bad_meetz_evil
02-27-2006, 04:42 PM
CARDIFF, Wales -- Manchester United outplayed an overawed Wigan Athletic to win the English League Cup final 4-0, with England striker Wayne Rooney scoring twice.
Man of the match Rooney scored in the 33rd and 61st minutes after hitting the bar with a header early in the first half.
Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo also netted in a blistering six-minute second-half spell which guaranteed United manager Sir Alex Ferguson the 27th major honor of his career.
United, whose only previous League Cup win came in 1992, dominated from start to finish and were never seriously troubled by Wigan, appearing in the first major final in their first season in the top flight.
The win was the biggest in the final since it was switched from two legs in 1967 and guarantees second-placed United a place in next season's UEFA Cup if they should finish outside the Champions League qualifying places in the Premier League.
The Wigan players seemed to freeze on the biggest day in their club's history under the closed roof at the Millennium Stadium.
United settled quickly and could have gone ahead in the seventh minute when Rooney headed against the bar after the Wigan defenders failed to deal with a cross.
They got into a mess again after 32 minutes when Pascal Chimbonda and Arjan De Zeeuw appeared to tackle each other, allowing the ball to run free to Rooney who took it to the edge of the box before crashing a curling shot past substitute goalkeeper John Filan.
Filan had replaced the injured Mike Pollitt after 14 minutes.
At halftime it appeared unlikely that Wigan would trouble United unless they upped their tempo significantly, but after the break United imposed their influence all over the field with the Wigan players chasing shadows.
England fullback Gary Neville provided the cross which effectively settled the game when he found Frenchman Saha in front of goal with only Filan to beat.
The goalkeeper saved the first attempt well but was helpless as the rebound hit Saha and went into the net.
Portugal's Ronaldo lashed home four minutes later to put United 3-0 ahead before Rooney was left in space to turn and score his second from close in.
Rooney later went close with a shot that hit the side-netting as United won the first trophy of the English domestic season and their first since the FA Cup in 2004.
The match produced a familiar outcome for Wigan manager Paul Jewell - he has now faced United four times as a manager, twice with Bradford City and twice with Wigan -- and lost 4-0 each time.
Man of the match Rooney scored in the 33rd and 61st minutes after hitting the bar with a header early in the first half.
Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo also netted in a blistering six-minute second-half spell which guaranteed United manager Sir Alex Ferguson the 27th major honor of his career.
United, whose only previous League Cup win came in 1992, dominated from start to finish and were never seriously troubled by Wigan, appearing in the first major final in their first season in the top flight.
The win was the biggest in the final since it was switched from two legs in 1967 and guarantees second-placed United a place in next season's UEFA Cup if they should finish outside the Champions League qualifying places in the Premier League.
The Wigan players seemed to freeze on the biggest day in their club's history under the closed roof at the Millennium Stadium.
United settled quickly and could have gone ahead in the seventh minute when Rooney headed against the bar after the Wigan defenders failed to deal with a cross.
They got into a mess again after 32 minutes when Pascal Chimbonda and Arjan De Zeeuw appeared to tackle each other, allowing the ball to run free to Rooney who took it to the edge of the box before crashing a curling shot past substitute goalkeeper John Filan.
Filan had replaced the injured Mike Pollitt after 14 minutes.
At halftime it appeared unlikely that Wigan would trouble United unless they upped their tempo significantly, but after the break United imposed their influence all over the field with the Wigan players chasing shadows.
England fullback Gary Neville provided the cross which effectively settled the game when he found Frenchman Saha in front of goal with only Filan to beat.
The goalkeeper saved the first attempt well but was helpless as the rebound hit Saha and went into the net.
Portugal's Ronaldo lashed home four minutes later to put United 3-0 ahead before Rooney was left in space to turn and score his second from close in.
Rooney later went close with a shot that hit the side-netting as United won the first trophy of the English domestic season and their first since the FA Cup in 2004.
The match produced a familiar outcome for Wigan manager Paul Jewell - he has now faced United four times as a manager, twice with Bradford City and twice with Wigan -- and lost 4-0 each time.