UrbanWire

So United lost 3-2 on aggregate. But did they deserve to, on basis of the Old Trafford display?

Wednesday morning’s [Singapore time] refreshing performance had been unseen since Ferdinand's untimely incapacitation. Every time a Porto player got the ball, a red shirt was there to close him down. Deco, so important a player for the Portuguese champions, was rendered impotent by the tiger-ish United midfield of Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, Fletcher, Scholes and Butt.

With the tie hanging by a thread, United set out their stall to get that early goal, and their endeavour was duly rewarded, when a pin-point O'Shea cross was headed home emphatically by the ginger-haired one. 1-0 up on the night, and if things remained that way, United would go through on away goals.

Seemingly in cruise control, the Red Devils now had the impetus, as the onus was now on Porto to get their goal. United were dominant, compared to their inept display in Oporto 2 weeks ago, Brown standing out with countless clearing headers. Porto held the upper hand on possession without creating anything useful, and was limited to long-range potshots, courtesy of the opposition's willingness to close them down. Save for a Carlos Alberto effort which Howard did well to save with his feet, Porto were haunted by Jose Mourinho's pre-match boast that they couldn't be hurt if United didn't have the ball. As it happened, Porto were the ones who needed the ball, had most of it, 57% at one point, but couldn't do much with it.

Dmitri Alenitchev, constantly probing the right wing, saw plenty of the ball, but always had O'Shea and Giggs to contend with, while Deco and Pedro Costinha were reduced to possession hoggers.

The young Brazilian, Alberto, had a match to forget as he twisted this way and that, but always found a red wall. A ridiculous 3-foul streak, all on the left, left the home side livid at his antics. And the perceived protection he got from the Russian referee was thrown in his face when he went down theatrically in the area under pressure from the imperious Brown, looking up to see Mr Ivanov waving play on. What was mysterious though was the absence of a booking for simulation. He was eventually substituted in the 2nd half.

On hindsight, the turning point arrived just before half time, as United looked the more dangerous side when in possession of the ball. After a bit of pinball in the Porto penalty area, Giggs managed to send a scuffed shot towards goal. Vitor Baia anticipated it and got down to it. Only the ball wasn't there. Scholes got a foot to it, trapped it and in 1 swift execution, toe-poked it past the despairing keeper. Old Trafford groaned when the linesman's flag was raised. TV replays vindicated the protesting Scholes, as he was clearly a yard onside when Giggs played the ball in.

While it was perplexing to see the 2nd half begin with Louis Saha, carrying a slight Achilles heel problem, in place of Djemba-Djemba – who did a great job of getting stuck in and unsettling the Portuguese ballet troupe – it was obvious what the all-Scottish bench wanted when United's own Portuguese darling came on for the more defensively-sound Darren Fletcher. The FA Cup match against Fulham had proved how lethal the Ronaldo-Saha combination could be on the fast break, and with Porto committing men forward, 2 goals would have been enough to bury them.

Less than 10 minutes after Ronaldo's introduction though, the Porto support hypocritically derided the flamboyant winger for taking a dive when he went down after pushing the ball past Nuno Valente. The referee thought so too, but there was more lost when Ronaldo was stretcher-ed off, bringing back memories of his jersey predecessor's metatarsal episode, against the other blue-and-white-striped team of Deportivo.

United, for so long the purveyor of late, late goals, got a taste of their own medicine, as Porto won a contentious free-kick within Beckham range. His shadow hung over the stadium as Benni McCarthy, hero of the 1st leg, placed the shot towards Howard's top-left corner. T-Ho got a hand to it, but failed to direct it to safety. Francisco Costinha, just back from suspension, was on hand to slam it home, his 3rd goal in 7 games.
As Porto celebrated, United was in disbelief. Not because their defeat was of their own doing, but because they knew they did all they could. A late flurry of red waves crashed safely off the Porto moorings, and in the end, their 1st leg performance proved costly.

United can hold their heads high despite the result, and it was due to bad luck more than anything, a recurrent theme this season. First, Ferdinand, then Magnier; after, following Keane's ill-advised retaliation at being outclassed in Portugal, Scholes's perfectly legitimate goal – which would've killed them off – and Ronaldo's premature end. Another referee might even have waved on Porto’s free kick.

A bustling performance from the Red Devils but the cutting edge was just out of reach in this nonetheless inspired display. If United keep up this form, they might just halt the Arsenal juggernaut in the FA Cup – the silverware they disowned in 2000 but also their best chance of any at all this season.