PORTUGAL: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Managers react after draw betwen Manchester United and Benfica in Champions League

Record ID: 336165

  • Title: PORTUGAL: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Managers react after draw betwen Manchester United and Benfica in Champions League
  • Date: 15th September 2011
  • Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 14, 2011) (REUTERS) WIDE OF MANCHESTER UNITED NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED COACH, SIR ALEX FERGUSON, SAYING: "I thought our possession in the first part was too cautious. It gets you a certain type of control of the game, but it doesn't get you a winning game. But once Ryan (Giggs) scored, we played much b
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2011 13:00
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  • Location: Portugal, Portugal
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEF3XCOU2KPMQWNAG8RNHNA54I
  • Story Text: Welsh midfielder Ryan Giggs extended his own record as the Champions League oldest goalscorer with a superb strike that earned Manchester United a 1-1 draw against a lively Benfica side in their Group C opener on Wednesday (September 14).
    Giggs, who will turn 38 on November 29, cancelled out Oscar Cardozo's fine 24th minute goal with an equally well-taken finish three minutes before halftime for last season's beaten finalists.
    United manager Alex Ferguson was happy enough with a point.
    "All in all, it was a good European night, good to watch. I thought the two goals were terrific," he told a news conference.
    "I thought our possession in the first half of the game was too cautious. Once Ryan scored we played much better."
    Ferguson rang the changes for the Lisbon clash, naming an inexperienced back line and counting on the likes of Giggs and Park Ji-Sung in the middle while leaving Nani and Javier Hernandez on the bench. Ferguson also opted for back-up goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard in place of David De Gea.
    "I was hoping it would be just as great a match as it was," said Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, who had earlier suggested he would be satisfied with a draw.
    "We managed to score one point, which I think can be decisive. At this stage in the groups, the other teams can also score points against United, it could be decisive to qualify. So we are not satisfied scoring just one point in relation to how we played, we deserved three, but I am very pleased with the performance of the players," he added.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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