It was almost the week that was not in the English Premier League. After setting a record week for goals in the matches of in the week of February 12, 2011, many finishers had more difficulty finding the goal this week. See Dempsey's penalty kick miss against Chelsea for starters. If only Dempsey converted that kick, Chelsea would be just about out of title contention.
Manchester United and Manchester City squared off in Old Trafford in what was the most highly anticipated match of the weekend. If Manchester City could muster a win, it would leave the league wide open for the taking. Manchester City recently acquired Dzeko for a mere 35M GBP to compliment Torres up front. The expensive front line of City only scored one time and that was a deflected goal. United looked weak on defense on the deflection which was really just the defense succumbing to their own laziness in allowing a trickler of a cross to roll across the 12 and allowing Dzeko a shot at a sitting ball like that. Otherwise United's defense was strong and they minimized Torres's chances and kept van der Sarr quiet in the back.
For almost 80 minutes Rooney was frustrated. Not many opportunities and less to show for the few times he touched the ball. But like a true champion, he can change a game in an instant. United was forced to not only defend against a strong front line of City but also a great midfield and so Rooney was without Berbatov for most of the game and was only being fed passes by Nani (who had an excellent game). Rooney was not to be contained on this day. In the 78th minute, at the corner of the eighteen, Nani hit a cross that deflected off a defenders back of City and the ball was behind Rooney. Somehow Rooney adjusted and hit a near perfect bicycle kick to stun the whole stadium for a goal of a lifetime. The video clip is above, and Rooney said in post game interviews that he did not see the deflection. However, the agility and finish on this goal took the wind out of City's sail, as it should have. The video speaks for itself. The enormity of the goal should not be downplayed. A goal like this cannot be practiced; a finish this superb can only be dreamed about. Every child dreams of that last minute 3 pointer or penalty kick to win the championship but this showed such skill and agility that Rooney demonstrated exactly how one man can change an important game in a moment--a promise is fulfilled. The kick came off just at the bottom of his shin, but there was force behind the wall and placement into the goal left even the United bench enthralled. It was a truly incredulous moment; a story book finish by one of the game's premier players.
One can spend years throwing the ball in the air and practicing bicycles or even having their friend serve the ball from the corner, but a finish like Rooney's is one in a thousand or even more rare even for the most skilled of players. The crowd erupted and even Sir Alex Ferguson recognized the impact of such a goal. He said, "I have not seen anything like that, that is for sure." Rooney was a champion for that moment and for the game. Champions rise to the occasion and in front of over 75,000 screaming spectators with just over 10 minutes left in a tied game Rooney solidified his status as a legend and leaves United clear atop the Premier League Table.
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