A Tribute to the Flying Dutchman... EDWIN van DER SAR

Edwin Van Der Sar is surely the best Dutchman to have adorned the grounds in the premier league after Dennis Bergkamp. Being a Die hard Manutd Fan, I must admit that his absence will be felt across Carrington and amongst the Old Trafford faithfuls. His experience between the posts is second to none and as important as that of Ryan Giggs' & Paul Scholes' in the middle of the park. During his 6 year span in between the sticks at Old trafford he has demonstrated the best possible goal keeping that I have ever seen in my life.

Let's recall the the top 10 saves made by the Flying Dutchman for United. and let me know if you guys remember any.

10. VDS' save off Danny Murphy vs Fulham 07-08

Fulham at cottage sot of became a bogey ground for united since the inception of Roy Hodgson at its helm and since then Craven Cottage has become a fortress and a nightmare for any team to go to. When utd. travelled to cottage in 2008 Utd were pegged back for most of the game, but the save of the match eventually coming from the VDS. a cleared ball from ferdinand reaches a scurrying danny murphy who takes a touch and launches a dipping swerving volley only to be tipped away for a corner by VDS. what made it more interesting was that, he prevented a former scouser by scoring it, though United di end up losing it 2-0 on the night. The save is definitely in his top in a devils shirt.

09. VDS' Save off Dejan Stankovic Vs Inter Mi lan UCL Round of 16 08-09

United were gearing up for the welcome of Sir Alex's old foe in Jose Mourinho who was beginning to show his class with inter and who helped ' em rocket ahead of the chasing pack in the Serie A table in the 08-09 season. With the tie hanging in the balance at 0-0, United knew that nothing less than a win would see them through to the last 8 and with the score at 0-0 at old trafford, Stankovic, Catching VDS off his line, unleashes a dipping, swerving volley which i thought was heading into the net till i saw VDS parry it away for a corner. This save, proved to be the catalyst for the match and an inspiration for the ones outside the box as the devils eventually ran out 2-0 winners on the night.

08. VDS' save off James McCarthy 10-11

United Dismal Away record continues this season having won only 3 out of 12 away games having drawn 8 and losing 1 which is their first loss of the campaign and surprisingly, the defeat came in the hands of wolves who were the bottom side when they took on manutd. United travelled to Wigan coming from the back of an emphatic victory over arch rivals MANCITY at Old Trafford. Wigan came flying out of the blocks in the first 20 minute s and van der sar suddenly became the busiest man on the pitch, the first save coming off victor moises where VDS kept his head and foot together by not committing himself and standing tall only for moses to scuff his shot against the dutchman's framework, call it experienced vs the not, but the save of the match came when wigan silenced united with an unbelievable array of passing, (some what like arsenal's) and wen the ball was laid off for james' McCarthy, and no defender in the picture, VDS scurries towards james and blocks his shot to keep wigan from taking the lead. Wigan's stern resistance comes to an end when wayne rooney releases Hernandez with a clever through ball and once united took the l ead, there was no turning back.

07. VDS save Off William Gallas 07-08

With pride at stake, along with arsenal's still in the title hunt, the gunners took on the devils in front of a packed emirates stadium. with the scores locked 0-0 and guneers going all guns blazing, earn a free kick in a tricky position on the pitch, and fabregas leading the proceedings to take the free kick, curls one over the wall and onto the head of the onrushing and unmakred gallas who heads it down, it seemed like trotting in between the legs of VDS and into the goal, till VDS shuts his leg an d prevents the ball from rolling in. As it stood, the match turned out to be a topsy turvy affair and with utd leading 2-1, gallas eventually gets his goal wen UTD defence have a lapse in concentration. Both the gunners and devils share the spoils on the night, the game ended 2-2.

06. VDS save off FABRICE MUAMBA vs Bolton 09-10

United Leading 1-0 on the night wen bolton's loanee from Arsenal Jack Wilshire slicks one thro to muamba who seemed to have over run the ball but somehow manages to get it under control and get his shot away heading to the top right corner only to be saved by the finger tips of VDS, united eventually ran out 4-0 winners as the reebok.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikyvL_84qXE

05. VDS save off Lee Cattermole vs Middlesborough 07-08

United went expensive in the summer of 2007 with the acquisition of Nani from sporting Lisbon of Portugal, Anderson from Porto from the same province,Owen Hargreaves from the Bavarians and Carlos Tevez( bah..!!) from West ham on a 2 season loan as four marquee signings, and one of the 3, Nani, wasted little time in proving his abilities with a thunderbolt against spurswhich became their first win of the season which was the 4 round of matches in the league, and an even better effort against boro with a dipping shot over Mark Shwarzer's head unsettling his balance. But when VDS made this save, the score was niggling at 2-1 with boro putting numbers forward and playing confidently to knock off utd's lead when Tuncay Sanli lays off the ball to cattermole, he had only one thing in his mind, to hit it.. and he hit it with venom alright, unleashing a missile that was heading into the top left corner of VDS' post in front of the stretford end VDS launches himself at it, striking his fingertips and going away for a corner.Utd ran out 4-1 winners on the night with a brace from tevez and one each from nani and rooney, with jeremy aliadiere scoring for boro.

04. Ok Here's the Deal, I have 2 saves for the no. 4 spot, so ill let you d ecide.

I - VDS' save off IVANOVIC, vs chelsea 10-11

I'm sure all of you would have followed the Chelsea game that was postponed to 1st March. Chelsea knowing that only a win would do to get their title defence nack on track. With united leading 1-0 courtesy of a stunning strike from rooney, Van der sar amazingly pulls off triple a triple save just before the stroke of half time when VDS saves a lampard free kick that bounced just in fron of VDS who parries the ball onto the path of Vidic's Compatriot, Branislav Ivanovic, who somehow doesn't turn it in, thanks to VDS, who tips the ball of his thigh and away onto John O' shea who stabs it clear. Utd lose the game 2-1 at the bridge on the night filled with emotions, drama and animation everywhere, VDS was beaten by the new boy and blues, January acquisition, David Luiz who equalizes emphatically and the winner coming from a penalty from frank Lampard which throws the title race wide open again for the season.

II - VDS' save off Koscielny, Vs Arsenal FA cup qurater finals 10-11

With Utd coming from the back of a tough week with losses to current champs chelsea and bitter rivals Liverpool and at the same time, arsenal trying to get back on track by putting behind the heartbreak at wembley and the battering at camp nou to rejuvenate their season at old trafford with an FA cup win over United, United came out with a starting line up that no one, not even the almighty in his remotest of remote dreams would've expected, with 7 defenders onto the pitch with rooney slotting in MF and hernandez up front and the twins, hovering on the flanks,

and o'shea slotting in front of the back four. While arsenal started to play their free flowing passing football, utd snuck up in front of em and played on the counter, it worked wonders when fabio got on the end of parry by almunia off hernandez to give utd the lead, but we all know that it aint over until the fat lady sings, Arsenal started off with an urge and played some string of breath taking passes keeping the ball in possession, and one move pulled off when VDS parried off a Koscielny shot back onto his foot, and immediately got up again to keep the lead intact, rooney sealed the victory with a 2-0 win, courtesy brilliant play from rafael on the far to set up the second goal.

3. VDS save off Darius Vassel (penalty) , vs MANCITY 06-07

Coming to the business end of the season, the championship was still there for the taking with the utd having to fight it out with the current champs Chelsea, Utd faced a hostile atmosphere in the city of manchester stadium, and leading 1-0 in the game, VDS had the task of defending a penalty, which if saved, would keep utd's lead intact, and if won, utd would edge closer to wresting the title from chelsea if the blues failed to beat arsenal the next day, with 10 mins on the clock, vassel steps up to take the spot kick, and having seen VDS moving in the wrong direction, vassel fires down the centre, and VDS stretches out his leg to make the save after the ball crashes onto his knee, and back into the box, where he gets up and punches it away, a famous win for utd, having ensured the win over CITY and winning th

e championship, just the icing on the cake any team would want, winning the league.. and doing it over your cross town rivals. A double delight indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GojG0zVPKE

02. VDS save Off Liedson vs sporting Lisbon 07-08

This is prolly the best save of his that I have seen him pull off in a utd a shirt, but its not the first because of obvious reaso

ns, It was the homecoming of one footballs greatest players, Cristiano Ronaldo, which seemed to be a very emotional night for the Portuguese it was a very cagey night for both the teams who having set out to play a possession game, and Sporting had the first crack on goal when another prodigious lad from sporting, Miguel Veloso, plays in liedson, who some how musters up some space and has a go at VDS far post, initially i thought the ball was heading to the back of the net, but from somewhere, VDS puts out a terrific reach with his left had to divert the shot to a corner, my.. what a save.. one to savour, for a life time... the night was settled courtesy a diving header from Cristiano Ronaldo, who settled his nerves quickly, the tie on the night, ended 1-0.

Numero Uno.

####1. No prizes for Guessing . VDS of ANELKA, UCL finals 07-08

It seemed as thought it was a game of 2 halves with Utd. Battering the blues in the first half, and blues paying in kind in the second. The game after extra time remained 1-1 even though the Blues caressed the cross bar on a couple of occasions in the second half. The score tied at 1-1 goes into penalties and utd trailing 4-3 on penalties with JT stepping upto the seal the conquest of europe in moscow by takin the last penalty, which incidentally was the decider, but it was not to be, VDS goes the wrong way but JT slips, and the upright once again comes to Utd's rescue. and the penalties extend into sudden death with anderson sealing the first, kalou does his best to keep chelsea in and giggs setting up to give restore Utd's advantage and anelka trods towards the spot, looking rather uneasy and almost saying, he didn't want to

take the penalty, but he does so, VDS goes the right way puches the ball away from the post and stand Majestically raising his arms in valour, cos he had done it, after 9 years of elusion, Utd had conqured europe yet again. VDS the man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkPGwszX8M0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Romg-yJB28&feature=related

Thanks to youtube for the above links.

ED"win" is his name.. and he justifies it.On 27 January 2009, Van der Sar helped Manchester United set a new club and Premier League record for consecutive clean sheets – the club's 5–0 win over West Bromwich Albion meant that they had gone 11 games and 1,032 minutes without conceding a goal, beating the previous record of 10 matches and 1,025 minutes set by Petr Čech in the 2004–05 season. He then broke the overall English league record in the club's following game four days later, beating the previous record of 1,103 minutes, set bySteve Death of Reading in 1979.^[15] Another clean sheet, against West Ham on 8 February 2009, extended the record to 1,212 minutes, beating the British top-flight record of 1,155 minutes previously set by Aberdeen's Bobby Clark in 1971.^[16] Finally, on 18 February 2009, Van der Sar further extended the record to 1,302 minutes, and in doing so, he broke José María Buljubasich's single-season world record of 1,289 minutes, set in the Chilean Clausura in 2005.^[17][18] His clean sheet record ended on 4 March, when he made an error allowing Peter Løvenkrands of Newcastle United to score after 9 minutes.^[19] In total, Van der Sar had gone 1,311 minutes without conceding in the league.^[20]These clean sheets were a major factor in United clinching their 11th Premiership title as United won a lot of games 1–0 to clinch the title ahead of Liverpool. With a total of 21 clean sheets he also won the Barclays Golden Glove for 2008–09. However, he missed out on winning his third Champions League winners medal as United succumbed to a 2–0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona on 27 May 2009. Nevertheless, he won Best European Goalkeeper award from UEFA for the second time, 14 years after he first won it atAjax. He was one of the five United players shortlisted for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award but it went to United teammate Ryan Giggs instead, however he was included into the PFA Team of the Year.^[21]

Thanks to wiki for the last bit.

Let me know if these were ur best, or if you have any, add em folks, would love to hear from you.

Hariharan

Frictioned Justice.