Roma Crushed; Essien Lifts Chelsea Late
Manchester United greeted Roma with a historic goal blitz on Tuesday afternoon, scoring four goals in the first half and adding three in the second for a gaudy 7-1 crush of AS Roma. Meanwhile, Chelsea rode through to the semifinals on a 90th minute goal from Michael Essien.
Within 20 minutes of play at Old Trafford, it was apparent this was not the same United side that fell at Portsmouth on Saturday. Michael Carrick, Alex Smith, and Wayne Rooney all found the back of net in an eight minute span to completely knock the air out of Roma. Cristiano Ronaldo added another just before the half to put an end to any doubts of the outcome.
But United were not done yet. Ronaldo added another clinical finish at the start of the second. Carrick got his brace in 60th minute and Roma found themselves down six goals after an hour of play.
De Rossi got one back, but it was little consolation as Patrick Evra made it 7-1 before the match ended.
Ryan Giggs served up an amazing four assists before being subbed out in the 61st minute.
In Spain, Chelsea made it two English Premiership teams in the semis on Essien's angled winner from the right edge of the box.
Valencia fell at home despite jumping out to a 1-0 lead. Fernando Morientes smashed home a cross from Luis Miguel in the 32nd minute. Chelsea's Andriy Shevchenko equalized early in the second half after Frank Lampard's free kick.
Chelsea is now slated to face the winner of the Liverpool/PSV Eindhoven tie, which wraps up tomorrow in Liverpool. The Reds hold a commanding 3-0 lead.
Manchester United await the survivor of Bayern Munich/AC Milan, which stands at 2-2 before tomorrow's match in Germany. It will be ManU's first European semifinal since 2002.





Comments
What a downer.
Posted by: giova * * * * | April 10, 2007 05:28 PM
To think some people were writing United off after their slip-up over the weekend. I don't think so. I haven't seen a team look that dangerous in... well... ever, to be honest. Ronaldo has grown into a full-fledged beast. I just wish he'd get that stupid pained look off his face. Congrats to Utd, what a show. Liverpool will make it 3 of 4 EPL teams tomorrow.
Posted by: yoyo | April 10, 2007 05:32 PM
Bye Roma! Bye Totti! Bye !!!!!!!!
Posted by: Dave | April 10, 2007 06:09 PM
Man. U. Man. U. Man. U. Uhhuh Uhhuh uhuh uhuh uh huh. Oh yeah. 2-4-6-8 who do we appreciate. A.S. Roma. A.S. Roma. A.S. Roma. Yeah.
Posted by: Magic Man | April 10, 2007 06:11 PM
I didn't see the game,but at 7-1, there's nothing to discuss,I liked Roma,came from nowhere and it was in the final 8,in the first game they looked good,but I guess experience and determination counts,my hat's off to Man U,to win that decisively they had to deserve it.
Posted by: wolfen | April 10, 2007 06:15 PM
It's very hard to believe wolfen. I was expectin it to be close with Roma moving on as the end result. After last week's poor performance by United & the fact Roma controled the entire game. I was not expecting this. I' happy to see Rooney scored again & also that Ronaldo had a good game as well. Don't know what Sir Alex has been telling the squad prior to this game but it worked! Dispite the thrashing I still think Roma is a good team with lot's of talent that's for sure. Too bad for Valencia I was hoping the two Davids' would pull them through. If Liverpool beats PSV I sure hope they run all over Chelsea. I'm not a big Chelsea fan.
Posted by: Scotty | April 10, 2007 06:47 PM
If ROMA lost 7-1 that means that they are not ready to play againts big teams
Posted by: charles | April 10, 2007 08:36 PM
It's wild! Man I watched that game. Hard to believe it was the same two teams that played last week in Rome. You would expect a score like that now & then in regular league play but never in Champions League play at this level. Crazy stuff! Yeppers Scotty I'm bummed Valencia are knocked out as I can't stand Chelsea. Guess the old rough ugly kick & run style still has a litle life left in it. Hey dr nyc, what do you have to say now!
Posted by: Jenson | April 10, 2007 08:39 PM
I saw the United vs. Roma game as well, and I was blown away. Never seen a game like it. The Red's attacking play and finishing was absolutely brilliant. I always expected them to come out determined to show what they're really made of, but I NEVER would have anticipated a 7-1 thrashing like they handed out tonight. If they keep playing like they did tonight, they'll clinch the treble for sure.
Posted by: Kurt | April 10, 2007 09:42 PM
Now Roma has something in common with Barcelona ...THEY ARE BOTH LOSERS!
Posted by: Nick | April 10, 2007 09:53 PM
hey nick, take it easy there,boddy, Barcellona has agreat team and it happens, Roma played well and knocked out Lyon,one of the favorites,they have the least money from all the last 16 teams and fell apart at the end, all the other teams spent millions where as Roma had guys basically unknown till a few years ago,so let's give them a break,their only real big name is Totti and he came from the Roma system(They impressed me thus I read up on them),there's no excuse for the game today,but I'm sure they'll be back next year,as will Barca and Real Madrid and Inter,at this point I'm rooting for either Milan (because I like Cafu'& Kaka)or Chelsea.
Posted by: wolfen | April 10, 2007 10:24 PM
I'm laughing so hard right now. Can you imagine what was waiting for Roma when they touched down at the airport in Rome! Eggs & tomatos! That's what! I hope Totti was out in front & got the full Montey! What a bunch of third world losers!
Posted by: Roger | April 10, 2007 11:32 PM
Ya man I know. All that junk Totti said last week about Fergie would remember his name. Totti's a good player man but he's a big idiot when he opens his mouth. I read in FourFourTwo magazine where some Italian player that's real popular in England said Totti is so dumb he couldn't point out the middle east on a map if his life depended on it. Ya man we all will remember Totti. We will remember him for the 7 to 1 butt kicking he got today in England by the Mighty ManU crew!
Posted by: Dave | April 11, 2007 08:24 AM
I said it to many of my counterparts online that Man U was going to do something tremendous like that. Man U has just broken the record that was set on the same stage in 1960 when...team beaten......7 to 2 goals,here someone interested has to search through the records to identify the covered teams.
Posted by: Revelian S. N | April 11, 2007 09:45 AM
Wow! what a superb pay back.
Posted by: Chris | April 11, 2007 11:10 AM
Everything needs to be put into perspective here. Roma isnt a bad team they just played really bad this game. Man U isnt unbeateble they just played a brilliant game. Both teams are top class teams. Man U played amazingly well while Roma didnt. This game doesnt define whether either of these teams are good or not. It was one game. On any giving day any team can beat anybody. Yes Man U totally crushed Roma (which i am quite happy about) but tht doesnt mean Roma sucks or that players like Totti suck. Yes they played a bad game but tht doesnt mean people should be ripping on Roma like they are. Personally i really like Man U and hate Roma. But respect needs to be given to the hard working Roma team.
Posted by: RcFutbolFreak | April 11, 2007 01:41 PM
Listen, give credit where its due. I've been a ManU fan from I started watching football in the Islands. I have never seen them demolish any team in the way they did yesterday. How can you say that this game doesn't prove how good ManU is? Did you see the second goal? It was all one-two passes! In fact, the entire game was like that. This is what playing soccer is all about. This was top quality football. Well done ManU!
Posted by: Jay | April 11, 2007 02:35 PM
Did u read wat i said. Man U played a brilliant gam. They were AWESOME! But one game doesnt mean tournement one. They still are not the best team. They still have to keep playing and win the champions league
Posted by: RcFutbolFreak | April 11, 2007 03:13 PM
Liverpool move on! Go Liverpool! Bury Chelsea! The so called Ugly English kick & run teams rule the Champions League! No luck there! Just kick & run skills!
Posted by: Roger | April 11, 2007 04:44 PM
I think Chelsea will win it 2-1. I think Essien will score he has been doing well. And probably Joe cole.
Posted by: RcFutbolFreak | April 11, 2007 05:44 PM
Hey guys everyone can have a bad game, Roma is agood team and they showed it,with their roster(a very simple one they have no money to invest and rely on their youth team) they are second in the serie A,in the quarterfinals of the champions and the final of the italian cup,all this with half the squad of the so called big teams(Man U,Chelsea,Real,Barca,Inter etc...)they played well throughout and fell under pressure after the first two goals it was over.But some of your comments are ridiculuos especially Roger??? third world losers? what the hell is that ,ManU is one of the best and wealthiest teams in the world,good for them and I praise thembut this Roma team really impressed me. they <INteraia
Posted by: wolfen | April 11, 2007 06:29 PM
wolfen your forgetting that man u has a lot of injuries too, and they still crushed roma.
Posted by: john | April 11, 2007 06:39 PM
Look where Roma comes from. It's not exactly a world power country. Roma is as good as any team in Europe. They just were destroyed by a better team, Thats all.
Posted by: Roger | April 11, 2007 07:05 PM
Hey fellows,I praised Man U for their performance,I don't understand the comments about a third world country??? Italy since when? I'm not Italian but I've been there and it's far from a third world country,regardless I like to talk about soccer,I came to like Roma this year because they were the underdogs all along,you can't compare the teams there's too much of money gap,regardless Milan-Manchester will be good, as for Chelsea-Liverpool I root for Chelsea,take care fellows.
Posted by: wolfen | April 11, 2007 07:27 PM
I have respect for Roma, but I have zero respect for Totti. All the trash he talked last week about how he doesn't like English soccer or England in general as if he's above it. Turns out he's way below it. It really doesn't matter even if he does feel that way. He should keep thoughts like that to himself but then again only a smart person would understand that concept & Totti's anything but smart.
Posted by: Zoro | April 11, 2007 08:20 PM
well i did say roma would win and man utd would still win the EPL. OH MY GOD WOW .
VALANCIA let me down . i had pick the roma and the valencia games this sunday 4-14-07 to watch but change of mind .
thank you milan ,last year barce and sevilla
took top cups in uefa. now an english team can take only epl spurs remain and we know the score in that one uefa cup. giova milan will spoil the party.
Posted by: soccer dr nyc | April 12, 2007 04:06 AM
What about ronaldo. he showed that he is the best player in the world tuesday. He showed how mature he has gotten and showed if you talk a good game, you have to play a good game (mancini and panucci). best moment of my life besides that night in Barcelona. Who knows, repeat is definately not of the cards
Posted by: bredred | April 12, 2007 02:06 PM
Hi Zoro, I agree I came to really like Roma, but Totti should relly learn to keep his mouth shut!,he's a talented player but it's not his feet that are doing the talking, he should take example on his younger teamate De Rossi, a real player and he's 22!!! I spoke to a lot of Italian friends and they all say that even though he's good they would rather not have him (Totti),apparently he's a spoiled brat,and maybe Roma nad the national team will be better off without him.
Posted by: wolfen | April 12, 2007 02:20 PM
U r right wolfen, and every time i watch totti playing i realise he is selfish!!!He want to score goals himself and ultimately cost his team to lose!
Posted by: Revelian S. N | April 13, 2007 02:20 AM
liverpool as we all know the most succesful club in england wll win the champions league cup again because they are all out for it and in top form ,football is about scoring goals which liverpool adoptd lately.
i see a man u liverpool final
Posted by: ebube | April 13, 2007 01:02 PM
Totti's a very good player. He has a thunderous shot as well as good vision. He just has a big mouth and forgets to think when he opens it. He should use Cannavaro as a role model. Cannavaro never trash talks. He jut goes out and lets his playing do the talking. He acts like a professional.
Posted by: Roger | April 13, 2007 03:30 PM
Wait, I cannot ftaohm it being so straightforward.
Posted by: Xantara | September 10, 2011 06:25 PM