Luca Toni Defines Late Game Heroics

Getafe 3 – Bayern 3

What an amazing finish to an amazing game. Getafe deserves a standing ovation – aside from Robert Abbondanzieri – for a sensational performance down a man for 115 of 120 minutes. However, all their extra time heroics were canceled out in the final ten minutes as Luca Toni scored two, and ended the Spanish Cinderella run.

It was the worst of starts for little Getafe, with Ruben de la Red, arguably their best player, getting handed an almost laughable red card in just the fifth minute. Perhaps a free kick – maybe even a yellow – but it looked harsh. The resulting free kick, mere yards outside the 18 yard box, resulted in a disallowed goal on a Luca Toni handball.

Then, just 20 minutes later, Getafe striker Ikechukwu Uche went down, forced to come off in just the 20th minute and Michael Laudrup lost an extremely valuable substitution. It’s hard to believe anything but the gods conspiring against Getafe on this day. Abbondanzieri – or Pato, whatever he wants to be called – made a terrible goalkeeping blunder, coming out nearly to the edge of the box, but Lell put it wide.

And then, despite Getafe being pushed and pushed and pushed back, Cosmin Contra, the first leg hero, ran the length of the field on the counter attack, sliced and diced the Bayern Munich back line and powered one past Kahn,\ into the back of the net. It was 1-0 Getafe, somehow, just before halftime, and that’s the way it stayed going into the break. So this is where you can imagine the fiery windstorm that was Ottmar Hitzfeld in the locker room while the club was enjoying its orange slices.

Just five minutes after the half Bayern had yet another goal disallowed for a foul in the area, and the Spaniards had been afforded another life. Getafe had a chance to put the game out of hand, but a 1 v 1 with Kahn saw Braulio slip with a wide open net for the tasting, one of the most disappointing open nets you’ll ever see. A huge chance missed. Braulio did it again in the 87th, having an open goal but deciding on a back heel to a waiting attacker, but it was cleared out just in time. Devastating, because not even two minutes later Ribery equalized, forcing extra time.

And then came the wonderstrike from Casquero, a gorgeous rocket off the post just a minute into extra time, sending the crowd into a frenzy, and gaining the advantage once again. Just two minutes later Braulio made up for his past mistakes after Lucio slipped in the box and somehow, someway made it 3-1 just three minutes into extra time. Amazing stuff, and you had to start wondering who was actually down the man.

Luca Toni got one back with several minutes left in the tie on an error from “Pato”, forcing Laudrup to get up from his seat and pace back and forth, deciding whether or not he should lose his lunch now or in the locker room after the game. Then, in the last play of the game, with Ollie Kahn hanging out in the Getafe box, Luca headed a ball down, bouncing it over Abbondanzieri. Three away goals for Bayern, and they’re through to take on Zenit St. Petersburg in the semis.

Some of the diving was downright shameful from Getafe, and more so the stop, drop and roll they performed after nearly every foul. Surprising more of them weren’t booked for their thespian performances, though I suppose the ref was feeling mighty shameful himself after that red card. But it hardly came to define them, and it was a valiant end to their run.

Here’s to hoping they manage to find a spot in Europe next year as well. Highlights when available.

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Category: UEFA Cup, World Football