Thursday, May 26, 2005

Champions League Final Istanbul Turkey

Champions League Final Istanbul TurkeyLiverpool is the champion: Liverpool won the European Champions Cup for the first time since 1984, overcoming a three-goal deficit to beat AC Milan 3-2 on penalty kicks following a 3-3 tie Wednesday night in the greatest comeback in the tournament's history.

Turkey hosted the champions league final: European CHampions League Final was held in Istanbul Turkey at Ataturk Olympic Stadium. Thousands of tourists have visited Istanbul, Turkey for this important soccer game.

AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini scored in the first minute, and Hernan Crespo added goals in the 39th and 43rd.

No team had ever come back from a three-goal deficit in the final, but Liverpool did just that during a stunning sequence in the 50th Champions Cup final. Captain Steve Gerrard scored in the 54th, Vladimir Smicer made it 3-2 in the 56th and Xabi Alonso tied it in the 60th on the rebound of his penalty kick, which goalkeeper Dida had saved.

The game, the highest-scoring final since 1962, went to 30 minutes of overtime, and Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek stopped Andriy Shevchenko twice in the 118th minute, first saving his header, then blocking Shevchenko's shot off the rebound.

Serginho put AC Milan's first penalty kick over the crossbar, and Dietmar Hamann converted his, With Dudek bouncing back and fourth on the goal line, he dived to his right and batted away Andrea Pirlo's kick with his right hand.

Djibril Cisse put Liverpool ahead 2-0, Jon Dahl Tomasson converted for AC Milan, Dida dived right to stop John Arne Riise and Kaka tied it for AC Milan. Smicer gave Liverpool a 3-2 lead and Shevchenko's kick down the middle was saved by Dudek.

It was the fifth title for Liverpool, the first since its fans rioted at the 1985 in Belgium, causing the death of 39 fans and leading to a lengthy ban from European competition. Under currently rules, Liverpool won't be able to defend its title because only the top four teams in England's Premier League qualified for next year's competition and Liverpool finished fifth.