Saturday, May 19, 2007
FA Cup
Sun, 20th May 2007
At the end of a long season, with the FA Cup won by a Didier Drogba goal scored in the 116th minute, an understandably tired-looking José Mourinho was asked if his team deserved to have taken the honours.
He was quick to reply "Yes." He went on to say that Chelsea had won a very difficult quarter-final against Spurs followed by a tough semi-final against Blackburn at Old Trafford. "So, yes, I believe we deserved this victory because we were the best team today and we have fought to be here in this Final."
He reminded the assembled journalists that this was a team that had had to deal with a lot of problems during the season. "So this was an important victory for them, for me and for my family." The Special One also recognised that Chelsea made a special kind of history by being the last team to win at the old Wembley and the first to win at the new one.
Asked about his half-time substitution of Joe Cole, Mourinho revealed that, before the game, Cole had been sitting with one of his feet in an ice bath "because he didn't want to feel it during the match". By half-time it was clear he could not go on. "But this is the kind of player I have. I cannot fault him for his attitude. The same with Robben when he came on. Fantastic attitude. The same with Ashley Cole, who has not played recently"
Reflecting on a game played by two sets of tired players, Mourinho said: "It was not easy. It was a game when you had to think hard all the time. We did not give them the game they expected. But I believe we had the game under control the whole time."
Pressed to give his reaction to Didier Drogba's part in a match that, for long periods, looked as if it could only be resolved by a moment of individual skill, he said: "I do not want to separate any of my players. But Didier is fantastic."
John Mikel Obi also came in for praise. "A young man. Only 20-years-old. Controlling the game for long periods. Unbelievable. And Paulo [Ferreria] also. Unbelievable."
If Mourinho looked tired, Sir Alex Ferguson looked exhausted. "I don't think we played well," he said. "We had two or three players out there who looked tired in the first-half."
Sir Alex revealed that he had been expecting a penalty shoot-out. "That's why I brought Solskjaer on - for the penalties." Speaking of penalties, Sir Alex believed Manchester United should have had a penalty when Michael Essien slid in on Ryan Giggs just before Petr Cech made a save on the line.
After admitting that the Barclays Premiership had been his priority, he said he believed the country's two best teams had met on the day. Asked about Didier Drogba's contribution, he said: "He's strong. He was aggressive. But we can deal with that. I think he kept Chelsea's season alive. He kept producing goals at important times."
There are many who would say that 116 minutes into an FA Cup Final was probably the most important time for Drogba to score what turned out to be a history-making goal.
Jose hails his players
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho hailed his players as deserved winners after Didier Drogba's goal in extra-time secured a 1-0 over Manchester United, in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley.
A tight and largely mundane affair was decided in the second period of extra-time, when Chelsea's top goalscorer concluded arguably the best move of the game, with a poked finish beyond Edwin van der Sar.
Having been usurped as Premiership champions for the first time in two seasons, the pressure was perhaps greatest on Chelsea to exact some kind of revenge, but their Portuguese tactician insists there was no added burden on his side.
"The players deserved to win this final trophy of the season and the victory is for them and for the supporters," he told Sky Sports 1.
"Only the pressure you put on yourself we you want to win...nothing else.
"We know the game plan and how to beat them and I think the boys deserved this great moment."
In his post-match press conference Mourinho moved to allay the fears of those supporters that believe this season could be his last at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho insists he has no intention of quitting the capital and that on the contrary, after a campaign in which he has overseen two cup triumphs, he is more than content in West London.
"As for the speculation [about his future] if people have doubts what can I do?
"I have a contract, I want to stay at the club, and they have told me they want me to stay.
"I have three years of a relationship with Peter Kenyon and I look on them as honourable people, not as liars so when they say publicly I'm going to be Chelsea manager next season I have no reason to doubt them.
"I'm moving house, but not to Portugal but in London because my address has been shown on television.
"I'm very happy with the club, I love the football in this country. If the club is not happy with me I think I will be the first in line to know because I'm working with honest people.
"On July 9 in Los Angeles we start our pre-season and I will be there.
Drogba scores!
Sun, 20th May 2007
Didier Drogba scored the goal which won the FA Cup five minutes from the end of extra-time.
Chelsea have now won the FA Cup four times. Two evenly matched teams ran themselves into the ground covering and defending, and so it was almost two hours of cautious deadlock.
The game started at a snail's pace. Drogba's header from Bridge's cross after two minutes was the first effort but was way too high.
United's tactics were slightly surprising. The midfield was a diamond with Fletcher on the right and Scholes on the left ahead of Carrick, and Giggs at the front behind striker Rooney. Ronaldo camped on the left-wing to battle with Ferreira.
Joe Cole soon swapped with Wright-Phillips as both teams worked cautiously, and he got in a cross which Ferdinand and Vidic failed to clear. It came on to Wright-Phillips but his shot was snatched and went back into the centre of the area.
Cole was lucky to escape a booking when he went in late on Brown. He apologised and underwent a lecture from referee Bennett. Ten minutes had gone. Passions were well under control.
It was all very European, studied football, and then after a spell of Chelsea possession just back from the centre-line Scholes went flying into a tackle, Cole followed and Lampard too and we had 10 seconds of English tearaway drive.
After that it was back to playing with care, although United played a few longer balls in Ronaldo's direction.
Behind the goals there was passion in the crowd, but all round the centre tier of Wembley it was silent, motionless viewing. Wembley may have to stimulate more involvement than simply turning up in this area to help the atmosphere.
Chelsea's problem was that the team seemed to be very spaced out, and the player in possession was always having to look hard for the easiest pass. United were more compact and looked more comfortable in possession.
But a break through the middle from Cole to Drogba with several people running in support finished with a Drogba shot from over 30 yards which had van der Sar flying across his goal and showing clear relief that it went wide. A quarter of the match had gone.
The first half-hour was the kind of game the neutrals had feared: slow tempo and no cutting edge. But for the fan it was tense and absorbing, even if you longed for people to move the ball quicker, and Chelsea began to find some rhythm now.
Ferreira overlapped from Mikel's pass, cut into the area and fed galloping Lampard whose shot was held sharply by van der Sar. The first effort on target! Then Drogba dribbled across the area and squared the ball, an opportunity in the end opening for Wright-Phillips who turned and fired over.
Old man Giggs' position put him in direct competition with old man Makelele for much of the time, and Makelele was looking by far the sharper even if his passing game was not at its best.
Scholes was the next to escape a booking for a standard Scholes foul on Wright-Phillips.
Both sides had created slight chinks of openings in the final quarter-hour of the first period, but when referee Bennett blew for half-time Chelsea had managed six shots, one on target, and United two, both off target. United had won two corners to Chelsea's none. Nil-nil was the right score. But Chelsea were the team looking to score. What would the pundits make of that?
Arjen Robben spent the interval warming up and replaced Cole for the second-half.
Within two minutes United had their best moment so far. Lampard's poor touch on a pass to Makelele allowed Rooney to race away and fire for the corner of the goal. Cech launched himself and parried. Giggs, following up, volleyed back. Cech relaunched and made an amazing double save, but the second one didn't count because Giggs had been offside.
In the 10th minute of the second-half Drogba won a throw and urged the Chelsea fans to sing up, Robben won the team's first corner, and everyone ploughed in for it but Rooney countered and got through on goal as Makelele and Ferreira stumbled. However, Bridge kept chase and Ferreira got back to dispossess with an excellent interception.
Scholes then fed Giggs volleyed just over with a superb eye. The game was quickening.
But Scholes finally became the first booking just before the hour for tripping Lampard fractionally outside the area. The foul was slightly wide of the diagonal to the right, yet Drogba lined up a shot outside the wall at the near post, surprised van der Sar and hit the outside of it.
United were always looking to get in behind Chelsea's defence and by the hour had been caught offside five times to Chelsea's none. But at the other end now Robben was finding pace with which Brown couldn't cope, and twice he supplied crosses that Chelsea didn't get on the end of.
The game was opening up. Rooney powered goal-side of Essien and raced for goal, but Cech claimed it from his feet when he overhit it.
Giggs was spending more time on the left in the second-half as United played nearly a 4-5-1, and a 4-3-3 when possible. It was United's one bright area of the pitch.
Robben required treatment after a challenge from Brown which was a clear foul but went unwhistled. With thee-quarters of the game now gone the first goal was becoming increasingly important.
Makelele picked up the first Chelsea booking with seven minutes left when he tried to let the ball run from Giggs' burst inside and finished up going in high on Scholes.
Vidic immediately followed for blocking Lampard on a burst. Lampard wasted the free-kick, and then Chelsea failed to support Drogba in the area and Wright-Phillips' dangerous cross was cleared. Lampard won the ball back but couldn't find the shot inside the area.
In the final minute Rooney powered round Ferreira and Essien had to dash back to concede United's fourth corner. Chelsea cleared, but then United won a free-kick.
It was headed over and at the end of normal time 0-0 was still about the right score.
Amazingly, for the first period of extra-time there were no fresh substitutions, so still only one had been used. But two minutes later Smith replaced Fletcher. Smith played behind Rooney but more advanced than Fletcher.
In another minute Kalou was a straight swap for Wright-Phillips.
United won two early corners and Chelsea unusually kept 10 men back for them, leaving just Robben upfiield. Defensively, things were getting deeper.
Chelsea were looking seriously tired, and when Robben gave te ball away to Carrick, Rooney got wide and crossed and Giggs got the touch five yards out. But Cech was perfectly placed to hold, diving across his line.
Giggs' action took him into Cech and forced the ball over the line. It should have been a free-kick but wasn't given, in which case it should have been a goal, but that wasn't given either. Right outcome, wrong decisions!
Smith picked up his traditional booking a minute before the interval for bringing down Ferreira in full flow, and following the free-kick Drogba was only just wide.
Ashley Cole replaced the exhausted Robben two minutes into the final period and played on the left-wing.
Which team would stand up the longest? The outstanding Essien failed to respond to a long ball over the top, Rooney raced in and Cech wonderfully and bravely grabbed the ball from his feet. Rooney immediately showed genuine concern in case there had been contact with the goalkeeper's head.
Brown needed treatment for cramp following Cech's clearance.
Sir Alex Ferguson made his move for victory with a double substitution eight minutes from time, but lively Kalou was the next aggressive runner, beating a couple of challenges before placing his shot wide.
And then it happened. Drogba played a one-two with Lampard from Mikel's pass and got behind Ferdinand to chip past advancing van der Sar and score his 33rd goal of the season.
Kalou, time wasting, and Ferreira, tripping Ronaldo, picked up late bookings, Bridge made a crucial interception in stoppage time from Solskjaer, and the after three minutes of stoppage time the whistle went on Chelsea's longest season.
We are the domestic Cup kings.
Chelsea (4-3-3) Cech; Ferreira, Essien, Terry (c), Bridge; Mikel, Makelele, Lampard; Wright-Phillips (Kalou 93), Drogba, J Cole (Robben h-t, A Cole 107).
Scorers Xxx.
Booked Scholes (58), Vidic (84), Smith (104).
Manchester United (4-1-2-1-2) Van der Sar; Brown,
Didier Drogba scored the goal which won the FA Cup five minutes from the end of extra-time.
Chelsea have now won the FA Cup four times. Two evenly matched teams ran themselves into the ground covering and defending, and so it was almost two hours of cautious deadlock.
The game started at a snail's pace. Drogba's header from Bridge's cross after two minutes was the first effort but was way too high.
United's tactics were slightly surprising. The midfield was a diamond with Fletcher on the right and Scholes on the left ahead of Carrick, and Giggs at the front behind striker Rooney. Ronaldo camped on the left-wing to battle with Ferreira.
Joe Cole soon swapped with Wright-Phillips as both teams worked cautiously, and he got in a cross which Ferdinand and Vidic failed to clear. It came on to Wright-Phillips but his shot was snatched and went back into the centre of the area.
Cole was lucky to escape a booking when he went in late on Brown. He apologised and underwent a lecture from referee Bennett. Ten minutes had gone. Passions were well under control.
It was all very European, studied football, and then after a spell of Chelsea possession just back from the centre-line Scholes went flying into a tackle, Cole followed and Lampard too and we had 10 seconds of English tearaway drive.
After that it was back to playing with care, although United played a few longer balls in Ronaldo's direction.
Behind the goals there was passion in the crowd, but all round the centre tier of Wembley it was silent, motionless viewing. Wembley may have to stimulate more involvement than simply turning up in this area to help the atmosphere.
Chelsea's problem was that the team seemed to be very spaced out, and the player in possession was always having to look hard for the easiest pass. United were more compact and looked more comfortable in possession.
But a break through the middle from Cole to Drogba with several people running in support finished with a Drogba shot from over 30 yards which had van der Sar flying across his goal and showing clear relief that it went wide. A quarter of the match had gone.
The first half-hour was the kind of game the neutrals had feared: slow tempo and no cutting edge. But for the fan it was tense and absorbing, even if you longed for people to move the ball quicker, and Chelsea began to find some rhythm now.
Ferreira overlapped from Mikel's pass, cut into the area and fed galloping Lampard whose shot was held sharply by van der Sar. The first effort on target! Then Drogba dribbled across the area and squared the ball, an opportunity in the end opening for Wright-Phillips who turned and fired over.
Old man Giggs' position put him in direct competition with old man Makelele for much of the time, and Makelele was looking by far the sharper even if his passing game was not at its best.
Scholes was the next to escape a booking for a standard Scholes foul on Wright-Phillips.
Both sides had created slight chinks of openings in the final quarter-hour of the first period, but when referee Bennett blew for half-time Chelsea had managed six shots, one on target, and United two, both off target. United had won two corners to Chelsea's none. Nil-nil was the right score. But Chelsea were the team looking to score. What would the pundits make of that?
Arjen Robben spent the interval warming up and replaced Cole for the second-half.
Within two minutes United had their best moment so far. Lampard's poor touch on a pass to Makelele allowed Rooney to race away and fire for the corner of the goal. Cech launched himself and parried. Giggs, following up, volleyed back. Cech relaunched and made an amazing double save, but the second one didn't count because Giggs had been offside.
In the 10th minute of the second-half Drogba won a throw and urged the Chelsea fans to sing up, Robben won the team's first corner, and everyone ploughed in for it but Rooney countered and got through on goal as Makelele and Ferreira stumbled. However, Bridge kept chase and Ferreira got back to dispossess with an excellent interception.
Scholes then fed Giggs volleyed just over with a superb eye. The game was quickening.
But Scholes finally became the first booking just before the hour for tripping Lampard fractionally outside the area. The foul was slightly wide of the diagonal to the right, yet Drogba lined up a shot outside the wall at the near post, surprised van der Sar and hit the outside of it.
United were always looking to get in behind Chelsea's defence and by the hour had been caught offside five times to Chelsea's none. But at the other end now Robben was finding pace with which Brown couldn't cope, and twice he supplied crosses that Chelsea didn't get on the end of.
The game was opening up. Rooney powered goal-side of Essien and raced for goal, but Cech claimed it from his feet when he overhit it.
Giggs was spending more time on the left in the second-half as United played nearly a 4-5-1, and a 4-3-3 when possible. It was United's one bright area of the pitch.
Robben required treatment after a challenge from Brown which was a clear foul but went unwhistled. With thee-quarters of the game now gone the first goal was becoming increasingly important.
Makelele picked up the first Chelsea booking with seven minutes left when he tried to let the ball run from Giggs' burst inside and finished up going in high on Scholes.
Vidic immediately followed for blocking Lampard on a burst. Lampard wasted the free-kick, and then Chelsea failed to support Drogba in the area and Wright-Phillips' dangerous cross was cleared. Lampard won the ball back but couldn't find the shot inside the area.
In the final minute Rooney powered round Ferreira and Essien had to dash back to concede United's fourth corner. Chelsea cleared, but then United won a free-kick.
It was headed over and at the end of normal time 0-0 was still about the right score.
Amazingly, for the first period of extra-time there were no fresh substitutions, so still only one had been used. But two minutes later Smith replaced Fletcher. Smith played behind Rooney but more advanced than Fletcher.
In another minute Kalou was a straight swap for Wright-Phillips.
United won two early corners and Chelsea unusually kept 10 men back for them, leaving just Robben upfiield. Defensively, things were getting deeper.
Chelsea were looking seriously tired, and when Robben gave te ball away to Carrick, Rooney got wide and crossed and Giggs got the touch five yards out. But Cech was perfectly placed to hold, diving across his line.
Giggs' action took him into Cech and forced the ball over the line. It should have been a free-kick but wasn't given, in which case it should have been a goal, but that wasn't given either. Right outcome, wrong decisions!
Smith picked up his traditional booking a minute before the interval for bringing down Ferreira in full flow, and following the free-kick Drogba was only just wide.
Ashley Cole replaced the exhausted Robben two minutes into the final period and played on the left-wing.
Which team would stand up the longest? The outstanding Essien failed to respond to a long ball over the top, Rooney raced in and Cech wonderfully and bravely grabbed the ball from his feet. Rooney immediately showed genuine concern in case there had been contact with the goalkeeper's head.
Brown needed treatment for cramp following Cech's clearance.
Sir Alex Ferguson made his move for victory with a double substitution eight minutes from time, but lively Kalou was the next aggressive runner, beating a couple of challenges before placing his shot wide.
And then it happened. Drogba played a one-two with Lampard from Mikel's pass and got behind Ferdinand to chip past advancing van der Sar and score his 33rd goal of the season.
Kalou, time wasting, and Ferreira, tripping Ronaldo, picked up late bookings, Bridge made a crucial interception in stoppage time from Solskjaer, and the after three minutes of stoppage time the whistle went on Chelsea's longest season.
We are the domestic Cup kings.
Chelsea (4-3-3) Cech; Ferreira, Essien, Terry (c), Bridge; Mikel, Makelele, Lampard; Wright-Phillips (Kalou 93), Drogba, J Cole (Robben h-t, A Cole 107).
Scorers Xxx.
Booked Scholes (58), Vidic (84), Smith (104).
Manchester United (4-1-2-1-2) Van der Sar; Brown,
Mourinho revels in Chelsea's FA Cup triumph
Jose Mourinho promised he would be hanging on to the FA Cup winner's medal which meant he has won every major trophy in English football.
Jose Mourinho celebrates at the final whistle
Chelsea claimed a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at the new Wembley thanks to Didier Drogba's extra-time goal. And the Blues boss, who threw his Premier League winner's medal into the crowd last year, promised he would treasure this one. Mourinho told BBC1: 'This one I don't throw away - it means a lot. 'We have won every trophy in English football in three years. 'It is something the players deserve so much because of the difficult season they have had. It is a moment for everybody to enjoy. 'I think we deserve to go into the holiday period with this cup and a medal. 'The team played very well, they understood exactly the plan.' Mourinho came down the steps at Wembley holding up six fingers to underline how many trophies he has won during his time at Stamford Bridge. And he said of the fans who chanted his name: 'They are in my heart - in the bad moments and the good moments. I love these people.' Mourinho told Sky Sports: 'The players deserved to win this final trophy of the season and the victory is for them and for the supporters.' Asked if he had felt under tremendous pressure going into the game after the Blues missed out on the title and the Champions League final, Mourinho replied: 'Only the pressure you put on yourself we you want to win...nothing else. 'We know the game plan and how to beat them and I think the boys deserved this great moment.' Mourinho, who disappeared down the tunnel after the final whistle, revealed he had gone to phone his children as they had not been able to attend the final.
Chelsea stars savour extra-time FA Cup winner
Didier Drogba savoured his extra-time FA Cup final winner against Manchester United at the new Wembley and admitted it was Chelsea's get-out-of-jail card.
Empics
Chelsea joy as they lift the FA Cup
The Carling Cup winners went into the final desperate to secure a domestic cup double after United's Premiership title triumph. 'I feel great,' said Drogba, who struck in the 116th minute. 'If we don't win this cup we would be very, very frustrated. 'I'm just happy to score the first goal in the new stadium.' Drogba also paid tribute to manager Jose Mourinho, owner Roman Abramovich and his Blues team-mates. He told BBC1: 'This (another trophy) is what Jose has shown in his three years with us. Special congratulations to him and Roman. 'A lot of the players have been criticised but this is my team.' Chelsea captain John Terry claimed winning the FA Cup had helped 'make up' for losing the Premiership title to United. 'This makes up for it. It's not nice losing - but nice coming here (and winning).' He told BBC1: 'It's absolutely unbelievable. It's one of the best feelings I have ever experienced 'The way we hung right on to the death. The way Didier took his goal. It was first class. 'We both started tentative, gave the ball away and make mistakes. 'But we kept going and going - and it paid off.' Frank Lampard admitted he wanted to stay at Chelsea 'forever' and confirmed he is hoping to sort out contract talks. 'These are my people and I want to stay,' he said. 'This is my club and I hope I can sort it out soon because I want to stay forever.' The England midfielder added: 'It took a long time to come because it was such a tight game, we cancelled each other out after a long season. 'It took a quality finish to do it and we did it in the end. Both teams have been firing on all fronts, giving it their all. 'It was a very close game, both of us had fair chances. We got the quality goal that won it and it`s massive for us. The lads have put so much effort into it.' Chelsea keeper Petr Cech was asked about the incident involving Ryan Giggs, who forced him over the line when he had the ball in his grasp. The referee waved played on having not spotted the foul. 'It (the ball) was behind the line,' Cech told BBC1, 'but it would have been a foul anyway.' Cech also felt winning the FA Cup had provided some consolation after the disappointment in Europe and the title race. 'I've heard a lot about the FA Cup and this feeling is amazing,' he said. 'We have been chasing all four trophies. We lost a semi-final (Champions League) on penalties and we lost the Premiership at the last moment so this cup is a real achievement.'
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