Given enough talent, a man can distil potent memories out of even a Community Shield match.
The Manchester United goalkeeper threw himself lithely to his right, denying Claudio Pizarro and then Frank Lampard in the shoot-out. It was understandable that
Van der Sar, who turns 37 in October, was troubled by his lapses towards the close of last season and very conscious that little time might be left to him in an Old Trafford contract that ends next summer.
His pre-season had not been convincing but United can barely afford to let him retreat into the shadows. Tomasz Kuszczak is not regarded as his natural heir and Ben Foster's cruciate ligament injury will rule him out until the end of this year at the earliest. Even then he will have to build on the impression made at
For Sir Alex Ferguson the principal benefit of the afternoon at Wembley could be the fillip it gives Van der Sar. It would be rash to come up with larger deductions. The fact that each club can make six substitutions is the Community Shield's confession to being a jumped-up friendly, although neither manager was shameless enough to make full use of that facility.
In the 45th minute the excellent Ashley Cole swerved a pass down the left and the £13.5m acquisition from Lyon had more resolve than Ferdinand, forcing himself free of the centre-back to clip an impressive finish past Van der Sar. The goal rounded off a first half in which the sides had striven to play in earnest.
There was even a sprinkling of spite to add flavour. A pointing Wayne Rooney, having been booked for a late challenge on Petr Cech, seemed to be in dispute with a section of
While Michael Essien and Mikel John Obi both failed to head home a Malouda free-kick shortly afterwards there was more of a flourish to United's display. The opening goal had thinking and technique that were both sharp. With 35 minutes gone, Patrice Evra took a crossfield ball on his chest, touched it to Ronaldo and raced after the return pass.
His low cross was probing and a lunge by Carvalho could not distract Ryan Giggs from recording his first goal at Wembley since his schoolboy days with a sweeping drive high into the net. By and large
The Telegraph
Football, the sport that never sleeps, hardly seems to have had a lie-down this summer, and events here yesterday maintained familiar themes from last season. All the talk was of
Giggs' manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, keeps expanding United's creative department as if fearful of some flair famine stalking the land. Such an intelligent frontrunner as Carlos Tevez, who makes his debut on Wednesday, will doubtless link instinctively and prolifically with Wayne Rooney while Nani showed glimpses of his gifts against
Yet there was Giggs, 33 years of age but with the enthusiasm of a teenager, gliding through to score a superb 35th-minute goal to shake a clammy Community Shield into life. Florent Malouda subsequently conjured up a terrific equaliser, and Edwin van der Sar proved unbeatable in the penalty shoot-out, but the main memory was of Giggs, of a class that never ages.
When Patrice Evra crossed from the left, and Rooney cleverly dragged blue shirts out of position, Giggs calmly stroked the ball from 15 yards into Petr Cech's goal. "Ryan placed it,'' said
If the goal was exceptional, it certainly produced an extraordinary statistic. It was so long ago that Giggs last scored at Wembley that he had a different name. Then known as Ryan Wilson and captain of England Schoolboys, this special player last found the mark at Wembley 18 years ago.
Rooney was three at the time, and sometimes does not have appear to have matured much. The
Chelsea fans, some sporting T-shirts declaring that the title was only "on loan to United'', were enraged, and loudly questioned everything from Rooney's weight to his parentage. United's No 10 responded by holding up a solitary finger to signal who were the No 1 team in the land.
The Community Shield is rarely a good form-guide, but few would question that United are favourites to claim the Premiership. For all his "mellow'' intent, Mourinho remains a one-man debating society and he sent eyebrows rising faster than the mercury with his comment that "Chelsea controlled the game for 90 minutes in quite an easy way''.
Nonsense. Ashley Cole, who again dealt well with Ronaldo, and the purposeful Malouda certainly impressed for Mourinho's side, but they were hamstrung by the absence of John Terry and Didier Drogba with knee problems. Drogba aims to be back within 10 days but Terry's anticipated month on the sidelines is desperate news.
Van der Sar made amends spectacularly in the shoot-out, saving from Claudio Pizarro, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick both calmly converted their kicks, leaving Rooney to apply the coup de grace, and then repeat his No 1 signal to the departing
The Times
The season's first piece of silverware is barely worth its weight in scrap metal, but try telling that to the Manchester United players who cavorted around the new Wembley Stadium with the FA Community Shield while their
United won the day thanks largely to Edwin van der Sar, who saved penalties from Claudio Pizarro, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips while Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Rooney all beat Petr Cech, but they were also marginally the better team over 90 minutes. Ryan Giggs's expertly taken goal gave them a lead that was more than deserved on the balance of play, while they will also reflect that Chelsea barely mounted a serious attack either side of Florent Malouda's equalising goal on the stroke of half-time.
Rooney, perhaps unsurprisingly, was the player who was most eager to carry the fight to the opposition. A generous judge would give the young United forward the benefit of the doubt over a twelfth-minute incident when his studs landed on the thigh of Ashley Cole, but Mark Halsey saw fit to show him the yellow card in first-half stoppage time when he caught Cech, having overcommitted himself in his latest running battle with Tal Ben Haim.
It was a slick move down the United left that ended with Giggs putting them ahead in the 35th minute. Patrice Evra exchanged passes with Ronaldo to get behind Johnson before pulling the ball back towards Giggs, who steered a perfect shot beyond Cech and Ashley Cole, who was covering on the goal-line. Remarkably, it was his first goal in 17 appearances at Wembley at senior level, his only previous strike way back in the days that he represented England Schoolboys under the name of Ryan Wilson.
After a flat second period, Van der Sar emerged as the match-winner, a redemption of sorts after he blamed himself for Drogba's winning goal in the FA Cup Final in May. This time it was the
The Indie
The hottest day of the year and the football season arrives. What could be more natural in the perverse, looking-glass world of the Premiership where £30m players are transferred for £2m, the former England manager gets a job and promptly signs nine foreigners, and £100,000-a-week footballers turn out for charity, and the punters are the ones dipping their hands into their pockets?
Not that this background meant yesterday's match lacked spice. There is too much history between the teams. If anything it was more competitive - and more watchable - than the FA Cup final the duo contested in May. These two superstar bands had, between them, performed in seven countries in three different continents during their pre-season build-ups but any suspicion that this was a prolongation of Wembley's rock concert season was dispelled when Ashley Cole clattered into Cristiano Ronaldo in the first minute.
Wayne Rooney certainly lacked no motivation, but he never does. His competitive spirit will burn fiercely when he is having a back garden kick-about with his grandchildren. He and Ronaldo both looked in ripe form, taking players on at will and interchanging neatly. And Manchester United have Carlos Tevez, Anderson and Nani, who made a cameo appearance yesterday, in reserve.
Nevertheless, the old stager Ryan Giggs suggested he will continue to be a telling influence whatever the influx of talent. The will o' the wisp wing wizard and teen idol has matured into a very good all-round footballer with a greyhound's physique that belies his 34 years. Giggs's goal was set up by a new, unexpected, contender for the left-flank role in which he came to prominence. Patrice Evra is a full-back but one would never have guessed it from the impressive shift he put in playing further forward. Left-backs used to be afterthoughts, but Roberto Carlos showed they can be key players in the modern game, with its tight midfields, and Evra could be an important player this year.
Giggs had been denied what United argued was a legitimate goal in the FA Cup final, the ball going over the line only for Giggs, who himself appeared to be fouled, to be penalised for sliding into Petr Cech.