We Are the Champions, My Friends...

hands down, i'm in a city who has just experienced one of the greatest sports comebacks of all time. tonight liverpool played against AC Milan in the champions league final, the most prestigious and coveted tournament in europe. they shouldn't have even been there, but surprised most people with wins against Juventus and Chelsea.

i've been a little nervous all day (i love sports and especially football/soccer) as i've walked the streets of manchester, where i went did evangelism training today, in my cherry red "Liverpool: Probably the Best Team in the World" tee. call me a nerd...call me a fanatic, but there's something about rallying behind a team and loyally cheering them on as they seek to do the unimaginable. am i wrong?

it was surreal to get back to liverpool two hours before gametime and to see flags, scarves, and a sea of semi-intoxicated people in red. i could be wrong, but i don't think i've ever been to a city with more devoted (and maybe partially insane) fans. i had the same bus driver that got us lost in the city days ago...imagine that...and he nearly rear-ended another bus and he let up on the break at a stop, propelling one person into the windshield, and another almost out of the door---probably due to the fact that the start of the game was upon him. and who can blame him....here's the breakdown of the game that will now go down in the sports history books.

within the first minute AC Milan scored the first goal. By halftime, they'd add two more. at that point it was 3-0 and i'm sure that the surge of energy that i had experienced in city centre only three hours before, had died down to a murmur of disappointment and mustered enthusiasm.

BUT THEN, EL CAPITAN, Steven Gerrard, in the 2nd half, 54th minute, turned the game around when he connected viciously with a cross from Alonso (i think), that sent the ball past AC Milan keeper,Dida, into the back right corner of the net. In the next 5 and half minutes, liverpool would add two more and the game was tied until the whistle signaled end of regular play at the 92nd minute.

Overtime commences, which entailed thirty minutes of exhausted players trying to attack the opposing goal to finalize a win. And to be honest, it was looking bleak. Liverpool was on the defense for most of OT. The biggest scare was when a shot on Liverpool's goal was sent flying into the air, only to come back down at the feet of an AC Milan player, where Jerzy Dudek quickly reacted and it ricocheted off of his knee, and out of bounds. Bout gave me a massive coronary.

And then the shootout. With one shot shanked over the crossbar and one blocked by Dudek, Liverpool was up 2-0. But they'd miss the next goal, while AC Milan would minimize the gap by adding one, 2-1. And they'd add another making it 2-2. But, shot number four for Liverpool and we're up again, 3-2---a block by Dudek would clinch the cup. Schevelaikalajslkjf for AC Milan (look it up...i'm no sports journalist) decided to go center, while Dudek had predicted right, BUT HE CONTORTS HIS BODY INTO SOME KIND OF UNHUMAN leap frog position and gets his left leg and arm up enough to clip the ball and block it.

For the fifth time, the Champions League cup would return to Anfield. What a memorably fun night.

I'm so excited to say that I was living in Liverpool, cheering on the team in May of 2005, the year that the Reds came back to win it all.

What a game...what a game.