Inter Milan 2, Chelsea 1.
Football, or soccer as it's known in certain lands, is a strange game. Sometimes it's skill that will win you a match, sometimes it is poor decisions going your way, other times it is sheer determination and occasions it's just about luck. Today it was about luck and for the most part it just wasn't on our side!
We outplayed Inter after the first 3 minutes, but we were already a goal down after 5 due to Terry being asleep and being left for dead by Inter's Diego Milito. Inter were lucky not to have a player sent off for a studs out, raised foot challenge that struck Ballack in the face and Ballack was fortunate not to be yellow carded for his retaliation after having his jersey pulled in a challenge and responding with a flying elbow. Had Drogba's beautiful free kick been just a couple of inches lower it would have been a certain goal and had the referee been just a little closer, I really think we would have got a penalty decision just prior to halftime. Add to the luck talk that really, as happy as I was that we scored a vital away goal, Salomon Kalou's goal was really quite lucky!
Cech's injury certainly is a concern. I admit I am not a Cech fan, but with our current defensive woes this is another blow that we don't need. His reaction as soon as it happened indicates this could be a lengthy loss too. I've not seen any reports, but my guess is 3, maybe 4 weeks, as it looked to me like a tear in the calf or thigh. One thing that was interesting was how our defence changed when Hilario came on. It became far tighter and Hilario only had to make one save. It's as though the players know they have to protect him and given this seemed to take nothing away from our attack I wish we would adopt the same attitude with Cech in goal.
Another point that I was mulling over. We are short a left back for the Champions League, due to Ashley Cole's injury. Why don't we put Joe Cole down there? I know he is a midfielder and has played in attack this season, but Ashley Cole was hardly your traditional defensive left back, so I think Joe Cole would be an interesting and potentially successful experiment. Joe also has the speed that Ashley lacks to get back when he forays forward don't work and he has to make a quick retreat to defence.
Inter played typical Italian football, very theatrical and for the most part I thought the referee handled it well. I had to laugh when an Inter player went down in defence, due to rolling an ankle or something that involved no contact. Another Inter player was standing there protesting his innocence and had "I swear I didn't foul him!" written all over his face *lol*.
I'm disappointed with the result today, but I'm not crushed. I saw enough to know that we can still win this and proceed to the next stage at the expense of Inter. Bring it on at The Bridge!!!
We outplayed Inter after the first 3 minutes, but we were already a goal down after 5 due to Terry being asleep and being left for dead by Inter's Diego Milito. Inter were lucky not to have a player sent off for a studs out, raised foot challenge that struck Ballack in the face and Ballack was fortunate not to be yellow carded for his retaliation after having his jersey pulled in a challenge and responding with a flying elbow. Had Drogba's beautiful free kick been just a couple of inches lower it would have been a certain goal and had the referee been just a little closer, I really think we would have got a penalty decision just prior to halftime. Add to the luck talk that really, as happy as I was that we scored a vital away goal, Salomon Kalou's goal was really quite lucky!
Cech's injury certainly is a concern. I admit I am not a Cech fan, but with our current defensive woes this is another blow that we don't need. His reaction as soon as it happened indicates this could be a lengthy loss too. I've not seen any reports, but my guess is 3, maybe 4 weeks, as it looked to me like a tear in the calf or thigh. One thing that was interesting was how our defence changed when Hilario came on. It became far tighter and Hilario only had to make one save. It's as though the players know they have to protect him and given this seemed to take nothing away from our attack I wish we would adopt the same attitude with Cech in goal.
Another point that I was mulling over. We are short a left back for the Champions League, due to Ashley Cole's injury. Why don't we put Joe Cole down there? I know he is a midfielder and has played in attack this season, but Ashley Cole was hardly your traditional defensive left back, so I think Joe Cole would be an interesting and potentially successful experiment. Joe also has the speed that Ashley lacks to get back when he forays forward don't work and he has to make a quick retreat to defence.
Inter played typical Italian football, very theatrical and for the most part I thought the referee handled it well. I had to laugh when an Inter player went down in defence, due to rolling an ankle or something that involved no contact. Another Inter player was standing there protesting his innocence and had "I swear I didn't foul him!" written all over his face *lol*.
I'm disappointed with the result today, but I'm not crushed. I saw enough to know that we can still win this and proceed to the next stage at the expense of Inter. Bring it on at The Bridge!!!