CR stars as MU reach Club World Cup final

Cristiano Ronaldo, the face that launched a thousand flashbulbs here, helped Manchester United move within one step of being crowned champions of the world in this lively Club World Cup semi-final.

Ronaldo built the platform for United’s early lead, helping create a goal for Nemanja Vidic and then rising high to head United’s second.

The footballing riches that Sir Alex Ferguson has at his disposal was highlighted in the second half when Wayne Rooney charged on, scoring twice (and being booked for kicking a prone opponent), while another substitute Darren Fletcher, added another.

United had laboured to settle, perhaps working the jet-lag out of their system, or rust in the case of Paul Scholes, making his first start since Aalborg away in September. Gary Neville also looked uncertain, struggling against the quick movement of Lucas and Michihiro Yasuda. Only the alertness of Edwin van der Sar rescued Neville when Ryuji Bando broke through and shot low, the keeper saving with his legs.

Gamba Osaka’s fans were in good voice but Ronaldo was in better form. The Portuguese was beginning to click into gear, delighting the fans with a series of step-overs and speedy dribbles. After 28 minutes, the European Footballer of the Year ran onto another pass from the busy Carlos Tevez, cut inside and forced a corner off Satoshi Yamaguchi, the Osaka centre-half.

Yamaguchi had done well to repel that United attack but he then lost focus. As Ryan Giggs curled over the corner-kick, Yamaguchi utterly failed to react to Vidic’s presence, allowing the Serb to leap and head powerfully home. United’s desire to win this tournament was clearly evident as all the players rushed to Vidic to celebrate.

But it was Ronaldo who continued to attract most attention. His lime-green boots were clearly an object of fascination for the packed-out stadium and an instrument of pain for poor Osaka. Shortly after the half-hour mark, Ronaldo again bewitched Osaka’s defence, beating Yasuda and crossing into the box. How Anderson put a routine header wide was a mystery.

Ferdinand momentarily slipped up, squaring the ball blind, and allowing Bando a free run at goal, but fortunately for United he shot wide. Ferguson’s men, though, had detected Osaka’s vulnerability and again exploited their inability to combat aerial balls. On the cusp of half-time, Giggs bent another corner across and there was Ronaldo, having escaped Tomokazu Myojin, heading in.

The Japanese showed more threatening signs in the second half, Bando unleashing a fiercesome shot that almost snapped Neville in two. Then Van der Sar pushed an Endo free-kick away. Poor marking by United allowed Masato Yamakazi to poach a goal from 15 yards, causing mass hysteria on the Gamba bench.

But United simply flicked a foot at the accelerator, and Ferguson’s substitutes, Rooney and Fletcher, confirmed the quality of United’s squad. A clever pass from Fletcher found Rooney, who escaped Soto Nakazawa and shot low past Yosuke Fujigaya. United were now really in the mood, Fletcher heading in a terrific cross from Patrice Evra. Still United came, making it 5-1 when Rooney ran on to a Giggs pass and expertly placed the ball past Fujigaya.

The drama continued to escalate with Rooney booked for kicking at Yasuda, albeit in mitigation he was trying to remove the ball, and then Neville conceding a penalty for handling Bando’s cross. Endo converted a truly composed spot-kick. Hideo Hashimoto then rammed home a third for Gamba but Ronaldo and co march on to Sunday’s final with Liga de Quito.

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