Scholes ensures all-English final

BEIJING, May 1 -- The Champions League winner will be from England.

Manchester United set up the first all-English final in the history of the European club championship by beating FC Barcelona 1-0 behind a stunning Paul Scholes' goal in the 14th minute on Tuesday.

The headlines screamed his name yesterday but United's match winner Scholes kept a typically low profile.

Next up is either Chelsea or Liverpool in Moscow on May 21.

"MoSCHOw here we come," yelled the back page of the Daily Mirror, "Paul of Fame!" shouted the Sun and "Scholes scorcher blasts Reds to Moscow" wrote the Daily Telegraph.

But the shy Scholes declined all interviews and the Times wrote that he had probably gone straight from the dressing room "home to Oldham for a glass of milk."

A product of the United youth academy, Scholes has spent his entire career at the northwest club and last week made his 100th Champions League appearance.

Distraught at missing United's 1999 triumph through suspension, he has now given himself a second chance.

"Finally" was the headline in the Independent, while the Daily Mail wrote "Redemption! Nine-year wait is over for Scholes as wonder goal fires United into the final."

As soon as the final whistle blew, United manager Alex Ferguson immediately marked Scholes for his Moscow lineup.

"It was a fantastic goal," Ferguson said. "I don't think we can expect Paul Scholes to score 10-15 goals a season like he used to do when he was younger.

"But he certainly delivered one tonight for us. It makes up for the all the goals that he can't score because of his age now. It was a marvelous moment for him," he added.

United's trip to Moscow for the European club final comes 50 years after a plane crash in Munich decimated the club's "Busby Babes," who were returning from a European match.

England mainstay at the back Rio Ferdinand was in imperious form, winning tackle after tackle, and Wes Brown was so committed to stopping everything, he accidentally kicked Untied goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in the head.

Patrice Evra was given a tough night by Lionel Messi, but came out on top against the Argentine. Owen Hargreaves rarely put a foot wrong against Andres Iniesta, and even when Barcelona did get a strike on goal, Van der Sar stopped everything that came his way.

United's defence has not conceded a goal for the 30th time in 53 matches this season - and it has also kept a clean sheet for five successive Champions League games.

Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, however, was not totally enthralled by United's performance.

"I think that the level of the English teams is very high. If it weren't for the fact that two teams had to play each other (Arsenal and Liverpool in the quarterfinal) we could easily have seen all four teams in the semifinal.

"But when they play in European games it's not the same (as in the domestic league). They all get behind the ball, they were very well organized and play with counter attacks. It's a pity because the English have a lot more to give on the pitch to the public. It's strange to see English teams defending, defending and defending with their lives and trying to win with the counter attack.

"I think they can do a lot more. They have their own spirit their own culture but you don't see it in European football."

(Source: Shanghai Daily/Agencies)