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Breathe Football. Bleed Blue..
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Premiership vs Carling and FA Cups
Just a day after Premier League runners-up Chelsea won the FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium against new EPL champions Manchester United 1-0 after extra time, earning them a double league cup and making history as only the third team to win both cups, questions as to the relevance of meaning of either or both cups emerge. Is winning both titles more important than winning the Premiership? Did Chelsea make up for their loss by winning both cups? Do the Red Devils have nothing to fret over, losing the FA Cup to earn them a double? Do the Carling and FA Cup even compare to the Premier League?
Premier League's status comes from the fact that it is the top flight league in England. Teams from five other lower leagues attempt to inch their way to the top every season to reach the Premiership, where the strongest teams survive and the weakest get relegated. To use a simple analogy, those at the Premiership are at the peak of the mountain. There's nowhere else for them to go but down; those at the top only have to maintain their position. The idea of competing against the cream of the crop on the pitch, that is the best teams to have made it this far, gives birth to the idea that nothing else is more prestigious than winning the Premiership. Carling Cup and the FA Cup are mere bonuses. But are they?
The question posed by some people as to the value of either cups pushed me to think about the issue. Are they really less valuable? Pondering over the matter, I realized it is not. Its less prestigious and mere 'bonus-only' status stems from the idea that on the way to the championship, each finalist faces at times teams weaker in all aspects, providing an easy alley to the trophy. Take for instance Chelsea. Admittedly, Macclesfield, Nottingham Forest and Norwich City are weaker in the sense that they belong to League 2, League 1, and the Championship, respectively. Results even showed we faced the weaker side, with the Blues scoring six, three, and four goals, respectively against each team. On the other hand, United faced Premiership teams Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Reading. However, this gives the impression that had the Blues faced teams as tough as United did, they wouldn't have made the finals.
Another reason why the view that both league cups are inferior is biased is that people forget that while opponents could come from lower leagues, they are just as capable to cause an upset. Best example, Southend United beating Manchester United in the Carling Cup, leading them to an early exit. Middlesbrough also almost lost the race early on as their fourth and fifth rounds were decided by penalties, winning against Championship side West Bromwich Albion and League One team Bristol City. During the third round Hull City also gave them a good race. Prior to the finals, Chelsea faced a tough challenge against lower half Premier League team Blackburn Rovers, while Manchester United faced Watford.
Focusing on the FA Cup, there's so much more upset to remember. West Ham, a Premier League team then, lost to Swansea City, which belonged to Division 3, 1-0 in 1998/99 season; Leicester City, from the EPL, lost 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers from Division 2 in 2000/01; and Everton, also from the EPL, lost to Shrewsbury Town from Division 3 in 2002/03 also with 2-1.
Finally, if there's anything more beautiful about both Carling and FA Cups than the Premier League, yes there is one, it is that both provide a stage for lower league teams to have a taste of prestige and victory which they don't often feel in their own leagues. It provides a way for them to cause memorable upsets to the teams looked up to by thousands or even millions for belonging to the top flight league. Both might provide an easy way for some of the stronger teams to reach the final but at least for some periods of time, the weaker teams get to stand on equal footing with the giants, making them feel just as big, or even bigger.
Premier League's status comes from the fact that it is the top flight league in England. Teams from five other lower leagues attempt to inch their way to the top every season to reach the Premiership, where the strongest teams survive and the weakest get relegated. To use a simple analogy, those at the Premiership are at the peak of the mountain. There's nowhere else for them to go but down; those at the top only have to maintain their position. The idea of competing against the cream of the crop on the pitch, that is the best teams to have made it this far, gives birth to the idea that nothing else is more prestigious than winning the Premiership. Carling Cup and the FA Cup are mere bonuses. But are they?
The question posed by some people as to the value of either cups pushed me to think about the issue. Are they really less valuable? Pondering over the matter, I realized it is not. Its less prestigious and mere 'bonus-only' status stems from the idea that on the way to the championship, each finalist faces at times teams weaker in all aspects, providing an easy alley to the trophy. Take for instance Chelsea. Admittedly, Macclesfield, Nottingham Forest and Norwich City are weaker in the sense that they belong to League 2, League 1, and the Championship, respectively. Results even showed we faced the weaker side, with the Blues scoring six, three, and four goals, respectively against each team. On the other hand, United faced Premiership teams Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Reading. However, this gives the impression that had the Blues faced teams as tough as United did, they wouldn't have made the finals.
Another reason why the view that both league cups are inferior is biased is that people forget that while opponents could come from lower leagues, they are just as capable to cause an upset. Best example, Southend United beating Manchester United in the Carling Cup, leading them to an early exit. Middlesbrough also almost lost the race early on as their fourth and fifth rounds were decided by penalties, winning against Championship side West Bromwich Albion and League One team Bristol City. During the third round Hull City also gave them a good race. Prior to the finals, Chelsea faced a tough challenge against lower half Premier League team Blackburn Rovers, while Manchester United faced Watford.
Focusing on the FA Cup, there's so much more upset to remember. West Ham, a Premier League team then, lost to Swansea City, which belonged to Division 3, 1-0 in 1998/99 season; Leicester City, from the EPL, lost 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers from Division 2 in 2000/01; and Everton, also from the EPL, lost to Shrewsbury Town from Division 3 in 2002/03 also with 2-1.
Finally, if there's anything more beautiful about both Carling and FA Cups than the Premier League, yes there is one, it is that both provide a stage for lower league teams to have a taste of prestige and victory which they don't often feel in their own leagues. It provides a way for them to cause memorable upsets to the teams looked up to by thousands or even millions for belonging to the top flight league. Both might provide an easy way for some of the stronger teams to reach the final but at least for some periods of time, the weaker teams get to stand on equal footing with the giants, making them feel just as big, or even bigger.
Chelsea make history as they are crowned Cup Kings at the new Wembley
A hundred and fifteen minutes have elapsed and it was still nil nil. Everyone expected the FA Cup Final at the new Wembley Stadium between the top two teams in the Premiership to go into a shootout, but in the 116th minute, finally, the winning goal finally slid inside the net.
Chelsea came in as the underdogs. Out of the Champions League, defeated in the Premiership, plagued by injuries with only 15 players left fit, including 2 goalkeepers- no Ricardo Carvalho, doubtful Arjen Robben and Ashley Cole, absent summer signings Andriy Shevchenko and Michale Ballack, favor stood in Manchester United's side. Detractors are sure to say, we play boring football, incomparable to the one played by Manchester United all throughout the season giving them the Premiership title back once again. Yet being to withstand the challenge, controlling the opponents for what seemed to be a final going into a shootout, that surely says something about the Blues.
In the argument who is the real winner, one can go on and on about Chelsea having the money, making the big spendings for players, and cheating and diving our way to victory. At the same time, one can argue that United have regained the EPL title through the dodgy penalties, which could have deprived them of the 9th Premiership title, and even diving players. However, there are certain facts that couldn't be missed out on: on the one hand, the Blues managed to be a challenger for the quadruple despite the absence of Petr Cech and John Terry for months, alongside the endless list of injuries even until the clash in this Cup Final. Again and again, it was the Blues' fighting spirit and big heart which made them contenders for all four titles and won them this Cup. On the other, United's goalscoring is admittedly nothing short of wonderful. Beating their opponents with 3 to 4 goals in almost every single game, they surely played attractive football.
Yet in the end, of course, it is always the result that matters. Even as the final was only halfway through, spectators have already labeled the final boring. With no goals in the first half, people expected more from the second. Yet they were up again for disappointment. The nil nil draw at the end of 90 minutes only half-mattered to the players and us fans, who preferred it over the other side leading. Despite the 'boring' game, many players from the Blues showed promise of scoring and winning the title for the team.
One reason we came in as the underdogs was our extensive list of injured and unfit players. The pressure was on us to prove a double was still possible. Earlier, when asked about the squad to play, Blues manager Jose Mourinho stated he might either use one of our goalies Hilario to play up front or a couple of our reserve players Ben Sahar and Nuno Morais. In the end, he still opted for the players tried and tested, despite not being fully fit. The game was too crucial for him to take the risk.
Cech put his safety on the line again as he launched himself to save the ball from Rooney and as Giggs volleyed back, he launched himself again making a double save. Later on, Giggs' attempt for another goal failed, that while it crossed over the line, would've counted as a foul.
In the absense of Carvalho, we feared that our defense will stumble and that United will sprint past our players and score. Yet Essien, despite underperforming, did his job in the center, together with our talismanic captain John Terry, who couldn't have been more impressive in his defending, clearing the ball and saving us several times.
In the midfield, John Mikel Obi proved to be a good selection, playing attractively and having good control of the ball, while the heavily criticized England international Frank Lampard also did well, creating threats several times and providing the crucial assist to Didier Drogba, who scored his 33rd and the winning goal to lead us to victory. Half-time substitute Robben played as if he didn't come from an injury.
Up front, Joe Cole, despite not being a hundred percent fit, also displayed well his football skills. The man was soaking one of his feet on ice before the game started just so the pain would not be felt. He still went on to play. And what else could be said about Drogba? The man is just fantastic. His tap of the ball to slide it inside the net was nothing short of lovely. Scoring in the 116th minute, we knew we were minutes away from claiming our second trophy. Our fear of going into penalties disappeared the moment the Drogs once again provided us with a late goal stunner.
Today is the day of the less prominent Blues players. Makelele, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ferreira, and Mikel contributed a big chunk to our victory.
At the end of the game, apart from the celebration and ecstatic emotions provided by the fans and the players, it was second lovely to hear what the detractors, including Manchester United fans, had to say. Cheating, one shouted. The Ryan Giggs' goal should have been counted, claimed by another. Boring, said most people. There's no point being retroactive at the moment, nothing could be done about it. We are being blamed again by some but remember it is the United players who failed to live up to their being champions. Their big stars failed to shine. Where was Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo? I almost forgot he was playing! Forget about Rooney, he chokes in big games anyway.
We won without controversial dives and no controversial penalties (although that belongs more to the other side). Moreover, none of our big summer signings was present, which had they been there, would've just provided an alley for critics to say we bought our way to victory. We deserved the win.
For the Blues and us fans, we once again prevailed while also creating another history. We were the last to win at the old Wembley, we were the first to win at the new one. We came in as real underdogs, with everyone, including history, favoring a win by United. Admittedly, the game did not turn into a classic, as everyone wanted it to be. The game was slow, picking up pace at some periods but in the end, it is the result that matters. Both sides were only being cautious, defending their own goals and trying not to make mistakes. What's important is, for us Blues, we painted the new Wembley blue.
Chelsea came in as the underdogs. Out of the Champions League, defeated in the Premiership, plagued by injuries with only 15 players left fit, including 2 goalkeepers- no Ricardo Carvalho, doubtful Arjen Robben and Ashley Cole, absent summer signings Andriy Shevchenko and Michale Ballack, favor stood in Manchester United's side. Detractors are sure to say, we play boring football, incomparable to the one played by Manchester United all throughout the season giving them the Premiership title back once again. Yet being to withstand the challenge, controlling the opponents for what seemed to be a final going into a shootout, that surely says something about the Blues.
In the argument who is the real winner, one can go on and on about Chelsea having the money, making the big spendings for players, and cheating and diving our way to victory. At the same time, one can argue that United have regained the EPL title through the dodgy penalties, which could have deprived them of the 9th Premiership title, and even diving players. However, there are certain facts that couldn't be missed out on: on the one hand, the Blues managed to be a challenger for the quadruple despite the absence of Petr Cech and John Terry for months, alongside the endless list of injuries even until the clash in this Cup Final. Again and again, it was the Blues' fighting spirit and big heart which made them contenders for all four titles and won them this Cup. On the other, United's goalscoring is admittedly nothing short of wonderful. Beating their opponents with 3 to 4 goals in almost every single game, they surely played attractive football.
Yet in the end, of course, it is always the result that matters. Even as the final was only halfway through, spectators have already labeled the final boring. With no goals in the first half, people expected more from the second. Yet they were up again for disappointment. The nil nil draw at the end of 90 minutes only half-mattered to the players and us fans, who preferred it over the other side leading. Despite the 'boring' game, many players from the Blues showed promise of scoring and winning the title for the team.
One reason we came in as the underdogs was our extensive list of injured and unfit players. The pressure was on us to prove a double was still possible. Earlier, when asked about the squad to play, Blues manager Jose Mourinho stated he might either use one of our goalies Hilario to play up front or a couple of our reserve players Ben Sahar and Nuno Morais. In the end, he still opted for the players tried and tested, despite not being fully fit. The game was too crucial for him to take the risk.
Cech put his safety on the line again as he launched himself to save the ball from Rooney and as Giggs volleyed back, he launched himself again making a double save. Later on, Giggs' attempt for another goal failed, that while it crossed over the line, would've counted as a foul.
In the absense of Carvalho, we feared that our defense will stumble and that United will sprint past our players and score. Yet Essien, despite underperforming, did his job in the center, together with our talismanic captain John Terry, who couldn't have been more impressive in his defending, clearing the ball and saving us several times.
In the midfield, John Mikel Obi proved to be a good selection, playing attractively and having good control of the ball, while the heavily criticized England international Frank Lampard also did well, creating threats several times and providing the crucial assist to Didier Drogba, who scored his 33rd and the winning goal to lead us to victory. Half-time substitute Robben played as if he didn't come from an injury.
Up front, Joe Cole, despite not being a hundred percent fit, also displayed well his football skills. The man was soaking one of his feet on ice before the game started just so the pain would not be felt. He still went on to play. And what else could be said about Drogba? The man is just fantastic. His tap of the ball to slide it inside the net was nothing short of lovely. Scoring in the 116th minute, we knew we were minutes away from claiming our second trophy. Our fear of going into penalties disappeared the moment the Drogs once again provided us with a late goal stunner.
Today is the day of the less prominent Blues players. Makelele, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ferreira, and Mikel contributed a big chunk to our victory.
At the end of the game, apart from the celebration and ecstatic emotions provided by the fans and the players, it was second lovely to hear what the detractors, including Manchester United fans, had to say. Cheating, one shouted. The Ryan Giggs' goal should have been counted, claimed by another. Boring, said most people. There's no point being retroactive at the moment, nothing could be done about it. We are being blamed again by some but remember it is the United players who failed to live up to their being champions. Their big stars failed to shine. Where was Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo? I almost forgot he was playing! Forget about Rooney, he chokes in big games anyway.
We won without controversial dives and no controversial penalties (although that belongs more to the other side). Moreover, none of our big summer signings was present, which had they been there, would've just provided an alley for critics to say we bought our way to victory. We deserved the win.
For the Blues and us fans, we once again prevailed while also creating another history. We were the last to win at the old Wembley, we were the first to win at the new one. We came in as real underdogs, with everyone, including history, favoring a win by United. Admittedly, the game did not turn into a classic, as everyone wanted it to be. The game was slow, picking up pace at some periods but in the end, it is the result that matters. Both sides were only being cautious, defending their own goals and trying not to make mistakes. What's important is, for us Blues, we painted the new Wembley blue.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Chelsea may have lost the title, but Jose Mourinho's men are not losers
Injuries to key players contributed to Mourinho and Co's inability to make it a hat-trick of Premierships. Those who ridicule the big spenders conveniently forget to mention the fighting spirit in the squad.
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the ninth time under Sir Alex Ferguson. I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview at the Emirates on Sunday, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is which club has the most points.
United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football throughout the season. Plus, with very few injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. Chelsea had injuries throughout; from our talismanic captain John Terry to Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech, we were always chasing the title.
United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times through controversial penalties and dives (yes, something we are always accused of). Moreover, take Cristiano Ronaldo out of the squad and the result would have been devastating.
Had we won the title, we would have been criticised for buying our way to success; with the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien. Now that we lost the title, we have become a laughing stock. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. The reality is that we we paid that much money not only to retain our crown this season but also for the long term. People who laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' are simply wrong. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs.
At Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League semi, we lost on penalties, and not because we were thrashed. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a measly Cup double, hardly the form of failures. Monday showed what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could have been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge and giving away a penalty. To be a man and a goal down, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation, then come back to draw and retain our dignity was a feat in itself.
People can continue criticising us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not winning the Premiership or making the Champions League final, accuse us of cheating, diving and even not winning with a star-studded squad. But they can never hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts.
At the end of the day, we hold our heads high, in the knowledge that even the best can fall.
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the ninth time under Sir Alex Ferguson. I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview at the Emirates on Sunday, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is which club has the most points.
United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football throughout the season. Plus, with very few injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. Chelsea had injuries throughout; from our talismanic captain John Terry to Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech, we were always chasing the title.
United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times through controversial penalties and dives (yes, something we are always accused of). Moreover, take Cristiano Ronaldo out of the squad and the result would have been devastating.
Had we won the title, we would have been criticised for buying our way to success; with the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien. Now that we lost the title, we have become a laughing stock. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. The reality is that we we paid that much money not only to retain our crown this season but also for the long term. People who laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' are simply wrong. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs.
At Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League semi, we lost on penalties, and not because we were thrashed. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a measly Cup double, hardly the form of failures. Monday showed what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could have been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge and giving away a penalty. To be a man and a goal down, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation, then come back to draw and retain our dignity was a feat in itself.
People can continue criticising us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not winning the Premiership or making the Champions League final, accuse us of cheating, diving and even not winning with a star-studded squad. But they can never hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts.
At the end of the day, we hold our heads high, in the knowledge that even the best can fall.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Blues still shine despite title hat-trick defeat
All we wanted was a win, no mistakes from our players that might cost us the title, and the undying spirit of the team, to allow us to face Manchester United at home with hopes of winning a hat-trick of Premiership titles. But Monday night, 2 days before facing the Red Devils, our hopes crashed as we drew at the Emirates Stadium. The race for the title may have died, but our spirit, character and hope for next season live on.
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the 9th time under Sir Alex Ferguson. A tremendous feat indeed. It is just fair to say that. However, I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is they have the most points, and Manchester United do. As a Blues fan, criticisms rain down on us day and night, regardless of whether we triumph or fail so I might as well continue.
Manchester United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football all throughout this season. Plus, with very few to no (significant) injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. On the other hand, at the risk of being repetitive, we were plagued with star player injuries. From our talismanic captain and defender John Terry, to the quick-paced Arjen Robben, and star players Didier Drogba, our leading goalscorer, and Petr Cech, our world-class keeper, we were in such high risk of letting go of the title. And we did. We failed to capitalize on the failures of Manchester United, i.e., their meager losses and draws that while we continued the battle, we still ended Sunday night disappointed.
On the other hand, United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times, through controversial penalties and dives (yes, that which we are always accused of performing). Moreover, while we may have feared ending as a one-man team with Drogba's goalscoring season, the Red Devils somehow did through the Portuguese midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo. Take him out of the squad and the result would have been devastating: the death of the midfield, less dives, and less penalties won by the reds, ergo, less points and no 9th Premiership title for them.
Had we won for the third time, we would've been criticized for buying our way through to our third title. We've all heard it before. Andriy Shevchenko was acquired from AC Milan for GBP30 million and Michael Ballack earns GBP130,000 a week, higher than stars Frank Lampard and John Terry. Oh, of course we also bought Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien for an average of GBP22 million each. We are such a bottomless pit of cash, spenders at our own whim, and hopefuls for another title. On the other hand, now that we lost, we become a laughing stock. "GBP500 million for a Carling Cup?" We are hated for having the money to buy the big players to try to win the titles for us. Yet we are also ridiculed for spending so much only to win one competition, which is not as sweet as the Champions League nor the Premiership. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. One, we paid that much not only to retain our crown this season but also for the future- for the long-term. So for people to laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' couldn't get any more ridiculous. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs. Keep that in mind and look back a year or two from now.
In addition, we may have spent that much on players but we hardly relied on them for the sweetest victories of the team that led us to one of the best seasons under Mourinho. In Monday's game against Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben? NO. For people to even argue that we, therefore, wasted money by shelling out such huge sums, please read: Wait for the Future.
Okay, the issue still is the big spending. But remember when Manchester United spent GBP30 million on Wayne Rooney? And another one on Rio Ferdinand? Then they also signed Michael Carrick for GBP18 million. Are we hated just because we spent half a billion pounds?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League Final, we lost because of penalty kickout, not because we were trashed. We fought till the very end, just like we did against Arsenal on Monday night. In those 2 matches, we lost not because we played poorly but only because a mistake or two was committed and those were enough to cost us 2 titles in less than 2 weeks. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a double.
In Monday's game against the Gunners, we showed everything: what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could've been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge, giving away a penalty. Khalid Boulahrouz made the worst mistake he could make. In the past games, it was the sloppy defending but there was always the second half for the thrill, catch ups, and the late goals. That night at the Emirates Stadium, we created thrill and caught up when Essien scored an equaliser giving us all hope that second halves are really our savior, that our hopes for the title are still alive. We waited for a late goal until the 94th minute, but none came. To be down by 1 man and 1 goal, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation plus with no signs of Carvalho, Sheva, Robben and Drogba to assist, is the toughest it could possibly get. We had to call in to the bench our young players Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar, with the meager hope that they can help fill in the slot for our missing players, but it was to no avail. We retained our dignity of ending the game with a draw, but we didn't retain the title.
The season ended for us. Yet many of us would still say, we still reign and deserve the title. If only team and fighting spirit, and character count. Many might say this is not our season simply because we fail to win again. But looking beyond that, we could only be prouder of the boys' relentless fighting spirit that always kept the fans at the edge of their seats, giving them the victory they've always expected from them. Second-half wins and late goals will be remembered. They knew how to go against the odds and face their worst critics. They knew how to fight a battle that seems already lost. They knew how to be champions.
We might've lost the title but we didn't lose our faith. We might've let go of the chances for the quadruple but we didn't let go of our fighting spirit. We might've ended the season disappointed with just 1 possible title in our hands but we didn't end the season without looking forward to a better one when it starts in July.
People can continue criticizing us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not making it to either UCL Finals and winning it and the Premiership, mock us for our summer signings that lack the brilliance in form, hate us for having the funds, cheating, diving and even winning given our star-studded squad, but if there are things they can't do, it's that they can never criticize, laugh, mock, and hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts and minds set to win and be champions again.
At the end of the day, when we fail to do so, we can only say holding our heads up high, even the best fall down sometimes...
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the 9th time under Sir Alex Ferguson. A tremendous feat indeed. It is just fair to say that. However, I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is they have the most points, and Manchester United do. As a Blues fan, criticisms rain down on us day and night, regardless of whether we triumph or fail so I might as well continue.
Manchester United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football all throughout this season. Plus, with very few to no (significant) injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. On the other hand, at the risk of being repetitive, we were plagued with star player injuries. From our talismanic captain and defender John Terry, to the quick-paced Arjen Robben, and star players Didier Drogba, our leading goalscorer, and Petr Cech, our world-class keeper, we were in such high risk of letting go of the title. And we did. We failed to capitalize on the failures of Manchester United, i.e., their meager losses and draws that while we continued the battle, we still ended Sunday night disappointed.
On the other hand, United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times, through controversial penalties and dives (yes, that which we are always accused of performing). Moreover, while we may have feared ending as a one-man team with Drogba's goalscoring season, the Red Devils somehow did through the Portuguese midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo. Take him out of the squad and the result would have been devastating: the death of the midfield, less dives, and less penalties won by the reds, ergo, less points and no 9th Premiership title for them.
Had we won for the third time, we would've been criticized for buying our way through to our third title. We've all heard it before. Andriy Shevchenko was acquired from AC Milan for GBP30 million and Michael Ballack earns GBP130,000 a week, higher than stars Frank Lampard and John Terry. Oh, of course we also bought Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien for an average of GBP22 million each. We are such a bottomless pit of cash, spenders at our own whim, and hopefuls for another title. On the other hand, now that we lost, we become a laughing stock. "GBP500 million for a Carling Cup?" We are hated for having the money to buy the big players to try to win the titles for us. Yet we are also ridiculed for spending so much only to win one competition, which is not as sweet as the Champions League nor the Premiership. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. One, we paid that much not only to retain our crown this season but also for the future- for the long-term. So for people to laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' couldn't get any more ridiculous. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs. Keep that in mind and look back a year or two from now.
In addition, we may have spent that much on players but we hardly relied on them for the sweetest victories of the team that led us to one of the best seasons under Mourinho. In Monday's game against Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben? NO. For people to even argue that we, therefore, wasted money by shelling out such huge sums, please read: Wait for the Future.
Okay, the issue still is the big spending. But remember when Manchester United spent GBP30 million on Wayne Rooney? And another one on Rio Ferdinand? Then they also signed Michael Carrick for GBP18 million. Are we hated just because we spent half a billion pounds?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League Final, we lost because of penalty kickout, not because we were trashed. We fought till the very end, just like we did against Arsenal on Monday night. In those 2 matches, we lost not because we played poorly but only because a mistake or two was committed and those were enough to cost us 2 titles in less than 2 weeks. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a double.
In Monday's game against the Gunners, we showed everything: what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could've been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge, giving away a penalty. Khalid Boulahrouz made the worst mistake he could make. In the past games, it was the sloppy defending but there was always the second half for the thrill, catch ups, and the late goals. That night at the Emirates Stadium, we created thrill and caught up when Essien scored an equaliser giving us all hope that second halves are really our savior, that our hopes for the title are still alive. We waited for a late goal until the 94th minute, but none came. To be down by 1 man and 1 goal, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation plus with no signs of Carvalho, Sheva, Robben and Drogba to assist, is the toughest it could possibly get. We had to call in to the bench our young players Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar, with the meager hope that they can help fill in the slot for our missing players, but it was to no avail. We retained our dignity of ending the game with a draw, but we didn't retain the title.
The season ended for us. Yet many of us would still say, we still reign and deserve the title. If only team and fighting spirit, and character count. Many might say this is not our season simply because we fail to win again. But looking beyond that, we could only be prouder of the boys' relentless fighting spirit that always kept the fans at the edge of their seats, giving them the victory they've always expected from them. Second-half wins and late goals will be remembered. They knew how to go against the odds and face their worst critics. They knew how to fight a battle that seems already lost. They knew how to be champions.
We might've lost the title but we didn't lose our faith. We might've let go of the chances for the quadruple but we didn't let go of our fighting spirit. We might've ended the season disappointed with just 1 possible title in our hands but we didn't end the season without looking forward to a better one when it starts in July.
People can continue criticizing us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not making it to either UCL Finals and winning it and the Premiership, mock us for our summer signings that lack the brilliance in form, hate us for having the funds, cheating, diving and even winning given our star-studded squad, but if there are things they can't do, it's that they can never criticize, laugh, mock, and hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts and minds set to win and be champions again.
At the end of the day, when we fail to do so, we can only say holding our heads up high, even the best fall down sometimes...
Thursday, April 12, 2007
UCL, EPL and the FA Cup: The Battles between Heaven and Hell
We all knew the match was certainly not going to be easy. The boys of Mestalla had the advantage. We came as the underdogs. But our team is not the type to get fazed. We thrive under pressure; we win just when everybody else thinks we're on the verge of losing. If there was one thing the boys of Stamford Bridge know best, it is how to go against the odds.
The 1st leg draw last April 10 against Valencia at Stamford Bridge confirmed the disadvantage of having to play the first leg at home. It is one of the few times people would rather play away, at least for the time being. Because away goals act as tie-breakers, teams then prefer the 2nd leg to be at their home soil- where the explosive screams of fans fuel them to score one goal after another. The quarter final 2nd leg match between the Blues and Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium proves that point.
Valencia's 11 unbeaten home record against English teams in the Champions League was enough a threat to make the Blues fans worry, if only a bit, on Tuesday night. With an away goal advantage plus more than 50,000 hyped up Valencia fans, the Blues were sure up for a tough night. Looking back at the 1st leg, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech wouldn't have been able to save David Silva's 30th minute goal in any way. It was inarguably a brilliant strike. Yet the Blues always know how to answer back in the second half as Didier Drogba's soft header in the 53rd minute prove enough to give us an equaliser. Many fans carried with them to the 2nd leg the emotions they were left with at the end of that first match- a fusion of fear, worry and excitement along with the questions: can we, the Blues, pull off a 2nd half winning performance, just like what we have been doing for the past several matches? Can we break Valencia's 11 unbeaten home match record? The night of April 10, the 2nd leg at the Mestalla Stadium, was another night to remember for the London team.
Nothing exceptional could be noted during the first half of the match except for a couple of chances our team created. First was Michael Ballack's downward header during the 21st minute, which lacked thrust allowing Santiago Canizares to save the shot. Then came Drogba's magnificent top corner header in the 40th minute, only to be saved once again by the Spanish goalie. For a team in 60% possession of the ball, a better first-half result was expected from our side. Instead it was the Spanish side which ruled the game allowing them to take the lead in the 32nd minute as Fernando Morientes quickly slid the ball inside the net through a cross from midfielder Joaquin, with Cech unable to save. Alongside that were also a couple of shots on goal from the same striker a minute earlier, which (fortunately) hit the sidebar, and in the 34th minute, only to be magnificently blocked by Blues left-back Ashley Cole. Both wouldn't have been saved by Cech. At the end of the first half, the score could've easily been 3-0. We could've exited the Champions League.
If only to be sarcastic, I could easily say, Chelsea always win by playing just the 2nd half. Our first halfs almost always just open the floor for people to question the team's credibility and criticize their capabilities as current champions and contenders for all 4 trophies this year. While other teams start to lose hope for being 1 goal down, it is instead the signal for Chelsea fans to fervently expect for a goal and for the players to get back to the game, prove and win. It is when the fiery team spirit comes to life, the defense becomes (almost) rock solid, and any other player turns into the man of the match.
Fast-forward to the 52nd minute. Former AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko once again shone as he took a shot from the Ivory Coast striker denied by center-back Roberto Ayala, to give the Blues the awaited equaliser. It was at this point when the Spanish side started to fumble. For the remaining 40 minutes, their play was in complete opposition to the massive noise in the stadium, which exploded when Morientes scored earlier in the first half- threats were almost, if not completely, inexistent, defense was loose, and the will to win seemed to have faded. There was silence. Despite that and and a couple of chances from us, the game still almost ended in another draw. Ballack's downward header from a Frank Lampard free kick in the 83rd minute seemed to be the 2nd away and winning goal we were waiting for. How Canizares managed to save that still eludes us. Then minutes passed and still no sign of the winning goal. Many fans were preparing for an extra time. Even Blues manager Jose Mourinho admitted to that. But seconds before 90 minutes was over, a sprinting Michael Essien from the right side of the pitch takes a pass from the Ukrainian striker and immediately shoots the ball inside the net giving Canizares no time to make a 3rd Cech-like save, for that winning goal of the night. The Blues advance to the Champions League semi-finals.
Roma's 7-1 loss (8-3 on aggregate) against Manchester United is simply preposterous. It was the result, not of an excellent play from the Red Devils but a horrible, horrible, defense from the Italian team. Not even a team in the Coca-Cola Championship Division, just awaiting formal relegation to League 1, lost that badly against them. In fact, Southend United managed an upset during a Carling Cup match against the Red Devils back in November of 2006. That loss is simply humiliating. Every single goalscorer from United breezed through the field undefended. Two of them, Michael Carrick and Cristiano Ronaldo, managed to score a brace. Alan Smith and Patrice Evra also managed to slip one each inside the net. Add to that a goalkeeper, Brazilia Doni, who looked clueless every single time. I believe I have just lost my respect for Roma.
Whether the finals will be a battle between blue and red, reds from Anfield and Old Trafford, or an English and Italian teams, we could only wait. Yet among all three possibilities, nothing beats the idea of a championship between the favorites and the underdogs, which I'm almost a hundred percent certain are to vie for the two other titles still up for grabs. Nothing beats the idea of a championship between the Blue and the Red (obviously, it's neither the boys of Anfield nor of Emirates Stadium, most especially). It is a battle between heaven and hell.
The 1st leg draw last April 10 against Valencia at Stamford Bridge confirmed the disadvantage of having to play the first leg at home. It is one of the few times people would rather play away, at least for the time being. Because away goals act as tie-breakers, teams then prefer the 2nd leg to be at their home soil- where the explosive screams of fans fuel them to score one goal after another. The quarter final 2nd leg match between the Blues and Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium proves that point.
Valencia's 11 unbeaten home record against English teams in the Champions League was enough a threat to make the Blues fans worry, if only a bit, on Tuesday night. With an away goal advantage plus more than 50,000 hyped up Valencia fans, the Blues were sure up for a tough night. Looking back at the 1st leg, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech wouldn't have been able to save David Silva's 30th minute goal in any way. It was inarguably a brilliant strike. Yet the Blues always know how to answer back in the second half as Didier Drogba's soft header in the 53rd minute prove enough to give us an equaliser. Many fans carried with them to the 2nd leg the emotions they were left with at the end of that first match- a fusion of fear, worry and excitement along with the questions: can we, the Blues, pull off a 2nd half winning performance, just like what we have been doing for the past several matches? Can we break Valencia's 11 unbeaten home match record? The night of April 10, the 2nd leg at the Mestalla Stadium, was another night to remember for the London team.
Nothing exceptional could be noted during the first half of the match except for a couple of chances our team created. First was Michael Ballack's downward header during the 21st minute, which lacked thrust allowing Santiago Canizares to save the shot. Then came Drogba's magnificent top corner header in the 40th minute, only to be saved once again by the Spanish goalie. For a team in 60% possession of the ball, a better first-half result was expected from our side. Instead it was the Spanish side which ruled the game allowing them to take the lead in the 32nd minute as Fernando Morientes quickly slid the ball inside the net through a cross from midfielder Joaquin, with Cech unable to save. Alongside that were also a couple of shots on goal from the same striker a minute earlier, which (fortunately) hit the sidebar, and in the 34th minute, only to be magnificently blocked by Blues left-back Ashley Cole. Both wouldn't have been saved by Cech. At the end of the first half, the score could've easily been 3-0. We could've exited the Champions League.
If only to be sarcastic, I could easily say, Chelsea always win by playing just the 2nd half. Our first halfs almost always just open the floor for people to question the team's credibility and criticize their capabilities as current champions and contenders for all 4 trophies this year. While other teams start to lose hope for being 1 goal down, it is instead the signal for Chelsea fans to fervently expect for a goal and for the players to get back to the game, prove and win. It is when the fiery team spirit comes to life, the defense becomes (almost) rock solid, and any other player turns into the man of the match.
Fast-forward to the 52nd minute. Former AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko once again shone as he took a shot from the Ivory Coast striker denied by center-back Roberto Ayala, to give the Blues the awaited equaliser. It was at this point when the Spanish side started to fumble. For the remaining 40 minutes, their play was in complete opposition to the massive noise in the stadium, which exploded when Morientes scored earlier in the first half- threats were almost, if not completely, inexistent, defense was loose, and the will to win seemed to have faded. There was silence. Despite that and and a couple of chances from us, the game still almost ended in another draw. Ballack's downward header from a Frank Lampard free kick in the 83rd minute seemed to be the 2nd away and winning goal we were waiting for. How Canizares managed to save that still eludes us. Then minutes passed and still no sign of the winning goal. Many fans were preparing for an extra time. Even Blues manager Jose Mourinho admitted to that. But seconds before 90 minutes was over, a sprinting Michael Essien from the right side of the pitch takes a pass from the Ukrainian striker and immediately shoots the ball inside the net giving Canizares no time to make a 3rd Cech-like save, for that winning goal of the night. The Blues advance to the Champions League semi-finals.
Roma's 7-1 loss (8-3 on aggregate) against Manchester United is simply preposterous. It was the result, not of an excellent play from the Red Devils but a horrible, horrible, defense from the Italian team. Not even a team in the Coca-Cola Championship Division, just awaiting formal relegation to League 1, lost that badly against them. In fact, Southend United managed an upset during a Carling Cup match against the Red Devils back in November of 2006. That loss is simply humiliating. Every single goalscorer from United breezed through the field undefended. Two of them, Michael Carrick and Cristiano Ronaldo, managed to score a brace. Alan Smith and Patrice Evra also managed to slip one each inside the net. Add to that a goalkeeper, Brazilia Doni, who looked clueless every single time. I believe I have just lost my respect for Roma.
Whether the finals will be a battle between blue and red, reds from Anfield and Old Trafford, or an English and Italian teams, we could only wait. Yet among all three possibilities, nothing beats the idea of a championship between the favorites and the underdogs, which I'm almost a hundred percent certain are to vie for the two other titles still up for grabs. Nothing beats the idea of a championship between the Blue and the Red (obviously, it's neither the boys of Anfield nor of Emirates Stadium, most especially). It is a battle between heaven and hell.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Blue Hart Win; White Hart Pain.
The 3-0 win against Sheffield United over the weekend gave hope to the Blues fans that the boys are finally getting back on track. After weeks of being in poor form, that victory seemed to have provided the pedestal and confidence very much needed for the FA Cup Quarter Final replay against Tottenham Spur at White Hart Lane.
The excitement could not be contained for this defining moment for either of the two London teams. First, this game could have ended Chelsea's sweet run for their second silverware of the season. Second, a tough 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge could have meant another 2-1 victory for Spurs at their stadium, just like what happened in November when the Blues lost. Finally, it was a time for revenge on the side of Chelsea for that reason, but so was it for Spurs who deceived themselves capable of winning at Stamford Bridge, even without Keane, Robbo and Defoe. Remember that at half-time last March 17, Spurs were leading by 2 goals, 3-1. But the resilience of the Blues became evident as they answered back with 2 more goals to end the game with a draw after usual 2nd half catch-up. Spurs went home disappointed with the promise to win it at their home stadium. After all, Keane, Robbo, and Defoe would already be there. Unfortunately, for Spurs fans, that was still not quite what happened.
Kevin McCarra of The Guardian writes, "If the first meeting had been enthrallingly spectacular, the replay of this FA Cup quarter-final intrigued with its element of surprise. No one could have anticipated the finish with which Andriy Shevchenko opened the scoring or the volley from Shaun Wright-Phillips that doubled Chelsea’s lead." Indeed. If there was anything sweeter than the victory itself, that would be the 2 simply and undeniably magnificent goals from Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Shevchenko's goal in the 53rd minute was so good Mourinho hugged him after he was brought out to rest in the 81st minute of the game. That kick, which left Paul Robinson motionless proved to have been a boost to the already strong Chelsea side that SWP's equally brilliant goal came in just 7 minutes after. Perhaps we have just seen competitors for FA Cup Goal of the Season. It would've been less special if it didn't come from Shevchenko. What's the big deal that every time he scores people talk about it? Because people like continuously thinking that he's a flop signing. Therefore, every goal of him is a celebration.
With him scoring more and more goals as the season wears out, people will start to see the GBP30 million who was once the shining AC Milan striker; he is on his way to becoming THE Chelsea FC striker. As ChelseaFC.com's Neil Barnett writes, Welcome to England, Sheva! In the same manner, many Chelsea fans wanted SWP to be taken out of the squad. Today, he proved why he needed to be part of the starting XI. Not only did he play a great midfield role, he also gave us our second and winning goal for the day, courtesy of a chest pass from Didier Drogba. Just like Shevchenko, we are starting to see why we paid so much money for these 2 players. Again as Barnett says, Welcome to West London, Wrighty! Furthermore, SWP's outshining Aaron Lennon will prove to be crucial and threatening to the latter in the selection of a central midfielder for England's upcoming Euro 2008 Qualifier game against Israel.
Now that we are through to the semi-finals, with Blackburn Rovers as the next opponent, we can smell the brand new and wonderful that is Wembley. I can sense a classic match between the best and second best teams in England, Chelsea and Manchester United, respectively. Despite the Devils winning through controversial penalties lately, we have just got to accept it for fear that we win the FA Cup, our second silverware, so easily. I am expecting some United thrashing of Watford in the semi-finals but to give all my respect to the Rovers, I will not say it will be an easy one for us. After all, they beat one of the top (but struggling) teams, Arsenal. The only thing we can do is wait and expect for a win.
This will not be complete without mentioning the controversial mad Spurs fan who attempted to punch Lampard on the face. It was good he caught the madman on time. As for the allegations that Drogba incessantly stomped on the fan's ankle with the intention to break it, well, I only heard it from Spurs fans. But I am keeping my eyes open for whatever comes out of the investigation. However, I think this is the worst kind of fanaticism.
Spurs fans should be ashamed of this incident, let alone not mimic what was done. One, we didn't win by a controversial penalty, like the Red Devils did. Two, what was wrong with celebrating on the pitch? Wouldn't Spurs have done the same if they won the first match? At least I know Blues fans won't be running to Berbatov, Lennon, Keane or Defoe to punch any of them. (The worst we were once able to do was throw celery. Now, it is even banned. Nothing else is left of us but passion.) Therefore, what was the point of wanting to harm the opponent's players? Passion is not to be blurred and overpowered by emotions. Devotion to a team does not mean willingness to resort to violence and cheap shots, especially in cases of defeats. It is very well appreciated that the club (Spurs) took immediate action to give a lifetime ban to the madman from matches at White Hart Lane.
To rid myself of disgust of the Spurs fan, I just tell myself, Wembley, here we come.
The excitement could not be contained for this defining moment for either of the two London teams. First, this game could have ended Chelsea's sweet run for their second silverware of the season. Second, a tough 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge could have meant another 2-1 victory for Spurs at their stadium, just like what happened in November when the Blues lost. Finally, it was a time for revenge on the side of Chelsea for that reason, but so was it for Spurs who deceived themselves capable of winning at Stamford Bridge, even without Keane, Robbo and Defoe. Remember that at half-time last March 17, Spurs were leading by 2 goals, 3-1. But the resilience of the Blues became evident as they answered back with 2 more goals to end the game with a draw after usual 2nd half catch-up. Spurs went home disappointed with the promise to win it at their home stadium. After all, Keane, Robbo, and Defoe would already be there. Unfortunately, for Spurs fans, that was still not quite what happened.
Kevin McCarra of The Guardian writes, "If the first meeting had been enthrallingly spectacular, the replay of this FA Cup quarter-final intrigued with its element of surprise. No one could have anticipated the finish with which Andriy Shevchenko opened the scoring or the volley from Shaun Wright-Phillips that doubled Chelsea’s lead." Indeed. If there was anything sweeter than the victory itself, that would be the 2 simply and undeniably magnificent goals from Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Shevchenko's goal in the 53rd minute was so good Mourinho hugged him after he was brought out to rest in the 81st minute of the game. That kick, which left Paul Robinson motionless proved to have been a boost to the already strong Chelsea side that SWP's equally brilliant goal came in just 7 minutes after. Perhaps we have just seen competitors for FA Cup Goal of the Season. It would've been less special if it didn't come from Shevchenko. What's the big deal that every time he scores people talk about it? Because people like continuously thinking that he's a flop signing. Therefore, every goal of him is a celebration.
With him scoring more and more goals as the season wears out, people will start to see the GBP30 million who was once the shining AC Milan striker; he is on his way to becoming THE Chelsea FC striker. As ChelseaFC.com's Neil Barnett writes, Welcome to England, Sheva! In the same manner, many Chelsea fans wanted SWP to be taken out of the squad. Today, he proved why he needed to be part of the starting XI. Not only did he play a great midfield role, he also gave us our second and winning goal for the day, courtesy of a chest pass from Didier Drogba. Just like Shevchenko, we are starting to see why we paid so much money for these 2 players. Again as Barnett says, Welcome to West London, Wrighty! Furthermore, SWP's outshining Aaron Lennon will prove to be crucial and threatening to the latter in the selection of a central midfielder for England's upcoming Euro 2008 Qualifier game against Israel.
Now that we are through to the semi-finals, with Blackburn Rovers as the next opponent, we can smell the brand new and wonderful that is Wembley. I can sense a classic match between the best and second best teams in England, Chelsea and Manchester United, respectively. Despite the Devils winning through controversial penalties lately, we have just got to accept it for fear that we win the FA Cup, our second silverware, so easily. I am expecting some United thrashing of Watford in the semi-finals but to give all my respect to the Rovers, I will not say it will be an easy one for us. After all, they beat one of the top (but struggling) teams, Arsenal. The only thing we can do is wait and expect for a win.
This will not be complete without mentioning the controversial mad Spurs fan who attempted to punch Lampard on the face. It was good he caught the madman on time. As for the allegations that Drogba incessantly stomped on the fan's ankle with the intention to break it, well, I only heard it from Spurs fans. But I am keeping my eyes open for whatever comes out of the investigation. However, I think this is the worst kind of fanaticism.
Spurs fans should be ashamed of this incident, let alone not mimic what was done. One, we didn't win by a controversial penalty, like the Red Devils did. Two, what was wrong with celebrating on the pitch? Wouldn't Spurs have done the same if they won the first match? At least I know Blues fans won't be running to Berbatov, Lennon, Keane or Defoe to punch any of them. (The worst we were once able to do was throw celery. Now, it is even banned. Nothing else is left of us but passion.) Therefore, what was the point of wanting to harm the opponent's players? Passion is not to be blurred and overpowered by emotions. Devotion to a team does not mean willingness to resort to violence and cheap shots, especially in cases of defeats. It is very well appreciated that the club (Spurs) took immediate action to give a lifetime ban to the madman from matches at White Hart Lane.
To rid myself of disgust of the Spurs fan, I just tell myself, Wembley, here we come.
Friday, March 16, 2007
This. Better. Be. Fuckin. True: Chelsea to the CA of the US of A.
CARSON, California: David Beckham's debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy could be against Chelsea in one of two friendlies in July.
AEG president and chief executive officer Tim Leiweke said on Friday that the possibility was "really good" that Beckham will make his Galaxy debut against Chelsea.
"I think you can pretty well assume that when we scheduled this tournament, the Beckham camp was aware of what we were doing," said Leiweke, head of the organization that runs the Galaxy. "We still have to work through him finishing his term at Real Madrid.
"And I'm fairly certain we can get David comfortable and playing with this team in time for Chelsea. We haven't gotten that commitment yet, we haven't gotten that far with him. But I think it's reasonable to assume that the Chelsea game in particular will be one where we see Mr. Beckham."
Chelsea will play South Korea's Suwon Bluewings and Galaxy mees Mexico's Tigres on July 17 in Carson, then four days later the Galaxy face Chelsea, and the Bluewings will play the Tigres.
The 31-year-old Beckham was sidelined with an injured ligament in his right knee and wasn't expected to be able to play for Real Madrid for about a month. Beckham, who agreed in January to a five-year contract with the Galaxy worth about $27.5 million (€21 million) in base salary, initially wasn't expected to join the Major League Soccer team until August. His contract with Real Madrid ends on June 30.
If he does play against Chelsea, he will be going against a former English Premier League rival from his days at Manchester United — which leads the Blues by nine points.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a taped interview that he was pleased that Chelsea would be playing in the United States for the fourth summer in a row.
"I think this summer will be even a little more special because we will have a tournament with a team (the Galaxy) that we have a special relationship with and the fact that David Beckham is there will give something extra to that tournament," Mourinho said. "And I get the chance to wish him success in the States because I think it will be very important for soccer."
-International Herald Tribune, March 9, 07
AEG president and chief executive officer Tim Leiweke said on Friday that the possibility was "really good" that Beckham will make his Galaxy debut against Chelsea.
"I think you can pretty well assume that when we scheduled this tournament, the Beckham camp was aware of what we were doing," said Leiweke, head of the organization that runs the Galaxy. "We still have to work through him finishing his term at Real Madrid.
"And I'm fairly certain we can get David comfortable and playing with this team in time for Chelsea. We haven't gotten that commitment yet, we haven't gotten that far with him. But I think it's reasonable to assume that the Chelsea game in particular will be one where we see Mr. Beckham."
Chelsea will play South Korea's Suwon Bluewings and Galaxy mees Mexico's Tigres on July 17 in Carson, then four days later the Galaxy face Chelsea, and the Bluewings will play the Tigres.
The 31-year-old Beckham was sidelined with an injured ligament in his right knee and wasn't expected to be able to play for Real Madrid for about a month. Beckham, who agreed in January to a five-year contract with the Galaxy worth about $27.5 million (€21 million) in base salary, initially wasn't expected to join the Major League Soccer team until August. His contract with Real Madrid ends on June 30.
If he does play against Chelsea, he will be going against a former English Premier League rival from his days at Manchester United — which leads the Blues by nine points.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a taped interview that he was pleased that Chelsea would be playing in the United States for the fourth summer in a row.
"I think this summer will be even a little more special because we will have a tournament with a team (the Galaxy) that we have a special relationship with and the fact that David Beckham is there will give something extra to that tournament," Mourinho said. "And I get the chance to wish him success in the States because I think it will be very important for soccer."
-International Herald Tribune, March 9, 07
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
We are Supermen.
History would have been made in the quarter finals of the FA Cup battle between Chelsea and Spurs. Our three-year unbeaten home record would've come to an end, we would've been out of the FA Cup, which means one less silverware out of the 4, and we, the fans, would have been horribly disappointed. To be down 3-1 at half-time, with such a poor defense, and an in top-form Spurs, scoring 4 goals against Fulham, Bolton, and West Ham days before the match, many of us thought the game was over for us. Had we lost, we would've been ridiculed and received some heavy bashing. I would've sung in my head, tuned after Five for Fighting's famous song Superman, It may sound absurd, but don't be naive, even heroes have the right to bleed. We may be disturbed but we won't concede, even heroes have the right to dream. It's not easy to be Chelsea. What all of us, especially the Spurs fans, didn't know was, we were up for some wild surprises.
In our most recent games, perhaps the first thing fans looked for before games start was John Terry. He wasn't there; Carvalho and Essien started at centre-back, while Ferreira and Cole were on the sides. Forget about first half. There was just so much to forget about it. As it's been said many times, it looks like a habit for the Blues to do poorly in the first half. After 45 minutes, I knew I had to rely on the second half, hoping for at least a draw. I knew that to ask for a win, while being down by 2 goals was asking for a miracle. How often have the Blues come back after being down by 2 goals anyway? More importantly, how many times have we conceded that many goals at home? Four years ago, against Arsenal during another Cup match, when we were still under Ranieri.
The first half had one of the worst defending I've seen. For Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov to score a wonderful goal could only mean some poor defending from our side; otherwise, it would've simply been a lucky goal. Admittedly, we conceded early goals, too during the tie against Porto and Arsenal, but to concede in the 5th minute was just too early. Add to that the 28th minute own-goal by one of the best players of the Blues, Michael Essien. For a player to defend poorly is one story; for him to score an own goal is another. Watching on replay, that was completely avoidable. When Frank Lampard scored an equaliser to Berbatov's 5th minute goal, I thought we were back on track to winning. Yet when Essien horrendously came after the ball, while seeing Cech right in front of him, ready to grab the ball, and he extended his leg out to kick it, it was just a complete disaster. Another equaliser was expected from the Blues; we don't give up easily. Yet when another strike from the other camp came in 7 minutes later from Hossam Ghaly, with a clear view of the Blues' absence at the back to stop the Egyptian midfielder, Stamford Bridge almost collapsed. That was moment for panic, at least for me. Every time Berbatov and Lennon came close to our goal, the tension just kept going up. A draw was all I asked for.
The Special One Jose Mourinho felt the worries of us fans. Three substitutions had to be made. First, Shaun Wright-Philips came in for Ferreira for a wider midfield, while narrowing down the already weak defense. We trusted JM. Second, Lasanna Diarra came out for Khalid Boulahrouz to go back to the starting form, making the defense stronger once again. Finally, a move to 3-3-4 was made, as the Special One felt the need for more strikers in front. Sure enough, the tactics of JM worked as Salomon Kalou contributed a very special equalising goal in the 85th minute to level up the game to 3-3. Hearts beating faster, cheers growing louder, and tension getting higher, fans were on the edge of their seats. Will the Blues exit the FA Cup? Will their three-year unbeaten home record come to an end tonight? Will they give it all up?
Not quite. It was a bad game for the Blues but it wasn't as bad as we would've expected. Losing 3-2, with one own goal from one of our best players, would be unbearable. The own goal would've scarred and haunted me for a long time. But while Liverpool sings "You'll never walk alone," we sing, "We're gonna make it a Blue Day." Certainly, we did that. No matter how poorly we do in the first half, we're always known to create threats during the second. Even Spurs manager Martin Jol had to say they needed to score 4-1 to make sure they run away with the ticket to the semi-finals; after all, 4 seemed to be their lucky number. He believed in what the Blues can do. To be 2 goals down and come back to draw against a tough team takes a lot of Blues passion and spirit. We certainly had that. Lampard's second goal for the day in the 70th minute kept the spirit alive. Had Essien's attempt in the 81st minute been successful, he would've made up for his mistake earlier. It had not been. Salomon Kalou saved the day with a goal 5 minutes from time. The fans were once again alive. We were once again alive.
Many fans thought that with Robbie Keane and Paul Robinson out, the game would be a bit easier, albeit it would still be tough. Lampard's first goal didn't seem planned, more than it was instinctive. To score 2 more goals to end the match with a draw against an in top-form Spurs was a big achievement. To get such result without John Terry and Joe Cole playing, without Didier Drogba scoring, and with Jermaine Defoe's shot during stoppage time hitting the top bar, people might say, we were once again lucky to be staying alive. Maybe we were lucky to have earned a replay at White Hart Lane, and we might continue being so. But considering Manchester United's situation- great play of football, in top-form players, Henrik Larsson for 10 weeks, and League leaders, alongside our situation- injured top defender, heavily criticized summer signing world-class striker, close to a season-long injured world-class midfielder, plus our race to the top of the table, it is just fair we get some luck on our side.
I am still singing Superman. We are the men in the shiny blue kits, digging for more silverware for our team. We are the men in the shiny blue kits, along with the Special One beside our team. It's not easy to be Chelsea. Indeed it is not- to be 2 goals down and come back to end with a draw, nothing else could be more heroic.
In our most recent games, perhaps the first thing fans looked for before games start was John Terry. He wasn't there; Carvalho and Essien started at centre-back, while Ferreira and Cole were on the sides. Forget about first half. There was just so much to forget about it. As it's been said many times, it looks like a habit for the Blues to do poorly in the first half. After 45 minutes, I knew I had to rely on the second half, hoping for at least a draw. I knew that to ask for a win, while being down by 2 goals was asking for a miracle. How often have the Blues come back after being down by 2 goals anyway? More importantly, how many times have we conceded that many goals at home? Four years ago, against Arsenal during another Cup match, when we were still under Ranieri.
The first half had one of the worst defending I've seen. For Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov to score a wonderful goal could only mean some poor defending from our side; otherwise, it would've simply been a lucky goal. Admittedly, we conceded early goals, too during the tie against Porto and Arsenal, but to concede in the 5th minute was just too early. Add to that the 28th minute own-goal by one of the best players of the Blues, Michael Essien. For a player to defend poorly is one story; for him to score an own goal is another. Watching on replay, that was completely avoidable. When Frank Lampard scored an equaliser to Berbatov's 5th minute goal, I thought we were back on track to winning. Yet when Essien horrendously came after the ball, while seeing Cech right in front of him, ready to grab the ball, and he extended his leg out to kick it, it was just a complete disaster. Another equaliser was expected from the Blues; we don't give up easily. Yet when another strike from the other camp came in 7 minutes later from Hossam Ghaly, with a clear view of the Blues' absence at the back to stop the Egyptian midfielder, Stamford Bridge almost collapsed. That was moment for panic, at least for me. Every time Berbatov and Lennon came close to our goal, the tension just kept going up. A draw was all I asked for.
The Special One Jose Mourinho felt the worries of us fans. Three substitutions had to be made. First, Shaun Wright-Philips came in for Ferreira for a wider midfield, while narrowing down the already weak defense. We trusted JM. Second, Lasanna Diarra came out for Khalid Boulahrouz to go back to the starting form, making the defense stronger once again. Finally, a move to 3-3-4 was made, as the Special One felt the need for more strikers in front. Sure enough, the tactics of JM worked as Salomon Kalou contributed a very special equalising goal in the 85th minute to level up the game to 3-3. Hearts beating faster, cheers growing louder, and tension getting higher, fans were on the edge of their seats. Will the Blues exit the FA Cup? Will their three-year unbeaten home record come to an end tonight? Will they give it all up?
Not quite. It was a bad game for the Blues but it wasn't as bad as we would've expected. Losing 3-2, with one own goal from one of our best players, would be unbearable. The own goal would've scarred and haunted me for a long time. But while Liverpool sings "You'll never walk alone," we sing, "We're gonna make it a Blue Day." Certainly, we did that. No matter how poorly we do in the first half, we're always known to create threats during the second. Even Spurs manager Martin Jol had to say they needed to score 4-1 to make sure they run away with the ticket to the semi-finals; after all, 4 seemed to be their lucky number. He believed in what the Blues can do. To be 2 goals down and come back to draw against a tough team takes a lot of Blues passion and spirit. We certainly had that. Lampard's second goal for the day in the 70th minute kept the spirit alive. Had Essien's attempt in the 81st minute been successful, he would've made up for his mistake earlier. It had not been. Salomon Kalou saved the day with a goal 5 minutes from time. The fans were once again alive. We were once again alive.
Many fans thought that with Robbie Keane and Paul Robinson out, the game would be a bit easier, albeit it would still be tough. Lampard's first goal didn't seem planned, more than it was instinctive. To score 2 more goals to end the match with a draw against an in top-form Spurs was a big achievement. To get such result without John Terry and Joe Cole playing, without Didier Drogba scoring, and with Jermaine Defoe's shot during stoppage time hitting the top bar, people might say, we were once again lucky to be staying alive. Maybe we were lucky to have earned a replay at White Hart Lane, and we might continue being so. But considering Manchester United's situation- great play of football, in top-form players, Henrik Larsson for 10 weeks, and League leaders, alongside our situation- injured top defender, heavily criticized summer signing world-class striker, close to a season-long injured world-class midfielder, plus our race to the top of the table, it is just fair we get some luck on our side.
I am still singing Superman. We are the men in the shiny blue kits, digging for more silverware for our team. We are the men in the shiny blue kits, along with the Special One beside our team. It's not easy to be Chelsea. Indeed it is not- to be 2 goals down and come back to end with a draw, nothing else could be more heroic.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
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