Chelsea defies the odds in an odd season
Source: Agencies |
April 26, 2012, Thursday
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CHELSEA has been defying expectations all season - from the surprisingly poor domestic campaign to the astonishing humbling of Barcelona.
The obituaries that were written for an aging team have been ripped up and replaced with tributes to a fearless squad that defied the odds to reach the Champions League final for the second time in four years.
Winning the European Cup for the first time had seemed unlikely when Andre Villa-Boas was booted out in March with the domestic campaign in turmoil and Chelsea looking to be headed out of the Champions League. It seemed even more unlikely when captain John Terry was sent off before halftime in Barcelona on Tuesday and the hosts took a 2-0 lead. But the Blues managed to grind out a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou to oust the holders 3-2 on aggregate.
"Miracle Men," the Daily Telegraph called them on its pages.
Chelsea had to play with 10 men from the 37th minute when Terry was sent off for putting his knee into the back of Alexis Sanchez, and the captain will now miss the final. "For many teams it would be a killer," Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech said. "But we showed great strength of mind and character not to lie down."
Such fighting spirit has not always been evident this season.
When Villas-Boas was fired, the Portuguese was widely reported to be at odds with his squad, which was facing Champions League elimination after losing 1-3 to Napoli in the last-16 first leg. Turning around that fixture provided Roberto Di Matteo with the ideal launch pad for his stint in the dugout until the end of the season.
While the English Premier League form has still not recovered, Chelsea is through to an FA Cup final against Liverpool and now on course for the cup double.
The obituaries that were written for an aging team have been ripped up and replaced with tributes to a fearless squad that defied the odds to reach the Champions League final for the second time in four years.
Winning the European Cup for the first time had seemed unlikely when Andre Villa-Boas was booted out in March with the domestic campaign in turmoil and Chelsea looking to be headed out of the Champions League. It seemed even more unlikely when captain John Terry was sent off before halftime in Barcelona on Tuesday and the hosts took a 2-0 lead. But the Blues managed to grind out a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou to oust the holders 3-2 on aggregate.
"Miracle Men," the Daily Telegraph called them on its pages.
Chelsea had to play with 10 men from the 37th minute when Terry was sent off for putting his knee into the back of Alexis Sanchez, and the captain will now miss the final. "For many teams it would be a killer," Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech said. "But we showed great strength of mind and character not to lie down."
Such fighting spirit has not always been evident this season.
When Villas-Boas was fired, the Portuguese was widely reported to be at odds with his squad, which was facing Champions League elimination after losing 1-3 to Napoli in the last-16 first leg. Turning around that fixture provided Roberto Di Matteo with the ideal launch pad for his stint in the dugout until the end of the season.
While the English Premier League form has still not recovered, Chelsea is through to an FA Cup final against Liverpool and now on course for the cup double.
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