Goalkeeper Tim Wiese went from hero to zero as Werder Bremen were beaten 2-1 by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Uefa Cup final.
In a game of goalkeeping howlers, amazing missed chances and heroic saves, it all came down to a heart-wrenching moment for the previously flawless Wiese.
After Naldo had cancelled out Luiz Adriano’s first-half opener, the game moved into extra time, where Wiese’s error allowed Brazilian Jadson to win the cup for Shakhtar.
Strolling onto a square pass inside the Werder area, Jadson scuffed his shot tamely into the ground, but Wiese – who had made a string of top drawer saves – allowed the ball to escape his grasp and roll agonizingly inside the far post.
In the last final before the competition moves to its new Europa League format, live on Setanta next season, it was Shakhtar who played the better football, and Shakhtar who deservedly took home the trophy for the final time.
How the first half ended level must have been a mystery to all inside the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, where Shakhtar played Bremen off the park for 45 minutes only to head for the changing rooms level at 1-1.
Brazilian forward Luiz Adriano could and should have had a hat-trick, but as it was he only took one of three hugely presentable opportunities as Willian, Jadson and Ilsinho ripped Bremen open at will.
Only five minutes had elapsed when Werder’s defence was instantly made to look like a sieve, Jadson slipping Adriano one-on-one with Wiese, the forward gave his foe the eyes but then dragged his cheeky shot wide of the near post.
A warning, not heeded.
15 minutes later, the athletic Adriano was in behind again and this time there was no mistake. Drawing Wiese from his goal, the Shakhtar man clipped a nonchalant dink over the keeper for a deserved 1-0 lead – Bremen looking distinctly out of their depth.
The Ukrainians smelt blood, and all that was missing was the surgeon’s knife.
Willian, so graceful, so dynamic, was at the heart of two great chances, first slipping Adriano down the left flank to shoot over, and then cutting in from the same wing himself to roll a tame shot straight at Wiese.
Bremen were looking like the side that had lost to Die Bundesliga’s bottom club at the weekend, yet they were handed a lifeline 10 minutes before half time. Brazilian Naldo did a fine impression of his countryman Alex at Chelsea by smashing a 25-yard free kick at the centre of Shakhtar’s goal, keeper Andrei Pyatov looked to have it covered but he only succeeded in spilling the ball into his own net as he found the fizzer too hot to handle.
Game on.
Pyatov was shaken, and he nearly cost his side a second moments later as he flapped at a cross that Claudio Pizarro headed wide. Pizarro had been whistled for climbing on his marker, but the goalkeeping wobbles were there for all to see.
No such worries at the other end for Wiese though, who made a world class save on the stroke of half time from a Marius Lewandowski 25-yarder. The Shakhtar man was already wheeling away in celebration – only to see the German keeper had denied him with a marvellous one-handed stop.
Half time arrived with both teams all too aware that the previous eight Uefa Cup winners had scored two or more goals to win the trophy, the same would be necessary again.
Once again it was Shakhtar who came out blazing at the start of the second period, and in little Jadson, Willian and Ilsinho, they have got players who would improve most sides in The Premier League. Jadson it was who threatened first, forcing another super save from Wiese with a spending curling free kick.
Bremen’s gameplan was far more direct, for more economical in possession without key playmaker Diego - whom they missed badly on the night. Their threat on the counter was always evident though, with Markus Rosenborg wasting a glorious opportunity just before the hour as he selfishly attempted to spin and shoot when a simple lay-off would surely have seen captain Baumann find the net.
Bremen’s best hopes were increasingly looking like set-pieces, with Pizarro always an aerial threat, and how near that proved to being the case as Pyatov redeemed himself with a wonder save with 12 minutes remaining. Pizarro’s flick from an inswinging free kick saw the capacity crowd fall silent, Werder paused to celebrate, but Pyatov got down low and sharp to make an outstanding stop.
Extra time beckoned and arrived, no extra goals, but then came the moment that Wiese did not deserve to suffer.
Such a hero all night, the German shot-stopper suddenly had a moment of real weakness, allowing Jadson’s half-scuffed effort to slide under his hands – despair for Bremen, jubilation for a previously-flagging Shakhtar.
Did Werder have anything left? Very nearly.
Instantly Shakhtar keeper Pyatov went walkabout once more, handing a volleyed chance to Pizarro, the prolific forward connected powerfully but Pyatov scrambled back to save on the line.
Bremen were now leaving gaps at the back in pursuit of an equalizer, and Willian so nearly put a sublime stamp on matters with a 25-yard lob that finishes just the wrong side of Wiese’s bar.
Bremen pushed on, twice Pizarro had goals rightly disallowed, the trophy belonged to Shakhtar.
STAR MAN: Jadson 8*. So clever in possession, Premier League should take note.
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