It has to be said, tonight's result shocked the vast majority of the footballing world. Despite taking the slimmest of victories from Stamford Bridge to Spain, the odds were defiantly not in favour of the London outfit. How could any team - and no disrespect to Chelsea, they've never really seemed to get out of third gear this season - hold back the goalscoring machine that is Barcelona.
things started brightly for Chelsea, with the opening exchanges looking like they could maybe, just maybe, nick a goal. but as the first half progressed it was obvious that the Nou Camp was starting to take grip of Chelsea, with Barca finding their rhythm quickly and things got even harder when Cahill was forced into being replaced by the less than solid Bosingwa. The half moved on and after a corner was cleared, Barca worked the ball back down the opposite wing, and a relatively simple pull back accross the box found the eager Busquets who slotted home comfortably. And then the shocking happened. John Terry. Who many regard as one of the most committed and dependable English centre backs the game has seen, must of seen the red mist as, completely off the ball, forced his knee into the back of Sanchez in what can only be described as stupid. The referee didn't see it, and it was the mysterious person that is the 5th official called it as a red card offence. Terry was off. The strongest branch in the Chelsea tree had snapped. down to ten men, the inevitable Barcelona onslaught began to take shape, as Iniesta was slotted through by Messi i believe, who with the coolest of touches, knocked it past Cech who in fairness couldn't really do much about it.
with half time approaching and the Nou Camp crowd in full voice, Lampard pounced on the ball and perfectly placed the ball between the Barca defence for the onrushing Brazilian Ramires who at full flight, controlled the ball well and with the second touch chipped the ball inch perfectly over Valdes who couldn't stretch enough to flick the ball over. 2-1. Nou Camp silent, apart from the top tier of Chelsea fans who were basically watching from the clouds they were that high up. Chelsea as it stood were going through on away goals. Game on.
The second half started as it finished, with pure thrills as Drogba conceded a penalty... although if it was a solid penalty remains to be confirmed... However many thought justice was done as Messi's penalty rocked against the crossbar to again, stunned silence from the fans.
The majority of the second half passed as you'd expect, with Chelsea firmly rooted on the edge of their own box just being worked over by Barca. However the longer this game of attack vs defence went on, it became increasingly clear that the usual Barcelona swagger and confidence wasn't enough to break down this resolute Chelsea team who showed togetherness and spirit that many thought Andre Villas Boas had destroyed. Petr Cech was solid between the sticks as he was forced into save after save as it seemed the Barca tide was going to break down the Chelsea barricade.
With Drogba absolutely shagged out from tireless running and taking a battering from the more physical approach Barca had taken against him, Torres was brought on to provide the only outlet Chelsea had. And it was a move that would provide Chelsea with pure orgasmic emotion as in the 90+ the ball was hoofed clear after yet another broken down move from Barca, and with half of the pitch to himself the ball fell to Fernando who as he approached goal, who knew what he was going to do?! However he showed composure as he rounded the onrushing Valdes and slotted confidently into the empty net. 2-2. The impossible bad become reality as Chelsea were going to advance to Munich in May to compete in the final. Many thought this wouldn't be the case but i think i can be confident in saying that many are glad yet another Champions league Final wont be featuring Barca.
Congratulations Chelsea, proving that David can actually beat Goliath.
Michael Johnston
*and on a personal note i was extra pleased because id bet on Chelsea to advance... however on closer inspection id chosen a different bet. I was devastated! but not devastated as half of the Chelsea team are as most of them are now ineligible to play in Munich!
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Friday 20 April 2012
Playing Fair - an Unfair Advantage
During our time that we've been a bit quiet on the blogging front, it seems that there have been several big topics that are trending in football. The one I'm going to chew over today: Unfair play.
It used to be so simple, you try and beat your opposition by outsmarting him on the pitch by either a great piece of individual skill or a fast flowing team move.Iit could of been a long passing routine, or a split second break. It could of been a well crafted set piece manoeuvre that's been constructed on the training ground or it could of been as simple as luck. However from the last few weeks in the Premier League it seems that there is now a new way of trying to beat your opponent - cheating.
Players are now using the easily manipulated rules to gain unfair advantages, they know how to play the rules in order to find an advantage on the pitch. Whether it be, trying to con the referee into a penalty that probably wasn't, or a player that over reacts to get someone sent off or penalised. Its trying to beat a team without actually playing better than them on the day and it is starting to become a real negative aspect to the game.
Rather than trying to beat a player with a slick one-two, players are more keen on acting like they've been sliced in half when it was just an honest shoulder nudge. Its not just attacking players that are guilty of this however. When you see a close up of what can only be called chaos in the penalty area when a corner or set piece is being delivered, both defenders and attackers are trying to ask the ref for the advantage rather than just trying to beat the man to the ball. They'd rather play for the foul and that just completely destroys the tempo and overall product of the game.
Before people get the wrong idea I'm not saying EVERY player is quilty of this, but you'd have think pretty long and hard until you thought of a player that hasn't tried to play the ref rather than just contend for the ball. And in the majority of cases there is a foul and the right decision is made, but more and more now you see a blatant attempt to play for the foul and to gain an advantage through anything but just honest skill.
We can all agree that there is nothing better than watching a player on the world stages, to a player on a muddy sunday league pitch, beating a team with skill and genuine talent. But when you come away from watching a match in which there was a controversial freekick or penalty etc, then it completly takes away from could of been a worldclass free kick or move.
Football is a game focused around skill and it needs to be played in a way that reflects what the fans want to see - not players playing the ref rather than the game.
Michael Johnston
It used to be so simple, you try and beat your opposition by outsmarting him on the pitch by either a great piece of individual skill or a fast flowing team move.Iit could of been a long passing routine, or a split second break. It could of been a well crafted set piece manoeuvre that's been constructed on the training ground or it could of been as simple as luck. However from the last few weeks in the Premier League it seems that there is now a new way of trying to beat your opponent - cheating.
Players are now using the easily manipulated rules to gain unfair advantages, they know how to play the rules in order to find an advantage on the pitch. Whether it be, trying to con the referee into a penalty that probably wasn't, or a player that over reacts to get someone sent off or penalised. Its trying to beat a team without actually playing better than them on the day and it is starting to become a real negative aspect to the game.
Rather than trying to beat a player with a slick one-two, players are more keen on acting like they've been sliced in half when it was just an honest shoulder nudge. Its not just attacking players that are guilty of this however. When you see a close up of what can only be called chaos in the penalty area when a corner or set piece is being delivered, both defenders and attackers are trying to ask the ref for the advantage rather than just trying to beat the man to the ball. They'd rather play for the foul and that just completely destroys the tempo and overall product of the game.
Before people get the wrong idea I'm not saying EVERY player is quilty of this, but you'd have think pretty long and hard until you thought of a player that hasn't tried to play the ref rather than just contend for the ball. And in the majority of cases there is a foul and the right decision is made, but more and more now you see a blatant attempt to play for the foul and to gain an advantage through anything but just honest skill.
We can all agree that there is nothing better than watching a player on the world stages, to a player on a muddy sunday league pitch, beating a team with skill and genuine talent. But when you come away from watching a match in which there was a controversial freekick or penalty etc, then it completly takes away from could of been a worldclass free kick or move.
Football is a game focused around skill and it needs to be played in a way that reflects what the fans want to see - not players playing the ref rather than the game.
Michael Johnston
The greatest game ever witnessed within sunday league. Stanway vs Wivenhoe
Now we all know sunday league is our bread and butter and lets face it... when it comes to football and a slice of bread and some butter us lads like both sides buttered.
Around 2009 when long hair was well in..... and trust me, it was, me and a few of the local heads were playing for Wivenhoe Fc, likes of Michael Johnston, James Lee, Fraser Redfern, Liam Boyles, usual suspects. Our sundays were usually ruined by a really bad game either home or away, usually away, we chucked away leads like they was going out of fashion, once we let go of like a 4 goal lead against someone.. forgot their name, someone tragic though I remember that.. I also remember hitting the post in the dieing seconds.. a save that keeper will never make again the lucky fuck.
BUT ANYWAY, moving onto sundays we all actually enjoyed and I think we can all safely say the dramatic 6-5 win against Stanway was the one to remember.
It was a cold damp day on a shitty dog field and the atmosphere was electric, we had Steve Randall and his jelly beans, we had it all!. The game kicked off, me and Michael Johnston took our place on the bench (unfairly hahahaa) and we looked on. Stanway took a lead by like 3 goals of something, I really can't remember but I remember us playing so badly it was hilarious.
Out of nowhere this cup tie sprung to life and it was a pleasure to watch, Ben Wier was putting in a shift all over the manner with the captains band on, James Lee was the little Messi of the side terrifying the defence and Fraser Redfern as usual was dominating it with strength and pure animalism (is that a word?).
The A league stanway side were simply dominating us at times but were easy to get at, evidently with the final score line.
Steve Randall (Manager) and head of jelly beans told Michael to strip off and warm up (not literally strip off, i wish though) and Michael began with his one touch stretches getting himself ready for the big entrance. On came Johnston for the remaining few minutes of the game.. and my god, what a few minutes that was jeff. The ball was lofted over, Michael in an almost impossible position from goal lashed it on the volley and it came sweatly off the outside of his classic nike boot and flew past the keeper, THERE WE WAS, BACK IN THE GAME, 5-4.
Once again the Randall produced a change and on came me to try and introduce some fresh legs into the game, we needed 1 more goal to force extra time.
Fraser Redfern come alive:
Now where your down and out in a tie and chasing the game, it's your important players who step up and fuck me, Fraser Redfern certainly did that. He played a central midfield roll for me was his best position ( all though diverted out wide sometimes, fuck knows why). Redfern grabbed hold of the game and started bringing the game to Stanway. He latched onto the ball, skinned 2 Stanway players made it into the box and lashed a shot at the keeper, SAVE, I thought this is it.. we're over and out of nowhere James Lee the little englishman (real hotty of wivenhoe) got the ball and calmly lifted it over the keeper into the net with Stanway players trying to block it on the line, he was off, we was off, celebrating. A moment of real class though was James pointing to Fraser and saying 'that was all you' top player, top attitude!.
Extra time was forced and Steve looked on with his magic beans hoping for something, we was all tireing, even me and I had been on the pitch 2 minutes. Again Fraser Redfern was the stand out player, flying into challenges, passing, heading, the lot. He grabs onto the ball and goes onto one of his wild runs and what I found most impressive about this run is, it was 90 minutes later and he still had unbelievable energy to go past 3 players, the attack was off and I was running along side Fraser into the box, he's twisting and turning and I am screaming out for the ball, Stanway players man handling me in the box all over the manner, Fraser looked up and played a delightful ball to me, I latched onto it and smashed it past the keeper, GET IN 6-5..
There it was, 6-5, the winner, I've run off to the touch line to celebrate, fellow wivenhoe bundling me, grabbing my cock and all sorts (pleasure). Fraser then later stated 'all I saw was your orange boots when I passed' hahahahahaa, what a man, what a player.
All though my time was cutt short at Wivenhoe and I left, it really was a pleasure playing with such a bunch of lads and I class them days as my best!.
Lots of love to all you fellow Wivenhoe boys.. apart from Luke Martin...
MWAH
Now we all know sunday league is our bread and butter and lets face it... when it comes to football and a slice of bread and some butter us lads like both sides buttered.
Around 2009 when long hair was well in..... and trust me, it was, me and a few of the local heads were playing for Wivenhoe Fc, likes of Michael Johnston, James Lee, Fraser Redfern, Liam Boyles, usual suspects. Our sundays were usually ruined by a really bad game either home or away, usually away, we chucked away leads like they was going out of fashion, once we let go of like a 4 goal lead against someone.. forgot their name, someone tragic though I remember that.. I also remember hitting the post in the dieing seconds.. a save that keeper will never make again the lucky fuck.
BUT ANYWAY, moving onto sundays we all actually enjoyed and I think we can all safely say the dramatic 6-5 win against Stanway was the one to remember.
It was a cold damp day on a shitty dog field and the atmosphere was electric, we had Steve Randall and his jelly beans, we had it all!. The game kicked off, me and Michael Johnston took our place on the bench (unfairly hahahaa) and we looked on. Stanway took a lead by like 3 goals of something, I really can't remember but I remember us playing so badly it was hilarious.
Out of nowhere this cup tie sprung to life and it was a pleasure to watch, Ben Wier was putting in a shift all over the manner with the captains band on, James Lee was the little Messi of the side terrifying the defence and Fraser Redfern as usual was dominating it with strength and pure animalism (is that a word?).
The A league stanway side were simply dominating us at times but were easy to get at, evidently with the final score line.
Steve Randall (Manager) and head of jelly beans told Michael to strip off and warm up (not literally strip off, i wish though) and Michael began with his one touch stretches getting himself ready for the big entrance. On came Johnston for the remaining few minutes of the game.. and my god, what a few minutes that was jeff. The ball was lofted over, Michael in an almost impossible position from goal lashed it on the volley and it came sweatly off the outside of his classic nike boot and flew past the keeper, THERE WE WAS, BACK IN THE GAME, 5-4.
Once again the Randall produced a change and on came me to try and introduce some fresh legs into the game, we needed 1 more goal to force extra time.
Fraser Redfern come alive:
Now where your down and out in a tie and chasing the game, it's your important players who step up and fuck me, Fraser Redfern certainly did that. He played a central midfield roll for me was his best position ( all though diverted out wide sometimes, fuck knows why). Redfern grabbed hold of the game and started bringing the game to Stanway. He latched onto the ball, skinned 2 Stanway players made it into the box and lashed a shot at the keeper, SAVE, I thought this is it.. we're over and out of nowhere James Lee the little englishman (real hotty of wivenhoe) got the ball and calmly lifted it over the keeper into the net with Stanway players trying to block it on the line, he was off, we was off, celebrating. A moment of real class though was James pointing to Fraser and saying 'that was all you' top player, top attitude!.
Extra time was forced and Steve looked on with his magic beans hoping for something, we was all tireing, even me and I had been on the pitch 2 minutes. Again Fraser Redfern was the stand out player, flying into challenges, passing, heading, the lot. He grabs onto the ball and goes onto one of his wild runs and what I found most impressive about this run is, it was 90 minutes later and he still had unbelievable energy to go past 3 players, the attack was off and I was running along side Fraser into the box, he's twisting and turning and I am screaming out for the ball, Stanway players man handling me in the box all over the manner, Fraser looked up and played a delightful ball to me, I latched onto it and smashed it past the keeper, GET IN 6-5..
There it was, 6-5, the winner, I've run off to the touch line to celebrate, fellow wivenhoe bundling me, grabbing my cock and all sorts (pleasure). Fraser then later stated 'all I saw was your orange boots when I passed' hahahahahaa, what a man, what a player.
All though my time was cutt short at Wivenhoe and I left, it really was a pleasure playing with such a bunch of lads and I class them days as my best!.
Lots of love to all you fellow Wivenhoe boys.. apart from Luke Martin...
MWAH
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