Matchday XXXII 4/5/03: Sunderland v. Chelsea

[GPK]

Chelsea 15-9-7 54 PTS, 4th Place (-12)
Sunderland 4-7-20 19 PTS, 20th Place (-47)

3:00PM Kickoff
10:00AM EST

Live on Big Blue (http://www.chelseafc.co.uk/StatPage.asp?id=big_blue_radio)

CFC Official Web (http://www.chelseafc.co.uk/Next_Match.asp)

News on Soccernet (http://www.soccernet.com/england/clubs/chelsea/index.html)

TEAMtalk-Chelsea (http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/Team_News/0,1562,14,00.html)

BBC-Chelsea (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/default.stm)

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Quite an interesting squad for this game, I hope CR does not change things wholesale and we end up slipping points like at Christmas. With us playing the Macams and both Everton and pool with difficullt games this would be an ideal time for us to put some clear space between us.

The old Chelsea would have undoubtably blown it, can the new Chelsea prove they are made of sterner stuff?

[Clan]

Petit, that is.
I hate to say it but he's starting to show his age.The little knocks and bumps he's picking up aren't being run off anymore.He has spent easily half the season out.
It's even more alarming when you consider that Ranieri has dramatically reduced the age of the squad, yet, our best players of the season are all in the 30's and more than one could call it quits after this season.Certainly all of them will have hung it up in about 2 more seasons.

These are the players that are injured for tomorrows game...
Mario Stanic, Jesper Gronkjaer, Celestine Babayaro, Emmanuel Petit and Eidur Gudjohnsen are all out of tomorrow's game at Sunderland.
Our best squad player, best winger and best midfielder all out...not good.Also shows the severe lack of depth we have in the squad.

The squad is...
Cudicini, De Goey, Melchiot, Gallas, Terry, Desailly, Huth, Le Saux, De Lucas, Oliveira, Lampard, Morris, Zenden, Zola, Hasselbaink and Cole.
I feel another 3-5-2 coming from him in this one.Might not be such a bad thing against the Mackems as the're not exactly seting the scoring charts alight this season and aren't renowned for speed down the wings.Hoof and hope seems to be more their style and three big fellas in the back to get their heed(as the Mackems would say :) ) to the ball might be just the ticket.

Anything other than a win must be considered a poor result.

My squad....
-------------------Carlo----------------------
-------Gallas------Terry-----Desailly----------

-Melchiot-----------------------------Le saux-
-------Morris---Lampard----Zenden-----------

-----------Zola------------Hasselbaink--------

[Clan]

Liverpool get thumped by Man yoo and we have a chance to stretch our lead fro the final champs league spot.What do we do, well in typical Chelsea fashion we promptly go down a goal after a few mins.Game has been all Sunderland and our international players seem knackered.
Not what we needed.Where is the new Chelsea "steel"?
It had better turn up in the second half.

[Clan]

All Chelsea so far in the second half.
We're pressing them back...............and as i say that we score....................

ZOLA scores from a nice knock down from Cole.

1-1

[Clan]

Hasselbaink goes round the keeper who gets a piece of the ball causing it to bounce up into Jimmys arm and as he scores the ref blows for hand ball.....dreadful decision.
Refs need to get their shit together on this rule.Ball to hand is accidental and therefore not ruled a foul.

[Clan]

That the 4-0 thrashing the scouse suffered has put a severe dent in their goal difference.

Oh how importent that could be at the end of the season.

[Clan]

goes against the Mackems..deservedly so too.

Chelsea pressing for the win.

[Clan]

Carlton Cole goes in for the second :rolleyes:

[Clan]

From the valley

Charlton 1-5 Leeds

Carlo makes a stunning save from a fantastic shot from McCann.
Sunderland geting back into the game a bit.
They aren't playing all that bad at all by all accounts.
Game could go any way really and first mistake at the back by anyone could cost the match.

Crowd really screaming for the Mackems to win.If they lose they know they are relegated.

[Clan]

Still tied.

We need a winner.
Game is petering out.Home support trying to lift the team.Cole almost broke one but a last second challenge took the ball off his feet.
Hasselbaink not having a bad game.He heads just over the bar from a Gallas cross, should have at least hit the target according to Big Blue.

Zola seems to be involved in everything.

[Clan]

Carlton Cole as he belted a screamer into the net.

Sunderland 1-2 Chelsea

[GPK]

What the heck time did this one start?

[bmw9983]

Yeah i was wondering the same thing! Its 10:50 am est, and i hear "3min + stoppage?"

Oh well, Chelsea are up 2-1 so I'm not complaining!

[Clan]

Sunderland throwing everything they have into the last few minutes of the game.Really trying to get something out of this.Carlo has come up big several times in the second half..

Thornton lashes one in and only a great save by Cudicini preserves our lead.

[GPK]

I thought daylight savings was tomorrow ;)

[Clan]

Originally posted by GPK
What the heck time did this one start?

Caught me by surprise also.

2.00 pm BST start.

[Clan]

Originally posted by bmw9983
Yeah i was wondering the same thing! Its 10:50 am est, and i hear "3min + stoppage?"

Oh well, Chelsea are up 2-1 so I'm not complaining!

I only caught a little of the first half, but, by all accounts the Mackems deserved their lead.
All of our players were showing signs of fatigue.

Totally different game in the second half.Almost like we did a Erickson and fielded a different team for it.

Carlton Cole has been simply unstopable since coming on at the half.
Zola MOTM easy.

[bmw9983]

Good big blue quote:

"They've shown some might,
they've shown some fight,
and they've stunned the Stadium of Light"

2-1 to Chelsea.

Pool went down 4-0, so this was crucial.

[GPK]

Honestly, everywhere I saw the match listed it was 15:00, same as always. Anyway, nice win and the tool lose. Good day.