Rangers win league cup on penalties

By: Ian Rose | March 16th, 2008

Rangers are the most trophied football club on the planet, going into this season with 107 major trophies (51 league championships, 31 Scottish Cups, 24 league cups, and 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup), but it’s been a bit of a dry spell for the blue half of Glasgow the past few years. The last trophy that came their way was in 2005, when they won both the SPL and league cup. Now that drought has come to an end, and that ridiculous hardware count is up to 108, after Rangers today won the league cup final over Dundee United, but just barely.

Coming off of their 0-0 draw at Celtic Park, United had to feel like they were in with a very good chance at this cup. They’ve waited 14 years since their last trophy, the 1994 Scottish Cup, and with Rangers down a few key players and distracted by three other competitions, this was a great chance. In the 18th minute, the Terrors took a deserved lead when Noel Hunt drove home a poorly cleared ball from the Rangers defense. United would hold onto that lead for almost the entire match, despite some close chances both ways, until six minutes from full time, when Mark Kerr’s terrible backpass opened the door for Kris Boyd, who slotted home the equalizer, and it was extra time for the cup final.

Just into extra time, United kept the pressure on, with the best team goal of this year’s cup, a great flowing attack that ended in a Prince Buaben pass and a Mark de Vries goal. But Rangers would not be denied, and another United defensive mistake led to another late equalizer from, guess who, Kris Boyd. Boyd headed in after a poor clearance in the 113th minute, forcing the game to penalties.

All match, United keeper Lukasz Zaluska held up very well, and the penalties were no exception. He saved penalties from Jean-Claude Darcheville and Lee McCulloch, but that would not be enough, as three United misses left it down to Kris Boyd from the spot, and he confidently scored the winner to end the penalties at 3-2 and make sure the trophy would stay in Glasgow city limits.

That’s one down and three to go for Rangers. The UEFA Cup is going to be a tall order, considering their results so far, but the league is very possible this year, with Celtic three points behind with one more game played, and the Scottish Cup is quite possibly going to be an Old Firm final. Cup action continues in Scotland on Tuesday, as Celtic and Aberdeen replay their Scottish Cup quarterfinal tie.