Aliyev: Rooney Will Get His

No harm no foul right? That’s what Wayne Rooney tried to convey as he stared pleadingly at the referee with the eyes of a teenage vandal caught red handed. Luckily for him Claus Bo-Larsen was in position to see the England striker catch a piece of the ball in his attempt to maim Oleksandr Aliyev. Rooney’s reckless lounge with his studs up a foot off the ground should have been a sending off regardless but he was spared, perhaps because it was the first time that night he truly showed his violent tendencies. For his part Aliyev asked for no apologies, but Rooney may not want to plant his feet too firmly when England visit Ukraine next fall.

Like Rooney, Aliyev is a player whose reputation precedes him. In England Aliyev is probably best remembered for his “play dead” routine against Arsenal, and a red card later in that match. Groomed from a young age as a wunderkind footballer, the Dynamo Kyiv midfielder has run into trouble on and off the pitch. He tends to let his competitiveness take over his decision making process, which sometimes leads to brilliance but also contributes to acts that lets just say society frowns upon. I am sure Shrek can relate. In an interview with the Ukrainian tabloid Blik, Aliyev discussed the Wednesday incident with the England striker:

The shin guards saved my leg, or he would have broken it for sure. I was looking for some payback, but the right opportunity never came up. I’ll be sure to make it up to him in Dnepropetrovsk.

As for the match itself, Aliyev thought Peter Crouch did well as the target man for the Three Lions, and the attention he drew may have been responsible for the set piece lapses that let down Ukraine. Asked about the late free kick opportunity, Aliyev admitted he wanted to have a go, but “so did Sheva, and seniority has the right of way.”