THE MIRROR PAGE 72 DAILY MIRROR, Thursday, May 26, 2005 [email protected] ED: ISSUE DATE: PAGE: E had strolled out on to the pitch before Hthe game, flashing a smile that said this was the stage he had been craving his whole life. To be involved in this was what he had wanted. To play against Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf and Andriy ,, Shevchenko and to know that the eyes of the football world were trained upon him. GerrardGerrard This was why he had made his threats about leaving Liverpool. This was why he had teetered on the brink of a move to Chelsea at the start of the season. All to be here on a night like this. Steven Gerrard did not look nervous. He was closer to nonchalant. He walked past a camera and waved into it before turning to applaud the B Liverpool fans high in the C stand opposite. M Up there, on the balcony between the two tiers, some acolossus Y supporters had hung a giant flag. “And you will know my name is Gerrard when I lay my vengeance upon you,” it said. And what a furious vengeance it was. What an astonishing, breathtaking, wonderful, beautiful miracle of a vengeance it was. It was made for the biggest BACK FROM THE DEAD: It looked all over at half-time a vengeance the like of which this competition has rarely seen, a vengeance that might even have surpassed Manchester United’s win over Bayern Munich in 1999. None of us thought we would ever see a match turn around stages in like that again, but Gerrard inspired something that matched it here last night. How can he leave after what he did for his team last night? Because Liverpool proved last night that even if they are still lacking some quality, xx xx there is something in the soul of this football club and its captain makes up the difference. JUMP START: Skipper Steven Gerrard heads Liverpool’s first to When AC Milan turned this spark their rivals after 54 minutes Pictures: BRADLEY ORMESHER game into a rout before half the world time, when Maldini and Hernan Crespo turned it into a humiliation for Liverpool and their poor supporters, the plan had not given up and in the second another goal less than two minutes that this could be the match that SPORTS half, he single-handedly turned the later, it was Gerrard who turned a persuades Gerrard to pledge his match on his head. dream into reality. He ran into the box allegiance to his side next season and WRITER OF He had done his best to rally his to latch on to a flick from Luis Garcia beyond had felt like cruel self- OliverHolt team in the first half. He hit one and was dragged down by Gattuso. delusion. THE YEAR precise corner to John Arne Riise Dida saved Xabi Alonso’s penalty How could Gerrard take the leap to REPORTS FROM ISTANBUL that the Norway defender met but the Spain player lashed the greatness playing in a team that perfectly on the volley but which rebound into the roof of the net. folded like this? Because in the first arriving at the stadium in the Liverpool’s journeys to the European slammed into Gennaro Gattuso. On the biggest club stage of all, half, it wasn’t just looking like a middle of the afternoon, before the Cup final. And he curled a perfect cross into Gerrard had done it. He had proved defeat, it was looking like an blue skies were obscured by a blanket They had congregated in their the path of the on-rushing Sami to himself what he needed to know. embarrassment that made Liverpool of clouds. thousands in one of the car parks Hyypia who saw his header clutched That he could mix it with the best seem like impostors, the frauds who That many had walked several outside the stadium, dancing to the on the line by Dida. in the most trying of circumstances. had gatecrashed the big party. miles from the security checkpoints music of a concert arranged specially He tried to wind up Vladimir Smicer It was a pivotal night in Gerrard’s At half time, it looked as though that ringed the wilderness which for them. when he came on to replace the career and maybe even in his life. Milan had done Jose Mourinho’s job surrounds the arena. That they Now and then, the bands gave way injured Harry Kewell. He tried to No one will ever forget what he did. for him. streamed towards it through valleys to the sound of Johnny Cash singing stand tall while everyone around him It will be his monument, whatever They appeared to have underlined and up hills like disciples drawn to Ring of Fire, the song that had was collapsing. And when it seemed happens in the future. It may be his the gulf that still exists between a preacher, striding across the broken become the theme tune of Liverpool’s all was lost, it was Gerrard who rose parting gift to his club or it may be Liverpool and the pinnacle Gerrard ground with the occasional herd of march on glory. All that seemed to in the 54th minute to meet a cross just the first of a series of stellar seeks. They seemed to have told him startled goats for company. There is be for nothing at half time. But how from Riise and guide a header past contributions to English football. that all the hoopla and the wonder always a feeling of a pilgrimage about wrong we were. Because Gerrard Dida. After Smicer had scored Perhaps it needed this stage to of the build-up to this occasion had unlock something in Steven Gerrard. been for nothing. After what he did last night, his place They seemed to have made him BENITEZ IS STILL THE BOSS FOR US – PAGES 70 & 71 in Liverpool’s storied history is forget that Liverpool fans had started secure. , Thursday, May 26, 2005 PAGE 73 [email protected] DAILY MIRROR AET:AET: LIVERPOOLLIVERPOOL WINWIN ACMilanACMilan 33 LiverpoolLiverpool 3-23-2 ONON PENALTIESPENALTIES HOW THEY RATED AC MILAN LIVERPOOL Nelson DIDA 5 Jerzy DUDEK 9 The Bra zilian goalkeeper only Had kept clean sheet sinhis watched Gerrard’s header previous th ree Ch ampions home an dshould have League games but th en stopped Smicer’s shot but conceded three i n45minutes. unlucky aft erhisbrilliant penalty Made doub le wonder s avein save from Alonso . extra-timetoforcepenalties. CAFU 6 Steve FINNAN 7 One of Liverpool’s steadier Theonlymanto pl ay in three defenders, the Iri sh right-ba ck consecutive World Cup fi nals – was not at fault for the and who c aptained Brazil in defensive carnage unfolding 2002 – again showed his b ig- around h im. But thigh strain match temperament with a forced him out of s econd half. typically high-octane display. Jaap STAM 6 Jamie CARRAGHER 8 The Dutch c entre-back was Liverpool’s leader i nthesemi- determined to prevent Liver pool final win ove rChelseasuffered replacing Manchester United as a hellish first-half against the last English winners of t his ShevchenkoandCrespo.But trophy. M issed with aheader made tw ocrucial tackles in an ashechasedalatevictory. inspired second-half showing. HYYPIA AlessandroNESTA 5 Sami 7 The Fi nn’s lack of pace at this Luckytogetawaywithahand- level was exposed by the Milan ball when h ewenttogroundjust forwards. But hedominated th e before the second goal, the aerial duels and helped boss h is Italian internat ional paid the side back into the game in the pricewithsomeslackdefending second half. asMilanwerelaterpunished. Paolo MALDINI 7 DjimiTRAORE 7 Found the net after only 52 The gangli ng left-back was seconds with his right-f oot cruellyexposedatthislevel. volley for the quickest ever Shevchenko smelt blood and goal in a Champions League went for the kil l. But he made final – and his first in the brilliant goal-line st op from the competition for 11 years. Ukrainian af ter 70 mi nutes. AndreaPIRLO 4 Luis GARCIA 7 The sc orer after only four Milan’s dead-ball specialist laid minutes in the sem i-final, the on the cross f or Ma ldini’s opening Spaniard’s early co ntribution goal. Gi ven the task to blun t here was to block an early Gerrard’s runs from midfield, the Crespo header on his own line. Italian suffered a t rying second Battled hard in midfi eld. half with Liverpool in c ommand. Clarence SEEDORF 5 StevenGERRARD 9 The Dutchma n’s tradem ark The first half a ppearedacarbon surging runs from the midf ield copy of his n o-show at the during the first half an dthenhe Carling Cu p final. But Li verpool’s was by-passed after the break. key man came out a differ ent Hamann and Gerrard out- player a fter the break to score powered him i nthesecond half. the firs t and wi nthepenalty. KAKA 7 Xabi ALONSO 7 Y The Brazili an gave a mi dfield The Spaniard’s 59th-m inute masterclass during a m agical penalty was brillia ntly saved by M first-half.Setupthesecond goal Dida buthereactedfirsttoram C split t he Liverpool def ence with the reboun d home. Linked well B an inch-perfect ball f or Cres po with H amann once th eGerman to score the third. was introduced after th ebreak. Gennaro GATTUSO 4 John Arne RIISE 7 The former Glasgow Range rs Showed no l ackofeffortand midfielder’s first contribution to commitment down the left flank the game was to give away t he but wa soutnumbered and out- penalty w ith his foul on Gerrard.