FC Porto 1-1 Chelsea: Cheer up, we’ve got an away goal!
It’s champions league and it’s Shevchenko!
We’ve got some more injuries and loads of yellow cards. Never mind. We’ve got the all-important away goal! It was unfortunate for Cech to have his clean sheet streak broken by a deflected shot. Anyway, any legal goal is a goal. I couldnt see the match it was not broadcast live here (but the home leg would be broadcast live).
Terry injured himself again on right ankle and looks certain to miss the Carling Cup final. Just when things seem to go well, we lose Terry to another injury. Truly cursed this season, in terms of injuries. Anyway, one good news is that Ashley Cole is playing for Chelsea reserves tonight and hopes to make a comeback for the Carling Cup final.
Jose was quite ok with this result but was gutted about the injury:
Yes I’m happy, under the circumstances, I’m happy. We work one complete week last week and you come here and after five minutes you lose John Terry. The problem is not necessarily losing John Terry because if you have a central defender on the bench you can keep your strategy. Without John Terry, Essien has to play central defender, you have to play Robben, you have to change the system, you have to change everything. The understanding between Essien, Makelele and Diarra on the right side is broken because you lose everything. When you lose John Terry you lose a lot of things. I don’t know how bad it is, but this is Chelsea this season.
And we were playing against a good team and they scored when we had ten men. After that we score a great goal and we deserved that. At half-time I have to make another change because of injury and I have to change everything again. At the end of the day we’ve got a positive result and scoring the away goal is positive. In my opinion we are doing the best work we have done for the past three years because it is more difficult than in the other years and to be where we are at the moment – second in the Premiership, quarter-final in the FA Cup, good position to qualify for the Champions League, the final in the Carling Cup – is good. Circumstances are difficult but the team is fighting hard
Shevchenko scored what is probably his best Chelsea goal after his debut goal. His movement was intelligent and he got himself enough space and with no really challenging him around, the produced a sublime finish to add to his champions league goals tally. With Drogba changing his hairstyle, Sheva has resorted to moustache!
[video]http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/5lU462FxmgI5C8WX9[/video]
Jose might add Sheva to his list of untouchables very soon. He is almost one, in Jose’s words:
I think he’s improving a lot and I’m not saying that just because of the goal. I’m very happy with the way he’s working for the team. If he can work like that and score goals even better. Even if he doesn’t score though he has become almost untouchable because we are delighted with his efforts.
Some shocking results around, at least I did not expect any of these results – Barca’s defensive horrors continued as Liverpool clinches a rare win at the Camp Nou. After the recent holiday hiccups, Bellamy setting up the winner for Riise would make for a good headline. Remember, Barca has the quality to get a 2-0 result at Anfield (c’mon, Arsenil scored six). Valencia earns a draw and two away goals against Inter. That was another proof from Valencia that they have to be taken very very seriously in this edition. Lyon was held for a goalless draw by Roma.
Finally, I’d say this 1-1 score in an away game is a decent result, though a win for us would have sealed the tie. I dont think Jose would have been ruffled by this draw. On the 6th of March, our home advantage and home form should take us through without too much difficulty.
Can’t wait for the Carling Cup final!
Terry injured and subbed at ’13. Something to worry???
1-1 at halftime is a decent score for an away team. Diarra hsa been fantastic. You cant keep Sheva away from scoring in champs league!
robben’s injured too. what’s happening?
I saw the game not bad…but we coulve done better, The only question I have is that IS ROBBEN INJURED!????? to me he was the spark of the team as he set up sheva’s goal.
Robben has complained of some pain in his hamstring. Not an injury as such, just a niggle. He should play on Sunday.
Abdullah! As you’ve seen the game, I want you to comment on the perfomances of the below players today:
1. Makelele
2. Diarra
3. Bridge
4. Ballack
i thought that diarra and our back four played great considering loosing terry early. diarra especially stopped forward runs being made up the wings and frustrated quaresma (sp?) as well as the Porto fans. Bridge wasn’t spectacular but he wasn’t bad either. He made some runs forward and tried to play a few balls into the box. Ballack to me played poorly aside from the final 10 or so minutes. He seemed to labor in the midfield at times and took a few unadvised shots. I haven’t anything to say regarding Makelele though.
I saw the game, and here’s what I thought of the players:
Maka played hard and defended, was solid all around, but not spectacular. His average games…
Diarra was my man of the match. His defence really bothered Quaresma throughout the game, and proved he should be right back from now on.
Bridge defended well, without mistakes, but his attacking game wasn’t special at all. Cole’s return sunday will certainly improve our chances.
Ballack didn’t impress. His passing was a bit off and he remained awfully foul-prone.
I saw the delayed telecast good that we are having home leg live. Somehow the understanding between Drogba and Shevy is still missing. You dont see the 1-2s between. Ballack was poor and Obi Mikel should always be better then Ballack. Now for the Carling Cup Final…
I saw the match live and I think Diarra was very good . How old is he , by the way ? He’ll only get better.
Drogs had an off night but with the team balance gone it was always gonna be difficult cos I guess Porto was ready for the mi-field diamond, only when Robben came in did we look menacing, and then to have him out again so soon . What bad luck !.
Makalele and Lamps could’ve done better. But it was Ballack who didn’t perform. When Mukel came in , our game perked up a bit. The kid is ready for the big-time, looks really confident.
Bridge a bit rusty for the lack of games , need more match sharpness.
But as the boss said : We did OK.
If the same injuries had happened to Barca, like Puyol and Dinho out so early , imagine what the score line would be for them against Liverpool.
Hats off to them though. Clearing the way for us !
hi BC and all,
i saw the game and to loose JT very early in the game was a bit disappointing. Diarra really showed that he could contained Quaresma thus damaged Porto’s attacking flow. Maka played a quiet game but was essential in the mid-field. Bridge was useful in the left but didnt make much dangerous surge forward. i think maybe JM wants him to stay in his position & break Porto’s counter attack game using their flanks. Ballack was horrendous. he kept loosing balls and his passing was not good (he made ambitious passes thru crowded areas). JM’s decision to start Ballack to me was not quite good but maybe important in terms of tactical/strategy (maybe JM wants to add hard tackling players in mid-field as i saw Porto was playing quite a physical game against us) .
overall we played OK. sheva scored a deserved goal and we had a few scares in front of goal after we lost JT. im really looking forward for the return leg at Stamford Bridge and also this weekend’s League Cup Final against Arsenil…
how do i download this video
Sheva played wonderfully, one of his best performances, if not the best performance from his in a Blue (OK, black :P) strip. And Jose thought so too, that wonderfully loving pat on the cheek, and post-match, he was practically glowing with pride for him. So endearing! All those who thought that agianst Liverpool was going to be the end for Sheva’s English football career are so, so wrong.
Yes guys, One might easily doubt his own wife, but no one could never doubt the qualities of Shevchenko! Come on sheva, its time to rule the EPL too!
BC. Your headline suggests that you are disappointed with a 1-1 draw in a two legged game. Had we lost I would have agreed with you. With the injury to JT and the subsequent loss of Robben due to injury, 1-1 was an extremley good result and had we won it would have been a deserved result. Chelsea certainly didn’t deserve to lose last night.
When you get a moment check back and see how some of Chelsea’s past players and managers would have ‘crumbled’ under the horrific injuries that Jose and his team have had to endure this season.
If Chelsea win NOTHING this season, under the circumstances there would be no shame.
BB58
I agree that we played under difficult circumstances, we have injuries etc. When you expect Chelsea to win the Champions League, to expect Chelsea to beat Porto away, is not asking for too much.
I’m as much a fan of Super Jose as anyone. I know there would be no shame even if we dont win anything this season. We’ve performed extremely well this season given all the high-profile injuries and Jose/players have done a great job. I know we’ve even lost 2-1 at Camp Nou and demolished them at the Bridge 4-2.
The difference is I AM not expecting Chelsea to win the CL, winning the CL is the next progression for CFC and if we do the feeling would be better than winning two back to back Premiership titles, something I never expected in my lifetime.
As for difficult circumstances Chelsea have been under those since that horrific day in October and to be in the position that we are some four months later, is nothing more than remarkable!! As I said earlier, go back in time and check out the Chelsea teams ‘that have crumbled’ in the big moments.
Hey bluechampion The way i see it bridge and diarra were the best, being not usual starters they really impressed me as for makalele he wasn’t that bad although ive seen him better but ballack, he was just horrible. He kept losing the ball, commiting fouls and he hasn’t done anything special.
Diarra was amazing!! Maka had an average game, however In my eyes the lousy defensive header (which led to the goal) was his undoing. Sheva was a much improved name, and Ballack was just rubbish. Good game for the blacks* however I am expecting a disturbance for the home leg. Penalties?
Another bogus game and some old names added back to the injury list , nothing to be happy about i am sure , as BB58 has pointed i too am not expecting any trophies this season but am still proud we hav played brilliantly keeping in mind the horrific injury list which indeed keeps growing!!!!!!
On the other hand i look at the other challengers , hardly any injuries for Manure , they will surely win the league, no chance of CL with Diarra at RB and Essien as CB, not the FA surely cuz JM is not least focused on it and i doubt we can beat Arsey with half the first team in the hospital!!!!!!
Yeah Yeah Yeah ,
We have had a not too bad season………
But saying we can’t win the FA, Carling, and CL
is a bit too much.
Butlook at it this way.
Is ManUre with a nearly intact team gonna win it ?
No, cause they want the EPL title more than anything. They don’t want the injuries and distaction etc… They’ll ride only as far as they can .. more more
Is Arsey with its group of youngsters and sprinkling of oldies gonna do it ?
No, Didn’t do last year either . aye, They will snap before the semi’s at most if even they overcome PSV.
Is Barca with Eto and Messi back gonna do it ?
Don’t think so, Liverpool will see to that they don’t in 2 weeks time .
So who we got left ?
Madrid ? No , one bad night and they will blow it against so-called lower teams .
Bayern ? Possible but just , they gotta concentrate on CL qualification for next year first.
Liverpuddle ? Lightning don’t strike that fast in 2 places.
Lyon , they’re in contention I think and very dangerous and also dancing at the way top in their league.
Oh how about Chelsea then ?
We got Jose and Co,: a lot of super players who can do it.
We still win or at least draw with individual efforts and teamwork even when we’re not playing well, have inumerable injuries and everyone outta position.
You don’t have to be the best team to do it, BUt you have to be the most focused , hard tackling , tactically superior ,strategically scoring team to do it.
Plus a big gob of luck
Tomorrow league cup is ours. PERIOD
And if we get JT , Robben ,Joe Cole , Ashley Cole and Boularouz back by the start of the quarters , I guess we have a chance .
Hey BC , do you think Ballack could play at centre back , that way JM could have Essien in mid-field ?
With him there we make our attack , our defence and finish of opponents before half time with a blitzing pounding
And then move Essien back to CB and Ballack can piddle around in mid-field again.
Just a joke .
When the wingers get back and we go to 4-4-2
he can sit on the bench . But at least he’s not injured.
For everyone to suggest Chelsea isn’t going to win any trophies this year is ludicrous. Remember the Arsenal game that we hit the post three times in the last ten minutes in? That amazing Essien goal wasn’t the only goal we deserved, and we’ll get the win this weekend. Also, our chances for the Champion’s League are good compared to other teams, and our coaching and leadership is the best in Europe. A good game from Drogba here, a good game from Lampard there, and we’ll make through ’till we’re all healthy again.
What do you think of our chances at a title this year, BC?