Official Chelsea web sh*te
Tue, 1st May 2007
Chelsea lost the Champions League semi-final on penalties after drawing 1-1 on aggregate with Liverpool following a 1-0 defeat after extra-time.
Liverpool won the shoot-out 4-1. Reina saved from Robben and Gérémi.
In 120 minutes, Chelsea forced only one top save from Reina, and were unable to build on the first leg. But Liverpool were cautious as well, and the game was a deadlock for much of the time.
Chelsea opened by taking the pace out of the game. At throw-ins or free-kicks everything was done at walking pace.
But when it came to pressing, closing down, then the pace was injected, and a number of early interceptions were successful.
The acoustics at Anfield are so remarkable that when the ground was a quarter-full, as Chelsea came out to warm up, the home singing was deafening. So once the game had started it must have been nigh impossible for players to communicate on the pitch.
Referee GonzĂĄlez made his presence felt early on, whistling up for nine fouls in the first 13 minutes (Liverpool 5 Chelsea 4), and it was very stop-start with three offside decisions against Chelsea as well.
Mikel and Mascherano, two youngsters in the maelstrom, were both models of calm and outstanding technique. Their ability to keep possession was a good example to all around them.
But GonzĂĄlez allowed the first truly violent challenge, Gerrard on Mikel, to go unpunished, and had to stop the game so injured Mikel could compose himself.
He recovered physically but immediately gave away a silly free-kick by fouling Zenden. Cech punched away from Cech, but Chelsea couldn't clear, and Joe Cole was stretched into fouling Gerrard wide.
Gerrard squared this free-kick and Agger had the space to drive it low into the corner of the net to equalise the tie on aggregate. Twenty-one minutes had gone.
Ashley Cole became the first booking when he blocked Pennant who had played a one-two. Given some of the challenges which had gone before, he could consider himself unlucky.
Chelsea were beginning to have trouble keeping possession, playing the ball long and frustratingly over Drogba rather than wide to Joe Cole and Kalou.
But Chelsea's first real chance came when Mikel intercepted a Liverpool pass and scooped the ball to Drogba who touched it to his right and drove hard, only for Reina to block well and be grateful the ball was so close to him.
Chelsea won a couple of corners going into the 40th minute, and from the second Drogba's header went to Essien whose attempt to redirect it goalwards from close range finished as a slice. It was a half-chance.
As half-time came, Chelsea attacked the Kop end with more football, but crosses from Ashley Cole and Ferreira were poor and Drogba was too often the only forward in the area.
Lampard produced the best ball, in stoppage time from a wide free-kick, but Reina punched out from the advancing Essien.
Chelsea started the second-half on the offensive and played better football, got in some good positions, but still failed to produce sufficient creativity to carve out a real chance.
But with 11 minutes gone Pennant turned Makelele and Ashley Cole, and crossed for Crouch beyond the far post to head down, and Cech had to be sharp to get across, drop and repel.
Liverpool were getting in much better crossing positions than Chelsea. Pennant delivered again from the by-line, but too hard, but Riise retrieved and his cross was headed with a thud by unmarked Kuyt against Cech's bar.
The crowd went into full volume. But Chelsea got the ball down and played again, and just past the hour Agger was booked for fouling Drogba from behind.
Liverpool won their first corner of the night in the 70th minute. Drogba, marking Crouch, headed away. The game was now getting truly tense.
Pennant got behind Terry and lashed for goal but Essien magnificently got across and deflected his shot above the bar.
Liverpool fans whistled desperately whenever Chelsea had possession, but very little of Chelsea's play was meaningful. When balls were knocked into the area Liverpool defenders seemed to outnumber Chelsea players three to one.
But Drogba and Kalou were there when Ashley Cole got behind Liverpool's defence for the second time in a few minutes and crossed low. Carragher brilliantly turned the ball over his own bar and referee GonzĂĄles erroneously gave a goal-kick.
With 13 minutes left, Alonso replaced Pennant and Gerrard went wide right. Pennant had given Ashley Cole a tough game but in the last 10 minutes had not defended well.
With under four minutes left Zenden, of all people, found space created by Crouch to cut inside and drive a right-footed shot across Cech which the goalkeeper fielded well at the second attempt.
That was two good saves this half. Reina had yet to be tested since the interval.
As 90 minutes came up, Chelsea had yet to use a substitute. What greater proof could there be of the stretching of the squad. As Liverpool had only used one there was only two minutes of stoppage time.
Extra-time started with Liverpool going forward, and once again Essien was too the rescue after Riise had dummied past Mikel and Joe Cole.
Seven minutes of extra-time had gone when Arjen Robben returned from knee surgery to replace Joe Cole. Cole was one of several Chelsea players who had failed to spark.
One hundred minutes were coming up on the clock when Alonso let rip from nearly 30 yards and Cech could only knock the bal back into play. Kuyt buried the ball into the net and Anfield exploded. But the linesman raised his flag for offside against Kuyt. Oh, the sigh of relief.
For the final period of extra-time Bellamy replaced Crouch. Mourinho immediately called for Wright-Phillips. He replaced Kalou.
Robben had been operating on the right and Kalou on the left, and now Wright-Phillips stayed on the left.
Zenden was booked for pulling back Robben who for the second time opened up and went past people forcing a free-kick.
With five minutes remaining, Essien released Wright-Phillips behind Riise and his low, wicked cross was just missed by Drogba - again alone in the box.
As penalties approached, Ashley Cole and Lampard wasted good positions and Liverpool players strated struggling with cramp.
The penalty takers were sent on. Gérémi for Makelele, and to huge cheers Fowler for Mascherano. Liverpool went 4-3-3 and immediately the forwards combined for Kuyt to cut inside Ferreira and force another crucial save from Cech.
In the end, two defences had been too strong over the two games for two attacks.
And so to penalties. Cech went off on his own, lay down and covered his head with his shirt. Focus, focus.
The penalties were taken at the far end of the Kop, with the Chelsea supporters to the right of the goal. Liverpool went first. Zenden scored.
Robben took his to mass whistling. Reina made a flying save. He made another from Gérémi, Chelsea's third kick, and that left Kuyt to win it.
Now there is the FA Cup Final left, and an outside hope of the Premiership.
The Champions League remains the Holy Grail to be pursued another year.
By Neil Barnett
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