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World Football Quotes: Van der Sar: The Legend of Agelessness

Two days ago at Wembley, there was hustle and bustle in the silence, and deep affection in the hustle and bustle.

Some people reach the top, and some people say goodbye to the stage.

The 40-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar completed the last game of his career, but the farewell may not be perfect.

When the long journey of twenty years comes to an end and you look back, you can realize how this man interprets an ageless legend.

Our journey slowly drove along the road of the Amsterdam Arena. It was twenty years ago that as a world-famous star processing factory, a large number of talented players stood out: the DeBoer brothers, Seedorf, Davies, Overmars, Hluivert, and a tall, thin young man - Edwin van der Sar.

His saves in front of the goal were surprisingly calm and his reactions were quick, and he soon became the No. 1 patron saint of this young Ajax team. At just 24 years old, he helped Ajax win the Dutch Eredivisie title for a second time and continued to occupy the goalkeeper position in the Dutch best team of the year.

1995 was the year when Van der Sar reached his peak. In the UEFA Champions League final, Ajax faced AC Milan, which was in full swing. Edwin van der Sar made many heroic saves to keep the goal. Then came the emergence of the talented boy Kluivert, which put Ajax in the Champions League.

Time will remember that young team. Under the leadership of captain Blind and veteran Rijkaard, they stepped onto the altar.

After successfully saving a penalty kick in the Toyota Cup, the 24-year-old Van der Sar has completed the Grand Slam of the Ajax era at the beginning of his career.

However, as they became successful and famous, these young people inevitably left one by one. Ajax lost to Juventus in the 1996 and 1997 Champions League and failed to defend the title. Van der Sar is the last member of Ajax's golden generation to travel far. Our former partners are long gone, and in the memories of those years we can only lament that time is gone.

Until 1999, after winning the Dutch Cup and the league championship, Van der Sar, who became famous as a young boy, said goodbye to the place where he grew up at the age of 28.

It’s just that those green years and roads are always there in my heart.

The opponent of that year, Juventus, was Van der Sar’s next stop. As the first non-Italian goalkeeper in Juventus’ history, Van der Sar’s years here cannot be described as successful. Although there are occasional wonderful performances, most of them are regrettable. So many years later, many fans have forgotten what he looked like wearing a Zebra jersey.

The biggest disappointment was when they lost the Serie A championship for two consecutive years. For the first time, in the 1999-00 season, in a spell-like heavy rain in Perugia, Van der Sar had no reaction to the opponent's goal, and Juventus also lost the championship in the final round. In the 2000-01 season, in a game about the championship, Del Piero and Zidane's goals helped Juventus lead Roma 2:0, but Hidetoshi Nakata's world wave made Van der Sar do nothing, 1 minute before the end. , Van der Sar's save allowed Montella to equalize the score, and Juventus once again missed the championship. This save also accelerated Juventus' decision to introduce Buffon and abandon Van der Sar.

No one would have thought that Fulham, a small club on the Thames River, would become Van der Sar's next stage. This newly promoted team, participating in the Premier League for the first time in history, signed the 31-year-old Van der Sar for 5 million pounds under the money policy of owner Fayed.

It was really a time far away from the world. Under the starlight of the Premier League, few people would pay attention to a team in the middle and lower reaches, although their No. 1 has been performing brilliantly in the first few seasons.

It is generally believed that this will be the end of Van der Sar’s club career. Although his once brilliant but unsuccessful experience in a wealthy club may make him depressed, he stayed at Fulham for 4 years.

At the age of 34, a low-level mistake deepened people's doubts about him. He slowly disappeared in a low profile and finally became the last memory Van der Sar left for Fulham.

At that time, it seemed that he was nearing the end of his career, and he could only enjoy the happiness of a world-class goalkeeper in the Oranje.

Speaking of his days with the Oranje, eight years ago was the starting point for him to represent the Dutch team in the 1996 European Cup. The 25-year-old Van der Sar took over the No. 1 jersey of the Oranje from De Gouye and has been fighting for 12 years.

Unfortunately, in the quarter-final penalty shootout, Van der Sar did not save a penalty kick and watched the French team advance to the semi-finals.

Two years later, Edwin van der Sar still performed well in the French Summer, representing the Dutch team all the way to the quarterfinals.

The conflict with Ortega, the little donkey, became the focus of that cup. So many years later, many Argentine fans still lament that everything is fine with Van der Sar and he just owes Ortega an apology.

In the semi-final against Brazil, Van der Sar performed bravely against Ronaldo and Rivaldo. Under his protection, the Dutch team has a chance to reach the final again after 20 years.

However, penalty kicks were still a penalty kick nightmare, destroying the ultimate dream of Van der Sar and the Oranje.

This is the second consecutive time he has been unable to pass the penalty kick curse in the World Series.

In the 2000 European Cup, the Dutch team waited for the opportunity to compete on home soil, and they were determined to win. They hope to relive their dream of winning the European Cup 12 years ago. In the sea of ??orange jerseys, Van der Sar was like a god, and the Dutch team easily passed all the way and advanced to the semi-finals. They are about to face another favorite - Italy.

That semi-final is destined to become a classic in the history of the European Cup. Van der Sar was still solid and outstanding, but the man opposite him could only be described as magical and incredible that day.

Although Van der Sar successfully saved a penalty kick for the first time in the World Series, Toldo faced penalty kicks 6 times, saving 3 and scaring 2, creating European Cup history. An unreplicable myth.

In this way, the Dutch team bid farewell to the penalty kick curse in the third consecutive World Series. A generation of Flying Dutchmen experienced the most unbelievably tragic end. Van der Sar waved his hand, he was not saying goodbye, he was still standing here.

Four years later, Van der Sar's appearance at the 2004 European Cup has seen changes, but his skills are still strong. With a height of 1.97 meters, he soared into the air in front of his goal several times, giving his most exquisite performance in the four world wars he participated in.

And more importantly, he finally helped the Oranje break the long-standing penalty nightmare.

When the Swedish team Mellberg's penalty was saved by Edwin van der Sar, the Dutch team finally won the penalty shootout for the first time. Van der Sar made a classic move. He kept making the "1" gesture to his coach and teammates with bright eyes.

The only pity was that the Dutch team was defeated by Aniche in the semi-finals. This was the tragic starting point for the Oranje to unknowingly enter another Portuguese curse.

However, fate is not always tragic. After experiencing the hustle and bustle of Fulham and the unfulfilled ambition of the Oranje, the nearly 35-year-old Van der Sar actually landed in the Old Trafford team in 2005. Rufford.

At that time, many people believed that this was just a risky attempt by Ferguson after six years of unsuccessful search for a goalkeeper after the Schmeichel era. Perhaps it was just a transition. But this time, all the critics were wrong.

Accompanied by the touching songs of Manchester United fans on their way home, the old and strong Van der Sar actually found the feeling of the Ajax era.

He wore the No. 19 jersey in his first season. From today's perspective, this really seems like an undisclosed decision, an arrangement in God's will. Because the meaning of this number precisely represents Manchester United's ultimate goal in the league.

In the 05-06 season, Chelsea still monopolized the league, and Manchester United won a League Cup championship. Van der Sar showed off his best big-foot assist to help Rooney open the door to victory in the League Cup final. And this League Cup championship is also the starting point for Ferguson's team to usher in the next glorious moment after working hard and vigorously transforming.

In the second season, they regained the Premier League trophy that had been lost for four years.

In the 2007 Community Shield match, Van der Sar saved three Chelsea penalty kicks, which was a miracle. And this also opened the glorious prelude to the new Manchester United dynasty reaching the peak of glory in the 0708 season.

It was truly a dream season. Van der Sar, who had already changed to Manchester United's No. 1 jersey, made one amazing save after another, guarding the Red Devils all the way to challenge the 1998-99 season that cannot be replicated. of glory days.

They successfully defended their league title in the 0708 season, and the road to the Moscow Champions League final finally became smooth and clear again after nine years.

The miracle at Camp Nou that year, the Wembley victory that year, when the Red Devils Manchester United finally had the opportunity to launch an attack on their third European Champions League, the myths in the hearts of those Manchester United fans It will appear again and again.

The 38-year-old Van der Sar finally stood on the stage of the Champions League final wearing the No. 1 jersey after 13 years. I was just young at the time, but now I am middle-aged.

Facing Terry, Van der Sar was a little confused, but the outcome that night was determined by God.

When Anelka walked to the penalty spot in the heavy rain, the scene of Van der Sar giving high fives left a deep impression on us.

This is a clear spirit of the Red Devils, who managed to survive in a desperate situation.

This is the second time that Van der Sar has stood on top of Europe. Ajax-Manchester United, a journey that has lasted 13 years, has finally become a reality.

It was really a story of returning to the top that no one expected.

Time is flowing silently and moving forward rapidly. No one has rushed it, and no one can stop it.

The match against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup was already Captain Edwin van der Sar’s tenth year representing the Oranje.

In this battle, he tied Frank de Boer's national team appearance record; in this battle, he still had a top performance.

Unexpectedly, the Portuguese curse reappeared just like this banner held by the fans. It was Aniche again, just like in 2004, deciding the Dutch team's path to promotion. This also became Van der Sar's last game on the World Cup stage.

Two years later, the No. 1 jersey is still there. Van der Sar, who played for the 128th time, has already become the legend with the most appearances in the history of Dutch football.

Before the game, the scene of Van der Sar hugging his grown-up son and daughter was touching.

After the quarter-finals of the European Cup against Russia, he will retire from the national team. The number one patron saint of the Dutch team for 12 years, he can still fly after 12 years.

It’s just that the final result is still bitter. What the Dutch team left to Van der Sar is an unfulfilled ambition that can never be compensated.

He made a brief comeback a few months later, and the national record of 130 games remains to this day.

When it’s time to say goodbye, let’s take a look at the banner of the Dutch fans: Edwin van der Sar, you will always be the No. 1 in our hearts.

Farewell to the national team, the 38-year-old Van der Sar left all his energy to Manchester United, which was his last and only stage.

For many years, Manchester United fans like to call him "Calm Cat". Yes, he is always so calm in front of the goal, but sometimes passionate, often making his opponents shudder.

Except for his face, you can’t see any traces of time. He is about to turn 40, but he never ages.

In the 0809 season, he even set the longest clean sheet record in the five major European leagues - 14 games, 1,305 minutes.

It was just that they lost to Barcelona in the Champions League final and failed to achieve the miracle of winning the Champions League for the third time.

In the summer of 2010, Van der Sar announced that he would retire after the 2010-11 season. A 20-year long journey is coming to an end.

At the age of 40, he does not accept old age. He just hopes to spend more time with his family and children. He just hopes to leave at the peak of his career. And Manchester United fans just hope to take one more look at him and take another look at him.

This year, he helped Manchester United finally realize their vow and win the Premier League for the 19th time, thus surpassing Liverpool and becoming the true overlord of English football.

With Manchester United’s passionate anthem, Wembley is also calling. On the road to the Champions League decisive battle at Wembley, the 40-year-old Van der Sar contributed a lot. He is as agile, quick and calm as when he was young.

Chinese fans have long been accustomed to calling him "Lao Fan", but this year, I don't know how many Chinese fans called him "Xiao Fan". Is there any trace of aging on his body?

He even made the most perfect save of his career against Chelsea. This is so similar to Schmeichel's heroic appearance back then. At this time, people suddenly realized that Folsen, who was bought for a mere 2 million six years ago, was the real successor to Schmeichel. In the past six years, in the eyes of many Manchester United fans, he has even surpassed Schmeichel.

That's it, Wembley, here they come.

Just like the farewell battles of many superstars, Van der Sar still left regrets in the last 90 minutes. Although he has saved at least five threatening shots from his opponents, he is still Manchester United's best player.

In Sir Alex Ferguson's trembling hands, Manchester United lost to Barcelona again. Van der Sar made the last save of his career in the last minute of the game, and he has been far away from home ever since.

This affectionate confession was Van der Sar’s last thought for Manchester United, and we clearly heard the last round of applause.

Goodbye, Van der Sar, the immortal legend. Manchester United has you and will have you for life.