The long-awaited clean sheet came in a match-up against 6th place West Bromwich Albion. Old Trafford saw 90 minutes of what Ian Darke described as "an armchair ride for Manchester United". With Shinji Kagawa back in the lineup, United had some extra flair in their attack. The Reds dominated the first half, pushing around a helpless-looking West Brom. A great combination by Kagawa and Ashley Young let United open the score. Young's low ball into the far post was aided into the net by Gareth McAuley, an own goal from a poor attempt at a clearance. Another team's defense was to blame for a change, as the Reds seemed to have cured themselves of their Achilles' heel. Ashley Young had another shot at scoring after Valencia's delivery, but was cut short by Ben Foster. West Bromwich finally got a shot off target towards the end of the half, when Peter Odemwingie ran past two defenders to slip in a wide shot. United could have easily made it 2-0 from there on out - Foster, who was usually quite steady throughout the match, flopped on a clearance just as Danny Welbeck was running up. Unfortunately, the English forward missed the opportunity, and the ball flew well past an empty net. Vidic and Cleverley's pointless fouls gave away two dangerous free kicks to the opposition, but thankfully for the Reds, there was no magic moment in store for West Brom. The hosts lost a bit of possession towards the end but were in no jeopardy of conceding.

Kagawa in action against Thorne.

After a ridiculously slow half, the visitors were determined to change things up on the pitch. More set pieces came and went. When van Persie came on, West Brom. manager Steve Clarke answered with Lukaku, a player who has been referred to as the team's own Didier Drogba. He also brought on Scottish midfielder James Morrison, who had scored before against the Reds, most notably on New Years Day last year. McAuley, whose own goal had given United the lead, had a header that bounced off the crossbar. De Gea was no longer bored at the net, but amazingly, the guests did not make much use of their surplus of talent on the pitch. Possession of the ball had evened out, and United were on the rise once again, shifting the action back to the other side of the pitch. The guests could have had a 3 or a 4-goal deficit if not for Ben Foster. Another well-played combination involving Antonio Valencia gave Danny Welbeck the opportunity to make up for his earlier flubs. The latter aimed at the far post, but Foster dove to deflect the ball into a corner. The presence of Robin van Persie was bound to cause trouble for the visitors sooner or later. For United, the goal was better late than never. Sir Alex's two subs made all the difference - Paul Scholes found space to pass to van Persie, who shifted towards the center and had a brilliant shot into the far post. The Reds had another goal-scoring opportunity in added time during a counter, but Welbeck held on to the ball instead of passing to Valencia or Young.


Perhaps it wasn't as easy a win for United as Darke had described. It's hard to believe, but The Baggies are only 2 points away from Chelsea and 3 points away from 3rd place Tottenham. The team didn't show much of their capabilities on the pitch, however. The standings are often hanging by a thread, especially towards the middle of the table. While United maintain their lead and the 7-point gap between Manchester City, they could have been more aggressive on the attack. There is some lack of team work on the part of Danny Welbeck, and it would have been productive to have Chicharito on the pitch. West Bromwich had some sloppy defending and did not establish a good enough pace from the start, but the players are teeming with potential.

It'll be interesting to see how both teams fare in the new year.

One thing is for certain: they can only get better.

If there's anything we learned this season, it's that the teams in the middle of the table will provide a good enough challenge for front-runners such as the two Manchester teams and Chelsea. Having previously beaten Manchester City and Arsenal, Michael Laudrup's team have shown no mercy on the pitch. Today's game had the Swans playing on familiar turf, a home field advantage that was most effective against United.

United's success has been taking a backseat.

The first half hour belonged to the guests. Patrice Evra exposed Swansea's set piece weakness by scoring the header from RVP's delivery of the corner kick. Though United appeared dominant, they failed to apprehend Swansea's secret weapon - Michu. Having already gotten to the net from an offside position, the Spaniard was eager to score. He played out a great combination with De Guzman, whose shot forced De Gea to dive in for the save. Without help from the defense, United's keeper was helpless when Michu scored on the rebound. With goals against both Arsenal and Manchester United, the midfielder continues to show his prowess. He is, in essence, Swansea's Robin van Persie. In his 18 appearances for Swansea, the Spaniard has scored 13 goals, mirroring van Persie's record for United. The end of the first half saw a shift in possession in favor of the hosts and a formidable opponent for the Reds.

Aside from the usual defensive mistakes, United looked sharp on the attack and had a slew of opportunities. The guests gave the Swansea defense a run for their money. RVP and Michael Carrick both hit the crossbar. The addition of Ryan Giggs created a great partnership with Rooney and Chicharito on the field and prevailed over some of Swansea's less-than-stellar moments. Nevertheless, the second half was a mirror image of the first. Swansea saw more of the ball at the start, with United catching up towards the end. Williams and Davis fended off shots from RVP and Ashley Young, sending the hosts off on a counter. United failed to build anything productive, and the title of comeback kings began to sound less like a broken record and more like a thing of the past. However sloppy United's passing at times, they had another barrier to keeping up their 6-point gap with City. Credit should be given to Swansea keeper Michel Vorm, who was solid all throughout the game. De Gea was there when his team needed him, but without support from the defense, his job was far more difficult. Both teams had their share of moments, however, and the match did not fail to administer the typical Premier League excitement. Michael Oliver did a great job refereeing the match, and made great decisions on fouls with the exception of not sending off Ashley Williams for his needless kicking of the ball into the back of RVP's head.

In the RPL, this would probably have been a straight red.

United is now 4 points ahead of Manchester City, while Swansea is just one point away from Norwich, Stoke City, and Liverpool. With the ever-increasing capabilities of the middle teams, staying in the lead will continue to be a challenge. Fergie Time and last-minute goals are long gone; the Red Devils need to pick up a good central defender during the January transfer window. The midfield has been a problem for the team for much too long, as evident by United's inability to keep a clean sheet as of late. There's plenty of competition this season and only one spot for the champions of England. Sir Alex will soon have the opportunity to make some vital changes to the squad which will hopefully reflect well on the club's performance and bring back some of that consistency his team is usually known for.

Barclays Premier League - 18th Match Week
Sunday, December 23, 2012, 8:30AM EST

Swansea City vs. Manchester United - 1:1 (1:1)
Venue: Liberty Stadium (Swansea, Wales)
Referee: Michael Oliver (Cramlington, Northumberland)
Goals:
0:1 Patrice Evra (Asst. Robin van Persie) (16')
1:1 Michu (29')

Half Time Stats:
5:5 shots on target
4:2 shots off target
3:8 fouls committed
0:1 yellow cards
0:0 red cards
2:3 corners
2:0 offsides
54%:46% possession

Full Time Stats:
9:7 shots on target
5:13 shots off target
11:16 fouls committed
2:4 yellow cards
0:0 red cards
3:6 corners
3:0 offsides
40%:60% possession

Groups of supporters, a politician, and a TV station all piled in to an auditorium in Brooklyn. It wasn't a political debate or a charity auction. The popular Russian radio station Davidzon Radio had run an ad about an event in honor of FC Dynamo Kiev's 85th anniversary. There was no information online or elsewhere, and the venue was still completely packed. Veteran Dynamo fans were easily recognizable with their official team scarves and vintage jerseys. There were a few younger fans, as well. One fellow donned a Champions League cap with an older Kiev logo. Another wore a Shevchenko National Team jersey.

Soon, club Vice President Aleksei Semenenko was joined by three legendary Dynamo players:

Viktor Kanevskyi, former captain and striker, leading goalscorer among Dynamo forwards and 6th top goalscorer overall, 1961 Soviet Top League champion, winner of the 1964 Soviet Cup

Andriy Biba, former captain and midfielder, 3-time Soviet Top League winner, 2-time Soviet Cup winner, 1966 Soviet footballer of the year, currently a scout for Dynamo Kiev

Volodymyr Muntyan
former midfielder, former teammate of Oleh Blokhin, only player (along with Blokhin) to have won 7 Soviet Championships, 2-time Soviet Cup Winner, winner of the 1975 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and Super Cup, 1969 Soviet Footballer of the Year, 1970 Ukrainian Footballer of the Year


Dynamo's trio then and now. (Bottom photo by Aleks V)

Despite the success all three players had at the club, they were never on the same roster together, separated by only a few years' history. While Muntyan and Biba played together for Kiev, Kanevskyi had left for FC Chornomorets Odessa in 1965, the same year that Muntyan joined the team. Kanevskyi did, however, play alongside Biba. They were all capped for the Soviet National Team, but none of their paths crossed on the international level. Muntyan had the longest NT spell, playing for 8 years. All of Dynamo's former stars had managerial careers at multiple clubs, yet only Andriy Biba had the opportunity to come back to Dynamo, working as an assistant in the early 70's.

If there's one person who united the three players more than any other, it would be Dynamo Kiev's most respected and well-known manager, Valeriy Lobanovskiy. The latter is one of the most important figures in the club's history. In November 2012, football clubs in three age categories met in New York City for the 10th International Soccer Tournament in Memory of Valeriy Lobanovskiy. Dynamo's famous 1961 lineup included captain Kanevskyi (second from the top left), Lobanovskiy (first from the bottom left), and Biba (fourth from the bottom left):
The crowd settled down, and a few clips concerning the club's supporters and history were shown, including interviews with other former players. After former teammates presented a series of gifts and awards, it was time for the question and answer session. Many fans reminisced about games or other players they had remembered from the club's golden era. Most of the questions were along the lines of "whatever happened to so-and-so?" There was some criticism of the current state of the club, however. Some expressed concern with the club's current performance, despite the fact that Kiev almost always makes the top 3 in the Ukrainian Premier League.

I chose the opportunity to ask, "do you think there is a team in one of the bigger leagues, like the English Premier League or La Liga, that has a similar playing style or philosophy to Dynamo Kiev?"

After the awe and applause died down, a fan got up to talk about Ajax, but Volodymyr Muntyan had a few different clubs in mind. "To answer your question - I would say Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona...but for today's Dynamo Kiev to be like Barcelona, we need to find a Lionel Messi, a Xavi...

The Dynamo of the 70's was probably most like Barcelona. If today's Barcelona played against the 1975 Dynamo Kiev, we might not necessarily have won, but we would have definitely given them a challenge."

It's quite likely that the match would have been just as Muntyan imagined. He and current Dynamo Kiev manager Oleh Blokhin were part of Lobanovskiy's 1975 Dynamo Kiev lineup. The season saw two European Cup wins and another Soviet Top League Championship. It is often seen as one of the most successful year's in the club's history.

Lobanovskiy (2nd row, 1st on the left), Blokhin (2nd row, 2nd from the right) and Muntyan (3rd row, 2nd from the right).

Needless to say, Muntyan was the star of the show. He did most of the talking, which is just as well, as he is a great storyteller, illustrating many of his tales with gestures and, occasionally, swerves and kicks.

He told a rather amusing story about scoring a goal after a corner kick delivery. It was an unexpected, instinctive one-touch finish, but of course the press had sensationalized the moment, describing how he had focused long and hard and specifically positioned himself for that shot.

It is evident from the way he addressed both Biba and Kanevskyi that Muntyan has always had a great amount of respect for his elders, both on and off the pitch.

Volodymyr Muntyan. Photo by Aleks V

I caught up with the legendary midfielder after the show. We shook hands on the stage. "Your question was good, but rather serious," he said, before signing my program.

As tons of other fans poured onto the stage to get autographs and photos with the already-exhausted veteran players, I realized I was content having had my one question answered. Of course, I had also gotten autographs from Muntyan and Kanevskyi, as well as an official Dynamo Kiev magazine from the club's Vice President for having asked one of the most interesting questions.


It was an exciting evening on many levels, and a rare opportunity to meet former players whose careers forever shape the club's decorated past.


Related videos

(0:34) Muntyan's goal in extra time during the 1974 Soviet Cup final:



(0:30) Biba's goal in Dynamo Kiev's 1966 Soviet Cup win:



(0:53) Kanevskyi scores the only goal in Dynamo Kiev's 1964 Soviet Cup win:

Wayne Rooney proved it's never too late to score.

Another loss for Martin O'Neill's team was another win for Sir Alex, prolonging the 6-point gap between the Reds and Manchester City. The Black Cats conceded three goals in their home game against Reading, and now another three at Old Trafford. The first half was a nightmare for the guests as United kept the ball rolling towards Simon Mignolet's net. Ashley Young and Patrice Evra were both brilliant, though the former was better in the attack. Evra missed a great chance in front of the net, but Robin van Persie soon took up the opportunity from the same spot, scoring after Young's phenomenal parrying of the Sunderland defense. Van Persie has certainly lived up to expectations and continues to satisfy supporters by scoring or assisting in almost every game. Though he missed the near post as well as his double, United still got their second ball in from Tom Cleverley, whose solo effort was left unchecked by the guests. With plenty of space in front of the net, the Red got a quick shot dead-on the corner of the far post. Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, wasn't as lucky as his teammates. Even after a perfect pass from RVP, Rooney missed the near post from about 11 meters out. There were no signs of impending doom for the Reds, but a few defensive flaws were already starting to make an unwelcome appearance. Rio Ferdinand played the ball with his head instead of clearing it out, giving it away too easily. He was lucky that McClean did not shoot well, and that De Gea was positioned for the save. What prevented the fulfillment of some nice combinations by the Red Devils was the lack of attention when it came to short passes. Whether after corners or in regular play, the ball would near Sunderland's box, only to be lost after a short pass that never made it to the receiving player. Nevertheless, United collected plenty of set pieces, and made good use of most of them as they have throughout the season. Their opposition was deprived of their best striker near halftime after Steven Fletcher picked up an injury. Yet Sunderland had the final say in the first half, led by James McClean. It's difficult to count Ashley Young's poor attempt after as the final moment of a rather exciting 45 minutes. The piece de resistance was probably referee Chris Foy's eagerness to adjust the ball before some of the corner kicks. That and his lack of cautions, as well as an apparent blindness to handballs.

The second half was United's veteran showcase as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs took the field. The unlucky Rooney failed to score for a third time after the keeper and the crossbar blocked his shots. Ferdinand and De Gea successfully protected the net from the ever-eager Gardner and Sessegnon. As always, van Persie's thirst for goals drove him forward, chipping the ball over Sunderland keeper Mignolet. It would have been a perfect moment to pass to Rooney instead, who was running up on the right. Apparently, fifth time's the charm for United's number 10. Much like Young's assist earlier in the first half, RVP infiltrated the defense on the left, giving Rooney a chance to chip the ball in. The third goal proved that, if anything, Sunderland's biggest weakness lies in the midfield. That said, it was sad to see United give away the initiative with a whole half an hour left in the game. Sessegnon tested De Gea for the second time with a right-footed shot through the center, forcing him into a dive. Soon came the goal that, fortunately for Sir Alex, did not make the difference between three points and one point. The way the goal was conceded, however, was perhaps worse than the way Sunderland let United score. Sessegnon's chip from the left gave the newly-subbed Fraizer Campbell a one-touch finish as he headed the ball in near the goal line. Replays showed a United defense whose minds were clearly elsewhere, players who were standing perfectly still and a confused De Gea who was clearly waiting for defenders to take action. United did get in some late action, but players lacked accuracy in the box, and RVP was late on a near-post header. Sunderland came dangerously close to another goal as the ball teased De Gea's goal line, but nothing came of the moment, and the Cats had to settle for another loss.

Stuck in Heartbreak Hotel

Like any great manager, Sir Alex was not pleased with the game, regardless of the result. Some attribute United's defensive loopholes by pointing out the absence of Nemanja Vidic, who made his first appearance on the pitch in awhile in today's game as a substitute. The Reds are now faced with an Evans injury. But it's mighty rare that nobody in a roster is injured at all. There's really no excuse for childish errors, especially from a world class team like United. Sir Alex's team may be first in the standings, but the statistics are dreadful - 24 goals conceded in 17 games, the same amount as 16th place Sunderland and 14th place Aston Villa. The times are always tough, but defenders have had a faulty attention span all through this season. How a team wins is significantly more important than the three points themselves - looking at a shaky Arsenal side, nobody was thrilled when Wenger's team came back from a 4-goal deficit to Premier League outsiders Reading. That's not to say United are faced with a similar threat, but keeping a clean sheet is currently their greatest challenge.

United's win over their local rivals came as sweet revenge. Only last fall, Manchester City trounced the Red Devils in a 6:1 defeat for Sir Alex's side, their worst loss at Old Trafford since 1955. Not only that, but City won the title on goal difference. The team hasn't lost a home game for 2 years, and this season, it hasn't lost a single match, vying for the top spot with United. But as they say, all good things come to an end, and so did City's unbeaten streak. The Citizens started off strong, but were unable to pose a major threat. Their lack of chances ultimately led them to concede on the 16th minute. Wayne Rooney's right-footed shot wasn't as accurate on the ball as it should have been, but still nutmegged Gareth Barry and rolled past Joe Hart into the near post. The game opened up, and both teams looked to be solid contenders. A great chance came for City when Kun Aguero ran past a defense of 6, only to be denied by David De Gea. Unfortunately for the hosts, Rooney soon got his double. Rafael ran on the right flank and nutmegged Clichy in his delivery to Rooney. The striker didn't fail to net the ball into the lower corner once more. Yet City had no intention of letting things slide, and were able to create a few chances before the halftime whistle. David Silva's great delivery to Barry carried much potential, as did Balotelli's pass that De Gea cut short. United were seemingly denied a penalty for Aguero's challenge on Ferdinand. Scoreboard aside, the game had evened out.

Rio Ferdinand holds up the coin that was thrown at him.

Rooney's second goal brought about a melancholic Manicini, but the halftime break served to motivate the Italian manager. Carlos Tevez came on for Balotelli, and City was back in the game. Strangely enough, the hosts picked up more yellow cards after Balotelli left the pitch than when he was on it, yet they made up for it by playing brilliantly. Aguero had several great attempts, coming  close to scoring from a Nasri delivery. The latter was fantastic as well, and was one of the key players behind City's first goal. The combination leading up to the hosts' comeback was by far the most brilliant moment in the match. Tevez picked up Nasri's delivery for a powerful shot that was saved by De Gea. David Silva ran up for the rebound, shooting twice but failing to get the ball past the defense. The last ball was picked up by Yaya Toure, whose shot finally made it into the far post. There was some controversy leading up to the comeback as a United goal was not counted for an offside. RVP had shot the ball into the post, and after Joe Hart failed to reach the ball, Ashley Young netted it in. Had the goal been counted, the game may have seen even more goals from both sides. Interestingly enough, no one made a big deal about the error. Had the hosts been in a similar situation, the players and fans would have almost certainly blamed the referee for being biased towards the Reds.

The "offside" goal.

There was another moment ignored by the official when Rooney was brought down in a one-on-one counter at the far end of the left flank. Nevertheless, the match drew on, the hosts making use of their home field advantage more than ever. The duo of Tevez and Silva kept up a mighty presence, the former hitting the post in his attempt. Both players shone in the last minutes of the match. It took nearly 40 minutes for Mancini to see the fruit of his labor unfold. A corner delivery bounced off the pitch to the one and only captain Zabaleta, who scored his first goal of the season, nutmegging Phil Jones in the process. The remaining minutes saw a rightfully tied derby, but there was still a score to settle, and the karma police took note of the refereeing blunders as well as the unruly City supporters. The latter had not only tossed coins at Rooney when he was taking a corner but ended up injuring Rio Ferdinand towards the end of the game as the player lifted his jersey in celebration of the winning goal. Three points went to the team that was the victim of negativity and injustice. An RVP free kick in added time flew past Joe Hart, ironically bouncing off Samir Nasri's leg before it reached the net. Amid the incident with Ferdinand, officials attempted to control a rather large group of frenzied City supporters in the stands behind the net. There's one thing though that is more powerful than law enforcement. It's the same thing that changed a derby. The Reds retain their reputation in more than one way and increase their gap between both City and Chelsea.

City's keeper Joe Hart defends Rio Ferdinand from a supporter.

Super Sunday - 164th Manchester Derby

Barclays Premier League - 16th Match Week
Sunday, December 9, 2012, 8:30AM EST

Manchester City vs. Manchester United - 2:3 (0:2)
Venue: Etihad Stadium (Manchester)
Referee: Martin Atkinson (Leeds)
Goals:
0:1 Wayne Rooney (Asst. Ashley Young) (16')
0:2 Wayne Rooney (Asst. Rafael) (29')
1:2 Yaya Toure (Asst. Carlos Tevez) (60')
2:2 Pablo Zabaleta (Asst. Carlos Tevez) (86')
2:3 Robin van Persie (90+2')

LA came back from a 1-goal deficit in a more-than-satisfying repeat of last season's Cup win. The back-to-back Champions played beautifully, despite conceding right before halftime.
The Galaxy had plenty of opportunities that were sadly wasted by the likes of Donovan and Juninho. Moreover, the hosts had clear control of the ball and were looking strong. Houston's Sarkodie had a fantastic run on the right and an immediate shot that was masterfully saved by Saunders. Soon, however, Houston seized an opportunity. Calen Carr picked up a through ball and played it well before scoring in the near post. The hosts looked much better as a team, while Houston relied on individual action to create chances.

LA's British and American stars.

Thousands of Galaxy supporters were certainly not disappointed with the second half. They saw more of Robbie Keane. Saunders made incredible saves and prevented Carr from scoring a double off the pitch. Of course, the game wouldn't be complete without David Beckham taking the set pieces. Once again, Omar Gonzalez proved why he's considered one of the best players in the MLS and a valuable asset to the US National Team roster. He made his mark by scoring a header into the far post. Gonzalez truly defines much of the Galaxy's psychology as well. His goal led to back-to-back set pieces and an attempt by Keane. A handball in the box gave the Galaxy a penalty, dutifully converted by Landon Donovan. Try as they might, Houston could never truly recover from the Galaxy lead, largely in part due to Saunders' performance. The guests were so close, yet so far away as Brian Ching nutmegged a defender from outside the box, sending the ball rolling past the left post. The Galaxy earned a second penalty after Keane was brought down by Houston keeper Hall's outstretched arm. The Irishman made up for plenty of missed opportunities by scoring LA's 3rd goal, sealing a brilliant victory over the Dynamo. Beckham was subbed off during stoppage time to a roaring, sold-out crowd of 30,510. The Dynamo didn't even get to take the last corner as the final whistle blew. Nevertheless, thousands of supporters clad in orange scarves and jerseys applauded their team for a game well-played.

The Galaxy deprived Houston of the Cup for the second year in a row, yet they acknowledged that it was a stronger, more developed Houston. Dominic Kinnear has produced a team that deserved to make it to the final. A team that, like the Galaxy, have won back-to-back Championships. A team whose season featured a great performance on the road, Dynamo finished 5th in the Eastern Conference, but next season may have something much bigger in store. As the 3rd place Red Bulls' fate hangs in the balance, its quite likely a certain team from Texas will be taking their spot.
Even the constant interruptions by the referee didn't stop Bruce Arena's team from another triumph. A sea of confetti surrounded the teams, soon to be replaced with gold and silver medals. Keane's smile lit up the arena as he hugged Donovan in celebration of their win. It's certainly a moment Bruce Arena and his team will never forget. Back-to-back Champions and an MVP award for Omar Gonzalez. The Galaxy became the second team (along with D.C. United) as the only team with 4 MLS titles.

As for David Beckham, he couldn't have had a better end to his stay in the U.S. The incredible impact he's brought to the league and to football across the globe has been insurmountable. He is possibly the most influential player in the modern era. As with his departures from Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham won a title in his final season at the Galaxy. Clad in a British flag, walking along the pitch with the air of a prophet, David Beckham honored the MLS as both a player and an individual. But the night wasn't over until the stars and stripes were draped across his back. It's safe to say that the British influence will forever remain in our nation's history. It just happened to find a path through football.

Wayne is the Man: He scores, he assists.

It's easy to sound like a broken record when calling Manchester United the "comeback kings". This season, Sir Alex's team has been synonymous with conceding first and going on to equalize and win, having played 6 games in this fashion. Today's game was no different. United started off strong, but let Robson-Kanu open the score for Reading early on with a left-footed shot. It wasn't long before Anderson got the equalizer, setting the tone for the next half hour. The guests' first corner earned them a penalty after Evans was brought down unceremoniously in the box by Tabb. Sure enough, Wayne Rooney put United ahead, taking the PK with a great air of confidence. Yet his team's lead was short-lived as a feisty Reading brought the fans at Madejski Stadium to their feet. The home team was absolutely brilliant on set pieces, becoming more and more aware of United's Achilles' heel. Le Fondre got a header in from a corner delivery after his shot ricocheted off RVP's arm right in front of the net. How on Earth did Reading score again? Another corner, another goal. The delivery brought Sean Morrison a nice header. Despite the fact that the game was being refereed fairly well up to this point, the official failed to take note of Jonny Evans being brought down as the goal was scored. Ashley Young's brilliant back heel pass to Anderson brought the ball to the center of the box for Rooney. Neither the penalty nor the goal-scoring opportunity brought Rooney any hesitation, and the one-touch finish brought United another equalizer. Sir Alex did well to bench Rafael and avoid a potential sending off; there was a bit too much fouling from him today. A second back heel pass, this time by Wayne Rooney, gave RVP his goal in the near post, a ball that went in so easily, as though the former Arsenal star didn't have to think twice about what he was doing. Plenty of goals graced the first half, but so did plenty of United free kick freebies. Things worsened on the refereeing end, as well. Four minutes before the halftime whistle, RVP was denied a double by none other than Mark Halsey. The ball flew well over the line before being cleared away by a defender. If a linesman can't spot that, what was he watching while the ball was flying past the goal line?

The Goal That Wasn't.

The plethora of goals seen in the first half failed to materialize into any kind of spectacle in the second. Rooney's hat-trick will have to wait for some other time. As expected, United kept control of the ball and continued to dominate. Van Persie finished the game without a hat-trick as well, missing a more-than-perfect opportunity to send the ball past Federici after the Reading keeper's grievous error. There were many more ways to score than miss, and it was awfully strange to watch RVP struggle to decide what to do with the ball, especially when former Villa man Juan Pablo Angel has scored such goals in the MLS. Although the game had quieted down at this point, United still had some fire left for a final finish. Yet many were expecting more goals in the second half. Was it psychologically difficult for the Red Devils to bring back that same level of firepower as they had earlier on? It was much clearer that Reading was done for - a few sloppy attempts is all the hosts had to offer after having been in the lead on two occasions. United not only retained their reign as Comeback Kings, but also increased the gap between their local rivals, setting the stage for the Manchester derby next week. 10 points now stand between the two leaders.

Lady Justice Turns a Blind Eye

There are different kinds of 'blindness' which sometimes overlap, creating some confusion. The blindfolded sculpture of Lady Justice that many may remember from the 1960 movie Inherit the Wind represents a fair, objective judgement, yet at the same time she is portrayed as being "blind" to the community's ignorance to the law. Similarly, FIFA has been preaching objectivity while evading the issue of goal line technology beyond random talks of wanting to improve it without removing the 'human element' from the game. Football is long overdue for some new rules, and goal line technology is the number one priority.


Factiles:

Reading v Man Utd is only the third match in Premier League history to see seven first-half goals.
The same record holds for two other games, Blackburn-Leeds (1997) and Derby-Bradford (2000).

Wayne Rooney’s penalty (16 mins) was the 1000th that Manchester United have scored in the Premier League this century.


Barclays Premier League - 15th Match Week
Saturday, December 1, 2012, 12:30PM EST

Reading vs. Manchester United - 3:4
Venue: Madejski Stadium (Reading)
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
Goals:
1:0 Hal Robson-Kanu (8')
1:1 Anderson (Asst. Ashley Young) (13')
1:2 Wayne Rooney (PK) (16')
2:2 Adam Le Fondre (Asst. Nick Shorey) (19')
3:2 Sean Morrison (Asst. Nick Shorey) (23')
3:3 Wayne Rooney (Asst. Patrice Evra) (30')
3:4 Robin van Persie (Asst. Wayne Rooney) (34')