/ 18 December 2008

United beat Gamba to reach Club World Cup final

Manchester United hit three goals in a pulsating five-minute spell to overpower Japan’s Gamba Osaka 5-3 in their Club World Cup semifinal on Thursday.

Substitute Wayne Rooney scored twice moments after coming on after Masato Yamazaki had pulled the score back to 2-1 with a sharp finish in the 74th minute.

Darren Fletcher also got on the scoresheet after being brought off the bench as the game exploded into life after Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo had scored with first-half headers.

The European champions, favourites to become the first British team to win the seven-team Fifa tournament, will face Ecuador’s LDU in Sunday’s final in Yokohama.

Yasuhito Endo pulled a goal back from the penalty spot for J-League side Gamba before Hideo Hashimoto smashed his side’s third, the sixth goal in 17 crazy second-half minutes.

Ronaldo, resplendent in a pair of lime-green boots, mesmerised the crowd of 67 000 with some dazzling stepovers but was overshadowed by Rooney.

The England striker scored with his first touch after coming on in the 74th minute and tucked away a superb through ball from Ryan Giggs five minutes later. — Reuters