea v Manchester United full time report
Chelsea 1 Manchester United 3
A freakish goal from debutant Javier Hernández helped Manchester United win the 2010 Community Shield.
Mexican forward Hernández doubled United’s advantage when somehow contrived to slip and hit an Antonio Valencia delivery into his own face when unmarked in the six yard box. Mercifully for him, the ball found its way into the net.
Earlier, Valencia had given United the lead in much more conventional fashion when he converted Wayne Rooney’s superb first time cross in the closing moments of the first half.
Salomon Kalou gave Chelsea hope with a close range finish with just eight minutes remaining, but Dimitar Berbatov ensured United’s victory with a sublime lob from Nani’s pass in stoppage time.
United’s win was deserved, as they were quicker and stronger than their opponents throughout the 90 minutes, with man of the match Paul Scholes pulling the strings from midfield.
It was a lively start amidst boos from opposition fans for both team’s England World Cup players.
United were on top to begin with. Rooney’s terrific cross field pass found an onrushing Valencia, but the Ecuadorian winger was unable to lift his lobbed effort over a well-placed Hilario, before Valencia’s pinpoint cross found an unmarked Scholes, who could only fire wildly over the bar.
That appeared to wake Chelsea up, and Nicolas Anelka soon fired a long range effort that Edwin van der Sar spilled, before Kalou dragged the rebound well wide.
The Dutch goalkeeper was soon in the action again, and sprung to his left to keep out Branislav Ivanovic’s header after the Chelsea defender had beaten his fellow Serb Nemanja Vidic to a free kick.
Back at the other end, Rooney latched onto Scholes’ pass but could only drag an effort across goal that went into between the far post and a lurking Michael Owen, before a fierce Park Ji-Sung effort was blocked by Ivanovic.
The pace of the game quickly slowed, and Valencia should have done better when presented with a golden opportunity to cross, with Rooney and Owen waiting to pounce, before a backpedalling Ivanovic headed Owen’s cross away from under his own crossbar.
Scholes was dictating United’s play, and it was no surprise that he was involved in the build up to his side’s goal, but it’s Rooney who should take all the plaudits for helping give United the lead.
From Scholes’ pass, the forward had his back to goal when he was confronted with Terry on the corner of the box, but the No. 10 played a perfect first time cross that took both Terry and Ashley Cole out of the game, and Valencia was left with the simplest of finishes past an exposed Hilario.
Rooney, Owen and Park were all replaced at half time, giving United fans a glimpse of their new Mexican signing Hernández, as well as Berbatov and Nani, but it was the unchanged Chelsea who started the second period on top, and Florent Malouda fired a left footed effort just wide.
Hernández just failed to link up with Berbatov at the other end, but Chelsea were soon to play their trump card when Didier Drogba replaced John Obi Mikel. It was Kalou who’d go close for them next though, but his snapshot went straight at van der Sar, before Michael Essien’s swerving effort from 25 yards went just wide.
Chelsea were now well on top, and after Drogba just failed to pick out Malouda, Cole could only shoot meekly at van der Sar after being found by fellow full back Paulo Ferreira’s right wing cross.
Chris Smalling and Yossi Benayoun soon appeared from the bench to make their debuts for their respective teams, before Hernández sliced a chance horribly wide following good work from Berbatov. The Mexican’s moment was to come though, albeit in bizarre, almost comical fashion.
Valencia broke free down the right flank, and his low cutback found Hernández unmarked in the six yard box. However, instead of tapping into an empty net the forward slipped and hit an effort into the net via his face.
They all count though, but the goal didn’t kill off Chelsea, and Sturridge should have done better when he was clean through on van der Sar, before the Dutchman could only parry his long range effort straight to Kalou, who slotted home from close range to give the Blues hope.
Chelsea were pressing for an equaliser, and Drogba could only fire into the side netting following more good work from Sturridge, before they were picked off at the other end as Nani found Berbatov, and the Bulgarian brilliantly lobbed Hilario to confirm the win.
United take the spoils then, and while they’ll enjoy winning the battle, the war is about to begin.
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