CL Match Report: Chelsea 2 Porto 1 (3-2 agg) + Vid
COLE AND ROBBEN
By dixon9
March 9 2007
As suspected, this was indeed a tense affair despite the fact that we pretty much camped in their half during the 2nd 45 mins of this game. Conceding such an early away goal knowing if they get one more, you may as well give the fat lady the microphone is not a very agreeable experience.
Fortunately, our players nerves are made of sterner stuff than mine and after the match, I wondered if even any opposition fan would surely find it difficult not to admire our resilience, ability not to panic and hold together so well as a team and sheer bloody mindedness in the refusal to accept defeat?
Indeed, we can count ourselves very lucky to have a tactical and motivational genius in Jose Mourinho who had this to say with regard to his half-time team talk:
"Psychologically I told them to think a bit. I told them at this moment we are out of the competition. I asked them do you go out and enjoy it or are you scared? If you are scared, I said, then we say goodbye to the competition, but it is possible sometimes to enjoy the pressure and this kind of moment, to show our personality, and the reaction I got was very positive. My players in the second half had a good mentality."
We certainly began brightly on (for once!) an impressive looking new pitch with Shevchenko launching a diagonal 20 yarder which just flew over the bar in the 1st minute. Ashley Cole constantly buzzed up and down the left hand side exchanging passes with Robben with both players seemingly taking turns in providing the crosses. Of course, this extra option of a quick, overlapping left-back is one where Cole excels and he and Robben seem to be developing a fine understanding.
Shevchenko worked hard and created openings although Drogba didn’t appear to be slightly out of tune with the match. I’m unaware as to why Boulahrouz didn’t slot in alongside Carvalho (supposedly he’s still not quite recovered?) so that left Essien to assume his new temporary position which, despite fulfilling many aspects of the centre-half role exceptionally well, positioning, unfortunately, is not always one of them which was further illustrated when Porto scored the first goal of the match.
Lopez farmed the ball out to Gonzalez who in turn exploited a yawning gap between Essien and Carvalho, directing a knife-through-butter pass to release the dangerous Quaresema and with our defenders looking longingly towards the linesman, Quaresema slotted home with aplomb. Suddenly, this left us with the seemingly uphill struggle of notching 2 goals against a well organised, skilful side who nowadays appear to be recuperating the reputation they had when Mourinho was at the helm (it comes as no surprise that
Drogba had a more than reasonable chance but put his shot wide, Ballack verged on connecting with a close range volley from a dangerous Cole cross, but as he shaped to shoot, Costa poked the ball of his toe.
Robben then received a harsh yellow when according to the ref, he had dived over Moreiles after a typical slalom through opposition defenders. I thought (even with blue-tinted glasses off) that it looked a definite penalty. I can only assume that the Dutchman was being punished for an earlier swimming pool incident when he there was no question of theatrics and he had gone unpunished.
Cole and the growingly impatient Essien, surging forward from his post tried to ask questions and Shevchenko provided an superb cut back after bursting into the box, to an unfortunately out of sorts Lampard.
Porto had given a good example of how to play away in
15 mins and a psychological team talk later, matters resumed for the 2nd half and, as is often the case, we looked much better. Makelele was replaced with Mikel Obi who continues to demonstrate that the 8+8+4M “fee” could turn out to be cheap. A great touch, confident and unflappable under pressure. The young and very impressive Diarra was switched from defence into his natural midfield position.
It was perhaps a cruel blow for Porto when Robben tried a speculative shot from some
The goal seemed to lift a weight off of us and our football looked sharper, more incisive and threatening. Helton seemed shaken and I think most of us were half expecting another delicious gaffe from the
Shevchenko, Drogba, Robben threatened, Cole was inspiring (and easily my man of the match), Lampard industriously directed affairs from the bottom part of the diamond and Ballack gave a more than competent performance from the opposite point of the formation. There was one move which stood out for me when Drogba provided a excellent chest lay off between two defenders, allowing Shevchenko to tee up although unfortunately shoot wide.
On 79 mins, extra time was looking a distinct possibility but it was Cole again who was the originator of the next
So, 2-1 and we’re through. We can now relax and like Liverpool fans, enjoy watching how our “friends” from north
Mourinho had the following to say after the game:
On Ballack:
"I keep saying criticism does not make me decide. What the crowd thinks and what the press thinks doesn't affect me. It's a goal that puts
On other big teams crashing out and the unpredictability of the CL:
"What happened today showed the might of the competition. Barcelona are out, Porto are out, Inter are out and Olympic
"In the first half I was cool, experience in these kinds of big matches gives us that and I was very, very cool. But I was completely aware that
On his future with
"Many things have been said that are not true," he said. "It's not a case of me wanting to leave; I want to continue with the club. I want to continue and make