Forza Milan

I'm happy AC Milan made it to the finals of this season's UEFA Champions League. I admit they rode their luck thru both legs of the semi-finals against a fascinating PSV Eindhoven. The difference between the two sides was one took their chances clinically and the other just couldn't find their finishing touch.
I salute PSV's skipper, Mark Van Bommel for his performance and his never-give-up attitude but I couldn't accept the moaning he gave of playing better in the two legged series and to end up as the losing side. Well, Mark...in football, you don't just play 90 minutes, you play till the final whistle is blown and yes, your courageous and valiant fightback and performance were outstanding but at the end of the day if you let your guard down, you pay for it.

Credit can't be taken away from Milan for their converted chances, and also, ladyluck. It was their luck that PSV forgot their shooting boots in the first leg and lapse in concerntration in the second that allowed Ambrosini to plant a header past Gomes.
Hopefully Milan will take caution of their form when they take on Liverpool on the 25th of May. They just lost to arch-rivals, Juventus over the weekend which puts the latter in pole position to reclaim the scudetto from Milan. At least if they cease the Serie A crown, they will welcome back the Champions League trophy they secured in 2003.

Carlo Ancelotti has done a wonderful job at the San Siro by giving the opportunity to the vastly talented playmaker, Andrea Pirlo to shine. Pirlo had been languishing on the bench at Inter Milan before he was snapped up by Ancelotti and has been the mainstay of the engine room. With the emergence of Kaka, a brilliant talent who has kept Potuguese legend Rui Costa on the bench with scintilating displays has propelled the Serie A giants to familiar territory.
Milan were in doldrums when Fatih Terim took the reigns and was duly dispatched barely completing one season.

With Maldini, Nesta and Stam(when both not injured) marshalling a tight and fearsome defence, the midfield then reinforced with another protective layer in the shape of Gennaro Gattuso, a human pitbull breaking down play and distributing it to attackers with panache. In Clarence Seedorf we have another Dutch legend who has won three champions league medal with three different teams. Kaka is then given the license to roam just in front of the midfield to supply defence splitting passes to the lethal Andrei Shevchenko. The current European Footballer of the Year has been in fine form and it was he who drew first blood against PSV in the first leg of their semi-final clash.

I am however a very big fan of the Rossoneri captain, Paolo Maldini. He is undoubtedly an inspiration and is an icon at the Giuseppe Meazza. At 36 years of age, he is still a classy and competitive professional who is widely regarded as the best full-back of his era. Although not as fast as in his prime, he is still able to time his tackles perfectly and keep a tight leash on the opposite's offense. He reminds me of a typical Spartan soldier back in the Roman period. I hope Milan will win it for Maldini for all he has symbolized at the San Siro. A loyal servant who has spent his entire career at the club right from the youth setup. As a Milan tifosi(fan in Italian), I wish them the very best for this long, weary season with the triumph of the coveted, Champions League 2005.