Atlético Madrid 2-1 Fulham

Posted Thursday, May 13, 2010 by theguardian.com

Atlético Madrid's Diego Forlán strikes to beat Fulham in Europa League

Atlético Madrid 2-1 Fulham
Mark Schwarzer's despairing dive fails to divert the ball as Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlán begins to celebrate his Europa League final winning goal.

This has been a season without limits for resilient Fulham and 116 minutes had passed before Diego Forlán, with the aid of a deflection off the outstanding Brede Hangeland, settled the Europa League final in Hamburg tonight. The scorer had been effervescent and skilful throughout although the losers should feel only pride, despite the immediate hurt at the end of campaign that opened in July.

Over the course of the match there were fluctuations. If Atlético were more reliable in possession, Roy Hodgson's men were marshalled excellently in defence by Hangeland and could be pointed when they did move onto the attack. A pause was still appropriate to marvel that this English club should fight for such a prize.

Atlético, European Cup finalists of 1974 who had won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, are fairly accustomed to competing at this sort of level. The leading players of yesteryear may seem an irrelevance when their current successors find themselves struggling for control of a game, but clubs in their entirety become adapted over the decades to contests in these tournaments.

Fulham have been on more of a crash course, although the opposition have come off worse in any collisions. Hodgson is a manager of such cosmopolitan experience that he carries enough know-how to enlighten an entire squad.

This final was another challenge and in the opening 15 minutes there were moments when they looked ill at ease. Atlético could have been in front after Danny Murphy gave the ball away and Sergio Agüero picked out Forlán. The striker whose goal eliminated Liverpool in the semi-final was at tight angle on the left yet still got a shot beyond the hand of Mark Schwarzer, only for the attempt to clip the far post.

Any stage fright was merely temporary for Fulham, with Simon Davies soon requiring a save from David de Gea. Although Atlético have wallowed in La Liga mediocrity, their ninth place standing shows little more than the fact that interest in domestic matters flagged a while ago. Their calibre was revealed instead during occasions such as the night at Anfield.

The decisive goal there, for instance, arose when José Antonio Reyes delivered a sumptuous cross from the right with his left-foot that was turned home by Forlán. Atlético were also the more fluent side before the interval in the HSH Nordbank Arena and it was not surprising that the same forward should give them the lead, but the unkempt nature of the goal had not been anticipated.

Agüero badly mis-hit a shot but a predatory Forlán rerouted it beyond Schwarzer in the 32nd minute. Until then Bobby Zamora had lived up to the picture Fabio Capello painted of him as a forward in pain who cannot train and requires surgery as soon as possible. He still showed why he must be on field for his club come what may.

Six minutes from half-time Paul Konchesky brought the ball down the left and Zamora caused panic as he twisted inside the area. Possession ran away from him, but Damien Duff fed Zoltan Gera and Davies volleyed in the equaliser from the Hungarian's service. Hodgson's team had again showed the resolve that allowed them to recover and beat Hamburg in the semi-final.

Slick as Atlético were, there is an order that has been drilled into this squad on the training ground and they usually maintain their method. While Atlético looked a team of a higher order weakness had been exposed as soon as Zamora had found that opportunity to cause anxiety.

Understandably it was a more buoyant Fulham who emerged for the second-half. Attacks had greater conviction and it was galling that Gera, sent clear by Murphy, should have a bad touch that let the ball run to a relieved De Gea after 54 minutes.

Fulham's attack was hindered shortly afterward when Zamora could no longer continue and made way for Clint Dempsey. It was not such a bad alternative considering the goal from him that killed off Juventus earlier in the tournament.

His side had more conviction that they could do harm to Atlético and their opponents were less at ease, particularly when Davies forced an excellent save from De Gea. The busy Forlán did still apply himself and one good run found a disciplined Fulham coping confidently with the cut-back.

Quique Sánchez Flores, Hodgson's opposite number, might have seen encouragement in that but concern remained apparent in the decision to take off Simão Sabrosa, who can be a very fine performer on the flank.

Throughout the tournament, they have continually found the faith to meet each challenge and deny the weariness that must lurk within them after a season that opened last July. The endurance and purpose were as daunting as ever to opponents tonight.