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Gunner Girls go wild in Europe
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Historic day of Euro glory for Arsenal
Uefa Women’s Cup Final
Arsenal 0, Umea 0
(Arsenal win 1-0 on aggregate)
HEROIC goalkeeping, dogged defending and never-say-die attacking saw Arsenal Ladies make history on Sunday when they became the first English club to win the Uefa Cup.
Former Camden schoolgirls Emma Hayes and Rachel Yankey and Islington raised manager Vic Akers danced with delight after Arsenal saw off the team ranked No.1 in Europe to bring the trophy to north London.
“I’m speechless and very proud, it’s the best day of my life,” said ex-Parliament Hill School pupil Hayes, who returned from an award winning spell coaching in America to assist Akers this season.
Alex Scott’s last gasp wondergoal in Sweden nine days earlier proved the winner after a return clash watched by almost 3,500 cheering fans at Boreham Wood FC ended in deadlock.
Now, with the League and Uefa Cups and the League championship in the bag, Arsenal have the chance to secure a quadruple of titles if they can defeat rivals Charlton in the FA Cup on Monday.
A record 19,000 tickets have already been sold for the all-London showpiece final that looks set to lift the roof off Nottingham Forest’s City ground.
But before they take on the club they beat in the 2004 FA Cup final, Arsenal have to come back down to earth from their Euro glory.
Two times Uefa Cup champions Umea were devastated to go home empty handed after hitting the post and seeing sure-fire goals dramatically saved by keeper Emma Byrne.
But when Byrne kept out substitute Ramona Bachmann’s volley with her face, it looked certain to be Arsenal’s day.
And it was, with barely a dry eye in the ground as the Gunners showed off the trophy they have fought to win for five long years.
“It’s a personal landmark for me in my 20th year,” said Akers, who was whisked away to the Emirates Stadium after the match to laud the trophy in front of Arsenal fans during the men’s tie with Fulham.
He added: “It is the biggest moment in my career, we still have an FA Cup final to play and are looking forward to that.”
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| Your Comments: |
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I am happy to see our girls as euro champions.
Michael O Nwabueze |
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