Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea (Agg 2-3) Unbelievable Chelsea prove doubters WRONG!
Where do I start on one of the greatest nights of our history considering the circumstances. Up against it before the game, written off and...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2012/04/barcelona-2-2-chelsea-agg-2-3.html
Where do I start on one of the greatest nights of our history considering the circumstances. Up against it before the game, written off and with members of the press and media thinking that Barcelona just needed to turn up to win the game, Chelsea produced a performance that is right up there with the best of them.
With Gary Cahill already taken off early in the first half with a strained hamstring and being replaced by Jose Bosingwa, Barcelona carved us open and scored to make it 1-1 through Busquets. If we were up against it before hand, we were even more so now.
To make matters worse, John Terry had a moment he would want to forget, and will cost him a Champions League Final place. An out of character rush of blood to the head led him to knee Alexis from behind, spotted by the Assistant and he was given a straight red card - no complaints.
At that moment right there I felt as though we needed to hold on but with Chelsea looking to get their defending sorted out, Iniesta was played in by Messi and slotted the ball passed Petr Cech to make it 2-0 on the night.
I am not ashamed to say it, right at that moment I said to myself, "It's all over!". Thoughts of Chelsea's luck in the past with Referee's came to mind and with us being down to ten men and 2-1 down on aggregate, it really looked like we were doomed.
However, Chelsea had other ideas. For the first time, breaking into midfield after a Barcelona attack fell apart, Frank Lampard managed to find himself some space. Ramires played him the ball and carried on his run. Lamps, under pressure from Mascherano, held him off, spotted the run and played Ramires through on goal in between two defenders. What happened next was a moment of magic that no one expected!.
Ramires scored a world class goal right before half time to give Barcelona a kick in the teeth and the rest of us the belief that we were right back in this game!.
We knew as fans the second half would be hard but if we could just fight for every ball and hold on we could do it, but within a couple of minutes of the restart, Cesc Fabregas dived and won a penalty after Drogba stuck out a leg in the box. Again I am thinking "It's beyond us, he will score!" but the Chelsea curse strikes again with Messi and he blazes the ball against the crossbar!. He missed it!.
Again our hopes are still alive, we just need to work hard to shut them down and keep them out. Time and time again Barcelona poured forward but found a Chelsea wall in front of them. When they did get through, Petr Cech made a number of saves to deny them.
Chelsea were looking tired and Salomon Kalou came on for Juan Mata and Fernando Torres came on for Didier Drogba down the right and left side respectively. Keep working hard Chelsea, keep them out and stay compact.
I have never clock watched a game of football as much as I did tonight. Chelsea reached 70 minutes, then 75, then 80 and 85 minutes and the final was getting closer and closer. My heart was literally in my mouth as I was praying Chelsea could hold on.
We then entered three minutes of additional time with Barcelona swarming forward. Chelsea needed to remain resolute and hold out just that bit longer. Blocks were made, tackles won and every inch of the pitch in and around the edge of our box shut down..
Then the unthinkable five minutes before half time after Iniesta had scored, happened!. A shot was blocked once more by Ivanovic and rebounded off the chest of Cole, who spotted Fernando Torres totally unmarked inside the Chelsea half with no defenders in sight and thumped a high ball up to him.
Torres who started to chase after the ball from inside his own half, brought the ball down with a superb first touch, on the move and in his stride. He had a route to goal, unmarked with just the keeper to beat.
As he moved closer to Valdes, I kept thinking to myself "This is it, this is the moment Fernando Torres has worked so hard for and this is the moment he makes his mark in a Chelsea shirt if he can just find a way past Valdes!.
With immaculate composure, Torres kept his nerve, flicked the ball passed Valdes and stroked the ball into the empty net to make it Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea on the night and 3-2 Chelsea!!!
Fernando Torres has just put the icing on a fantastic cake and Chelsea are in another final!!!.
The Referee blew his whistle a minute or so later and the celebrations began!
Terry and Torres will probably make the headlines tomorrow and with Torres deservedly so but these two matches weren't just about individuals. These games were about the collective unit, the team spirit, the hunger and desire of the players at the football club we all adore.
Written off they have literally hauled themselves back and into the final and it has become one of the greatest nights in our history and for any English side in the Champions League.
To fight with just ten men against the greatest club side in the world, to keep fighting, to keep believing and to keep going was amazing. To come from TWO GOALS down and score twice while shutting them out is an amazing achievement and the players deserve every single piece of credit they will get coming their way this morning.
I simply cannot say enough about how proud of every single player on the pitch I am. When Torres rolled the ball into the net I had tears in my eyes!. This achievement means so much to everyone at the club and to us the supporters.
We've had bad luck and it has dealt us some devastating blows in the past, we've had to deal with being knocked out for different reasons and it is hard to take. For this group of players, they have been knocked down time and time again but they just keep picking themselves up and they keep fighting.
Chelsea did that tonight and have made it through to the Champions League Final. Take it all in Chelsea fans, we did it, we beat Barcelona and we are there!
KTBFFH!
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Just that you know, i read ALL your blogs and enjoy doing so. It was the most emotional night of my Chelsea fanhood. Those were gladiators last night, putting their bodies on the line for a club we all love. Fair play to JT, made a fateful mistake, but apologized. It doesn't take anything away from the fact that he's a legend. RDM is a tactician and he has proven just that. Perhaps what Chelsea need is a manager that understands the architecture of the club and the vision, not another costly and fruitless famous manager. Its amazing how the club has come through an impossible run of fixtures unbeaten. Hats off boy, Viva Chelsea. God bless Chelsea.
ReplyDeleteWhat can i say here to express my feeling or how i felt yesterday and today.Words won't be enough.I did lost hope when Terry was red carded and penalty awarded to Barcelona.I stopped watching the match and relied on checking the result on net.I was so elated when i heard the shout of goal and i checked the result to discovered we have levelled 2 - 2.Yesterday night will be one of my happiest day as Chelseafc fan.With ten men,we knocked out the world acclaimed best team.Bebeto Di Matteo had done it,he brought luck with him to Chelseafc,he had made another history and i hope he complete that by winning the Champion League cup.He deserve To be considered for a full Chelsea Coaching job.By the way,i am sad John Terry won't play the final.He should be the one to lift the cup if we win the match.I am also happy for Torres for scoring the 50 million pounds goal.Too bad,Ramires will miss the final match too,he is a huge asset for Chelsea.We will miss him.From the group stage,we were written off against Valencia,we surprised everyone by winning 3 - 0.The same against Napoli and we won 4 - 1.Now against Barcelona,the world acclaimed best team in the world,we triumph 3 - 2 on aggregate against all expectation.I hope we do that again,against the team that qualify for the final today.God bless Chelsea,God bless Bebeto Di Matteo,God bless all other Chelsea Staffs,God bless all the players,God bless you,the blogger for giving us this opportunity to show our feelings toward our lovely club,God bless us all,the fans and last,God bless Fernando Torres for scoring the 50 Million Pounds goal.
ReplyDeletePlease I need a chelsea fan bbm group where we can all disscuss issues please if anyone knows of any please add me up here or mail me: 289FECF7----u_ezimah@yahoo.com.
ReplyDeleteRemarkable performance from the lads!
good work lads ......superb play by super frankie .....apart from the silly mistake by capt JT (which he apologised for) ....this was a realy good move by RDM.......BLUE IS THE COLOUR!!!!!
ReplyDelete..There cannot Ђåvε̲ been many nights more dramatic nor heroic in ∂ history of CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB. Having gone 2-0 behind on ∂ night Ãήϑ one man down in ∂ 1st half, we scored in stoppage time @ ∂ end of each half τ̅☺ book a date in Munich come May 19 ƒσя our second Champions League Final.
ReplyDeleteIn as much as we rode our luck on ∂ night, Ʊ simply cannot ignore ∂ resilience, resoluteness, dedication, determination, test of character, doggedness Ãήϑ ∂ will τ̅☺ fight till ∂ end ♍♈ “Beloved Blues” showed ∂ whole world.
Fernando “El-Nino" Torres finally buried ∂ ghost Ãήϑ answered critics on his big move τ̅☺ ∂ Blue half of London, ΨђåƮ a time τ̅☺ score a goal worth£50million pounds!
In Roberto DiMatteo, we've finally found our new head coach. Yestanyte was JƱ$† his coronation. He outwitted Ãήϑ outclassed Guardiola Wĩ†̥ђ his defensive masterstroke Ãήϑ wrote his name in ∂ CHELSEA folklore. His grace in victory will endear him τ̅☺ αℓℓ Die-hard Blues Ãήϑ onlookers alike.
Τ̅☺ ∂ World, ℓ̊ present τ̅☺ Ʊ ∂ newest elite strategist on ∂ football pitch. He worked a miracle in London Ãήϑ worked a slew of them in Catalunya.
Blue Ȋ̝̊̅§ ∂ colour Ãήd football Ȋ̝̊̅§ ∂ game, Sø cheer us on in ∂ sun or rain cos CHELSEA FC Ȋ̝̊̅§ our name. Welldone BLUES, one more τ̅☺ go. MUNICH, here we come.
Forever BLUE till ℓ̊ breathe ₪☺ more!