On this day 18 May 2011 (Exactly 9 years ago today) Berekum Chelsea wrapped up the 2010/2011 Premier League title with three matches to spare. The Berekum lads beat Real Tamale United (RTU) by a lone goal courtesy Emmanuel Clottey’s late strike from the spot in their Week 27 clash in Berekum to move 14 points at the top.
On this day 18 May 2011 (Exactly 9 years ago today) Cape Coast Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs reaped goal harvest when they whipped Berekum Arsenals 5-0 in their 27th Week Premier League match at the Robert Mensah stadium.
Dwarfs playmaker, Michael Insaidoo set the ball rolling when he opened the scoring in the 13th minute for his side. Two minutes later, Dwarfs midfielder Nicholas Gyan increased his side’s goal tally to two while Bismark Asiedu made it three before half time.
Back from the recess, Arsenals replaced goalkeeper Thomas Asare with Harruna Razak but the change did not deter Dwarfs from increasing the tally. Seidu Bancey and Bismark Asiedu ensured victory for with their individual efforts in the 56th minute and 70th minute respectively.
On this day 18 May 2004 (Exactly 16 years ago today) Future world champion Joseph “Kingkong” Agbeko failed in his bid to win the World Boxing Association International Bantamweight title in Lubeck, Germany.
The former WBF Bantamweight champion lost to the holder Wladimir Sidonrenko on a decision.
Two of the three judges scored the fight in favour of the Ukrainian whereas the third made it a draw.
On this day 18 May 1960 (Exactly 60 years ago today) Real Madrid got their hands on the club’s fifth European Cup in a row with a total football exhibition against Eintracht Frankfurt. The Whites ran out 7-3 winners thanks to superb performances from Puskas (4 goals) and Di Stéfano (3). The game took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow and, 59 years on, it is still the highest-scoring final ever in the competition, Puskas holds the record for most goals scored in a final
En route to the final, Real Madrid came past Jeunesse Esch, Nice and Barcelona. The semi-final clash with the azulgranas was huge, and the madridistas came out on top winning both legs 3-1. Puskas finished the campaign as the top scorer with 12 goals.
Real Madrid: Domínguez, Marquitos, Santamaría, Pachín, Vidal, Zárraga, Canario, Del Sol, Di Stéfano, Puskas and Gento.
Eintracht Frankfurt: Loy, Lutz, Eigenbrodt, Höfer, Weilbächer, Stinka, Kress, Lindner, Stein, Pfaff and Meier
Goals:
0-1 (min. 18): Kress.
1-1 (min. 25): Di Stéfano.
2-1 (min. 29): Di Stéfano.
3-1 (min. 46): Puskas.
4-1 (min. 56): Puskas.
5-1 (min. 60): Puskas.
6-1 (min. 71): Puskas.
6-2 (min. 72): Stein.
7-2 (min. 73): Di Stéfano.
7-3 (min. 75): Stein.
Referee: Jack Mowatt (Scotland).
Stadium: Hampden Park (Glasgow).
On this day 18 May 1994 (Exactly 26 years ago today) AC Milan thrashed Barcelona 4-0 to clinch their fifth European title at the Olympic stadium in Athens, Greece. Heading into the game, Barcelona were heavy favourites to win their second UEFA Champions League trophy in three seasons. But AC Milan displayed typical Italian grit and determination to upset the odds and shock Barcelona in the final
AC Milan were missing key players such as legendary striker Marco Van Basten, record signing Gianluigi Lentini, captain Franco Baresi and his central defensive partner Alessandro Costacurta with injuries. But once the whistle blew, Milan dominated from start to the end taking a comfortable 2-0 first half lead due to a brace by Daniele Massaro. In the second half, goals by Dejan Savicevic and defender Marcel Dessaily further compounded Barcelona’s misery.
Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff’s decision to drop influential playmaker Michael Laudrup from the squad backfired miserably for the Blaugrana’s and it would also have long-term implications as frustrated by the snub, he would leave the club to join arch-rivals Real Madrid at the end of the season. Even AC Milan coach Fabio Capello couldn’t resist a dig as Cruyff, stating after the final, “Laudrup was the guy I feared but Cruyff left him out, and that was his mistake.”
The win would also mark a second European triumph in two years for central defender Marcel Desailly, who won the UEFA Champions League the year before with Marseille.
On this day 18 May 2016 (Exactly 4 years ago today) Liverpool suffered a dramatic second-half collapse as Sevilla claimed the Europa League for the third season in succession with a superb comeback.
Jurgen Klopp’s side looked on course to secure the prize of Champions League football – on offer to the winners of the competition – when Daniel Sturridge’s magnificent strike with the outside of his left foot gave them the interval lead.
The good work was wrecked in the first 17 seconds of the second half when Kevin Gameiro turned in Mariano Ferreira’s cross to put Sevilla level.
Liverpool, who were denied a clear first-half penalty when Sevilla’s Daniel Carrico clearly handled as Roberto Firmino tried to weave past him, never recovered
Coke’s fine 64th-minute finish confirmed Sevilla’s superiority and he added a contentious third from close range, which was initially disallowed but was then given as Liverpool slumped to their second final defeat of the season after losing to Manchester City in the Capital One Cup.
On this day 18 May 2011 (Exactly 9 years ago today) Falcao added to his record-breaking tally of goals in a single UEFA Europa League season, scoring his 17th of the campaign to ensure FC Porto overcame SC Braga to win the Europa League title in Dublin.
The Colombia striker broke Jürgen Klinsmann’s 15-goal haul in FC Bayern München’s UEFA Cup-winning campaign of 1995/96 in the semi-final second leg against Villarreal CF, though it was the first instalment that really showcased his scoring prowess. He struck four in a 5-1 comeback win, his third hat-trick of the campaign following hauls against SK Rapid Wien and FC Spartak Moskva.
Falcao was at it again against Braga at the Dublin Arena, rising to meet Fredy Guarín’s right-wing cross with a firm header in the 44th minute. That proved the only goal of the night to take the trophy to Porto for the second time following their 2003 success.
It completed a remarkable campaign for the 25-year-old, whose 17 goals hah come over the course of 14 games, two more than Klinsmann.
On this day 18 May 2019 (Exactly a year ago today) Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling each scored twice and one each from David Silva and man of the match Kevin De Bruyne, as Manchester City thrashed Watford 6-0 to win the FA Cup, completing an unprecedented domestic treble.
It is only the third time a team has scored six goals in an FA Cup Final. The margin of victory is the joint largest in an FA Cup Final, equalling Bury’s 6–0 win over Derby County in 1903.
On this day 18 May 2002 (Exactly 18 years ago today) Micky Ward defeated Arturo Gatti by majority decision in a junior welterweight bout at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. The first and most thrilling fight in their legendary trilogy was voted Fight of the Year by The Ring, which also named the dramatic ninth round as Round of the Year.
By George “Alan Green” Mahamah
