Middlesbrough v Basel - Simply Magnificent
By Steve Goldby
April 7 2006
It's one of the biggest matches in Boro's history. Win by three clear goals and we are in the Uefa Cup semi-finals. It's do or die tonight and the confidence that Boro could pull it off was sky high, despite Basel having scored in every one of their away Uefa Cup matches this season.
As expected, Steve McClaren opted for a 4-4-2 formation but left Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on the bench. Lee Cattermole did not make it through injury but Franck Queudrue and Mark Schwarzer were passed fit.
Schwarzer, Queudrue, Southgate, Riggott, Parnaby, Downing, Rochemback, Boateng, Morrison, Viduka, Yakubu
Jones, Davies, Ehiogu, Taylor, Doriva, Hasselbaink, Maccarone
THE FIRST HALF
It took Boro thirteen seconds to create the first opportunity but Yakubu's shot went wide for a goal-kick. It was as close as it could have been to the dream start and Boro continued to keep the heat on Basel.
Rochemback and Yakubu combined well to give Mark Viduka a chance on six minutes but he was crowded out. Rochemback had started the game at a high tempo and was clearly going to cause the Basel defence problems if he could find a way through.
Rocky was pulling all the strings in midfield and on twelve minutes he played a great ball to Viduka in the box but he couldn't get a shot in as went over for what might have been a penalty on another day.
Boro had another appeal for a penalty dismissed just a minute later as Yak went down in the box. This time it looked as though the referee had got it right. With the tension crackling like it was, everybody was bound to be appealing for anything.
On twenty-two minutes, Basel won a free-kick thirty-five yards out and the ball was floated in to Eduardo - via a Smiljanic short cross - who was only partially marked. The lone Brazilian striker put the ball in the top right corner and Basel had the vital away goal. Boro had a bigger mountain to climb now.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 FC BASEL 1 (Eduardo 22)
The tempo went out of Boro's game for a while as they recovered from the shock of conceding. Chris Riggott was booked on twenty-four minutes after a tangle with Berner. Luckily the free-kick came to nothing.
On the half-hour mark, Boro nearly got the breakthrough after some good midfield work from Rochemback again. Yakubu collected on the edge of the box and turned his marker but couldn't find enough composure to get in a clean shot.
Boro were now starting to throw everything at the Basel goal and had the Swiss side pegged back for several minutes when the breakthrough finally did arrive. Mark Viduka collected twenty-five yards out and brushed past one marker but didn't even bother taking on the other two - he simply shot from just inside the area and keeper Zuberbuhler, bizarrely wearing red, had no chance. Boro were back in it.
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 FC BASEL 1 (Viduka 33)
Basel attacked immediately from the restart and as David Degen and Franck Queudrue both jumped for a high ball, Degen caught Franck with a flailing elbow and the blood started to stream down Franck's face. He was duly bandaged up and back on the field within minutes.
On thirty-seven minutes there was confusion in the Boro box as a long shot went through the backline and richocheted off Skippy's legs. It was left to Chris Riggott to clear the danger.
Boro continued to press and almost took the lead on fourty-two minutes when once again Yakubu turned his marker and sent in a cracking shot that Zuberbuler did very well to get a finger to and send round the post.
Just before half-time, Stuart Parnaby was booked for a clumsy challenge on Smiljanic and Boro went in for the break needing three more goals. The chances of getting them looked remote to say the least.
THE SECOND HALF
Fortune favours the brave. Steve McClaren took off James Morrison who had been strangely absent in the first-half. On in his place was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to form part of a three man strikeforce.
Boro pressed forward looking for the first of an unlikely three. We won a free-kick thirty yards out and Jimmy crashed the ball past the wall and if the swerve had gained another two degrees, we would have been 2-1 up.
On fifty-three minutes, Stuart Parnaby nearly found a way through twice in quick succession but both of his shots were blocked by good defending. The look of determination on Stuart's face was something to behold.
Boro were simply all over Basel at this stage and a few minutes later Mark Viduka was unlucky not to notch another as some excellent control and a first time turn and strike forced another great save from Zubi.
He wasn't so unlucky on fifty-six minutes as he collected a ball from Jimmy, rounded the keeper and slotted home for his and Boro's second of the night. Now there was real hope.
MIDDLESBROUGH 2 FC BASEL 1 (Viduka 56)
Boro went for the throat and launched attack after attack but most came to nothing as some resolute defending from Basel kept our three pronged frontline. Mark nearly got his hat-trick on sixty-six minutes with a belting long range strike that was two inched over the bar.
Fortune favours the very brave and the bandaged Franck was withdrawn a minute later and on came Hail Massimo to make it four strikers and a 4-2-4 formation.
Basel were obviously rattled by Boro's relentless attacks and were starting to lose their composure now. Majstorovic in particular was playing for everything the wrong way and was lucky to get away with several dives, as well as some of his colleagues. But he went too far on seventy-three minutes when he deliberately handled and then shoved George Boateng in the face as he berated him. Off he went and Basel were down to ten men.
After that brief respite, Boro continued their attacking intent and pinned Basel back once again. Fabio Rochemback, almost faultless on the night, sent a screaming shot in that Zubi did very well to save.
Time was starting to ebb away a little now but Boro were still going for it for all it was worth and Mark Viduka should have been awarded a penalty on seventy-five minutes when he was pulled down in the box. The referee who had given Boro nothing all night and generally put in a very poor performance waved play on but battling Boro were not to be dissuaded from the task.
An attack on seventy-eight minutes led to Jimmy collecting from Hail Massimo who was playing as a wide right striker and Jimmy didn't even look up as he crashed home the goal of the tournament from thirty yards. Boro had twelve minutes to get one more...
MIDDLESBROUGH 3 FC BASEL 1 (Hasselbaink 78)
INTO THE BRIGHT RED ZONE
Yet another clear penalty appeal was turned down by the sub standard ref on eighty-one minutes. It was Mark Viduka again who was fouled, this time it was a clear obstruction and why it was not given is a mystery known only to the man in black.
Boro just were not going to give up tonight and although the attacks were becoming a little scrappy now, they still kept coming and coming and the whole stadium kept roaring the team on to that elusive fourth goal.
As the minutes ticked by, the tension rose and still Boro attacked and attacked and attacked... and with just seconds remaining, Jimmy sent in a blistering shot that brought another fine save from Zubi but he couldn't hold it and there was Hail Massimo to pick up the rebound and blast in the fourth from an acute angle and send the Riverside into raptures.
MIDDLESBROUGH 4 FC BASEL 1 (Hail Massimo 89.99999
The three minutes of added time were like three weeks, especially when Basel won a corner and piled everyone forward, including the red shirted keeper. Boro took off Fabio Rochemback and brought on Andrew Taylor in an effort to kill off a chuck of time. It worked a treat and the corner came to nothing. The whistle blew and signalled the end of what has to be the greatest night in Riverside history. Phew!
"The greatest comeback since Lazarus"
Alastair Brownlee