Rooney, Gol Ajaibnya dari Jarak 54 Meter Antarkan Kemenangan MU
Rooney Scores Unbelievable Goal from Nearly 60 Yards Out
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
London (B2B) - Wayne Rooney menciptakan dua gol yang salah satunya adalah gol terbaik musim ini ketika Manchester United mengakhiri pekan penuh kenangan dengan menang 2-0 dari West Ham United pada laga Liga Premier dini hari lalu.
Sepekan lalu, manajer David Moyes menyaksikan timnya dipermalukan 0-3 di kandangnya sendiri oleh Liverpool, namun United bangkit dengan membalikkan defisit 0-2 pada leg pertama melawan Olympiakos untuk mencapai perempatfinal Liga Champions.
Malam itu saat melawan Olympiakos Robin van Persie menjadi bintang dengan trigolnya, namun pada laga itu pula dia ditimpa cedera sehingga memberi Rooney menjadi pilihan utama di depan saat bertandang ke Upton Park sekitar dua jam lalu, seperti dilansir Yahoo! Sports.
Dan dia menciptakan gol pembuka yang luar biasa yang menyamai mantan pahlawan United David Beckham dengan menaklukkan kiper lawan secara menakjubkan dari jarak jauh.
Tidak sejauh tendangan lob setengah lapangan Beckham kala melawan Wimbledon pada 1996 memang, namun mantan kapten timnas Inggris itu menyaksikan sendiri gol Rooney tersebut.
Starting line-up usungan Moyes sempat membuat banyak orang kaget ketika Alexander Buttner, Shinji Kagawa dan Ashley Young masuk sebagai starter, sedangkan Michael Carrick, mantan gelandang West Ham, menempati bek tengah.
Carrick terpaksa di posisi itu demi menggantikan Nemanja Vidic yang terkena larangan bermain, dan bersama Marouane Fellaini dia berusaha menahan beberapa set-piece striker tuan rumah Andy Carroll.
Rio Ferdinand yang juga memulai karirnya di Upton Park absen karena cedera, sedangkan pemain depan timnas Inggris Danny Welbeck menjadi pemain pengganti.
United memulai dengan kuat. Carroll harus menghentikan sundulan Fellaini pada menit ketiga, sedangkan kiper Adrian sukses menghalau satu tendangan Juan Mata.
Lalu datang momen jenius Rooney pada menit kedelapan ketika dia menyenggol bek The Hammers James Tomkins demi masuk ke daerah permainan Hammers sebelum melepaskan tembakan melengkung di atas Adrian dari jarak sekitar 55 meter.
West Ham membalas juga dengan bola tinggi yang ditujukan kepada Carroll yang melepaskan sundulan melebar dari sebuah tendangan bebas, dan membuat kiper United David de Gea harus menghadapi kembali sundulan berbahaya yang kali ini datang dari Stewart Downing.
Kagawa berpeluang menggandakan keunggulan United, namun tembakannya tepat ke pelukan Adrian, demikian pula Mata setelah itu. Mata beroperasi di belakang Rooney dan menjadi ancaman konstan terhadap barisan belakang West Ham.
Kapten West Ham Kevin Nolan merasa seharusnya dia mendapat hadiah penalti ketika dia dijatuhkan Darren Fletcher di kotak terlarang, namun permainan terus berlanjut, sampai United mencetak gol lagi melalui serangan balik pada menit 33.
Young melepaskan umpan dari kanan yang berusaha dihalau Mark Noble namun bola malah jatuh di depan Rooney yang tak ayal memasukkan bola ke gawang West Ham.
Ini adalah ke-212 Rooney untuk United, sehingga melampaui pencapaian Jack Rowley guna berada di posisi tiga dalam daftar pencetak gol sepanjang masa United, di bawah Bobby Charlton (249) dan Denis Law (237).
Babak kedua West Ham mendapat rangkaian tendangan penjuru, namun semuanya tak berubah gol. Kedudukan 2-0 bertahan sampai pertandingan usai.
London - Wayne Rooney scored two goals, including an exquisite lobbed finish, as Manchester United overcame Robin van Persie´s absence to win at West Ham.
Rooney, now third in United´s all-time goalscorers list on 212, put his side ahead with a stunning lob from just inside the Hammers´ half.
The England striker doubled the lead after Mark Noble´s attempted clearance fell straight to Rooney to steer home.
West Ham were poor, Andy Carroll´s tame header the closest they came to a goal.
United manager David Moyes, without Netherlands striker van Persie for up to six weeks due to a sprained knee, has had little to smile about this season.
But Rooney´s spectacular eighth minute finish had the Scot out of his seat in the dug-out applauding a truly wonderful goal.
There were shades of David Beckham´s memorable finish from the halfway line for United against Wimbledon in 1996 as Rooney, spotting Adrian well off his line, outmuscled James Tomkins before unleashing a brilliant lob which sailed over the goalkeeper and into the net.
This was United´s ninth Premier League win away from Old Trafford, where the Red Devils return on Tuesday for the Manchester derby.
While United´s domestic home form - five defeats in 14 games - continues to frustrate Moyes, he is at least finding some solace on the road.
With Beckham and England manager Roy Hodgson in the Upton Park main stand, United carried on where they left off after reviving their Champions League campaign at Olympiakos´ expense on Wednesday.
Rooney´s spectacular finish set the tone for a comfortable victory to move back to within three points of fifth spot in the table.
The Hammers should have equalised in the 15th minute.
But Carroll, who was unmarked, spurned a glorious chance to give Hodgson a reminder of his goalscoring prowess ahead of the World Cup when he headed straight at David De Gea from close range.
United, who had Michael Carrick as a makeshift centre-back in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand and suspended Nemanja Vidic, carried a threat each time they went forward.
Shinji Kagawa, on only his eighth league start of the campaign, forced a fine save from Adrian before the Spaniard beat away a goal-bound shot from countryman Juan Mata.
But United, who also recalled Alexander Buttner, Marouane Fellaini, Darren Fletcher and Ashley Young, established a two-goal cushion in the 33rd minute.
Moments after the Hammers had claims for a penalty waved away when Noble went to ground under a Fletcher challenge, Young powered deep into West Ham´s half.
His cross fell to Noble who could only kick the ball into Rooney´s path and the United man made no mistake from close range.
West Ham still have to secure their Premier League survival and face Liverpool (home), Arsenal (away) and Manchester City (away) before the end of the season.
Sam Allardyce can only hope his team can raise their game after a limp performance.
The damage had already been done when Fellaini crashed to the ground inside the West Ham penalty area after Antonio Nocerino´s challenge in the closing stages.
But there were few complaints from the visitors when referee Lee Mason waved away their appeals. United had the points safely in the bag.
