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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:17 EST |
Galatasaray was the better side
By Jamie Trecker
[Special to ESPN.com]
In one of the most thrilling and memorable UEFA Cup finals ever, Galatasaray outlasted Arsenal to snatch a 4-1 win on penalties following a scoreless draw.
The first Turkish club to win a major European title, Galatasaray in one fell swoop put the oft-overlooked Turkish league on the world map.
Bad luck abounded for Arsenal: Despite having a man advantage, they were unable to capitalize; also, a player with ties to the team's archrival, Tottenham Hotspur, proved instrumental in the victory when Gica Popescu slotted in the winning penalty.
What set this final off from so many others was the incredible pace and dizzying exchange of play. This was not your average 0-0 final in which the teams are so cramped and afraid that they are unwilling to unleash playmakers. On the contrary, Galatasaray got incredible work out of Gheorghe Hagi and Hakan Sukur, both of whom had golden opportunities to seal the game in regulation. Likewise, Arsenal saw brilliant work from Ray Parlour, Marc Overmars and Thierry Henry.
But the match was won in midfield, where Arsenal struggled.
Arif Erdem and Hagi flourished for the Turks, while Arsenal's Emmanuel Petit and defender Martin Keown were frequently pressed back. The Turks did a better job of compressing the field and were much faster on counters -- it wouldn't be until late in the match that Arsenal was able to shake free of the dogged man-marking that Galatasaray used to stifle the English attack.
Of course, the sending off of Hagi cannot go unremarked.
Fortunately, this was one of the rare instances when a card did not apparently affect the outcome of the game. Referee Antonio Nieto's call was blown, plain and simple, but even the loss of the best playmaker on the field did not dent what was also clearly the better team on the field. Despite going into the crapshoot that is penalties, Galatasaray deserved to take home the trophy.
Random thoughts
Kudos to MLS for hiring a player who is personable and attractive to watch. Acquiring Luis Hernandez is a positive acquisition for this league, which is sorely in need of a boost.
Fans of the beautiful game in the Chicago area may wish to check out the Next Theater's production of "Among the Thugs," a play based on the memorable Bill Buford novel about hooliganism.
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