The End Of The Cycle

57th European Cup Final, Allianz Arena - Munich; Bayern Munich 1, Chelsea 1 (Chelsea win 4-3 on Penalties)

In the run up to this match, there were competing omens at play.  One omen went that the circumstances of this match resembled the 1975 European Cup Final where an English team that started the season with a new manager intent on re-shaping an aging squad sees an managerial change mid season and somehow manages to get to European football’s showpiece event.  we all forgot about the other omen staring us in the face – that the last time a team played a European Cup final in their home stadium they lost out to an English team on penalties.  Oh and the one about Bayern always losing European finals that they dominated, like they did in 1982, 1987 and 1999.

What is almost certain about that game though is that Liverpool did not win against all the odds and despite being very much on the back foot for most of the game, and they did not send a suspended captain up to collect the trophy – the collection of the trophy by Terry was highly inappropriate especially given he changed into full kit.  Chelsea spent much of the first half penned into their own box, while Bayern created chance after chance.  Most of which fell to Mario Gomez, who missed three chances – two in particular should have been goals.  Just before the 20 minute mark, Muller found Gomez who took one too many touches in the box when he should have shot, on 35 minutes a Gomez volley went wide of the target while just before half time Gomez ran on to a Muller flick and blasted the ball over the top.  Bayern at this point were playing 4-2-4 with Robben and Ribbery playing in advanced wide positions and Muller slightly off of Gomez.  Chelsea’s intended formation was 4-2-3-1, but this too changed as the game went on to 4-4-1-1.

In the second half, the game opened up slightly, but the pattern still remained with Bayern dominating.  Bayern did manage to get the ball into the back of the net during the first 10 minutes of the second half.  A low cut back from Muller found Robben, his shot was deflected and found Ribbary who put the ball into the back of the net before being flagged offside.  Such was Bayern’s dominance that it took Chelsea until the last quarter of the game to create their first chance.  It looked more and more like one goal would settle it.  The winner looked like it had come on the 83rd minute.

With 10 minutes to go, Kroos put a cross in that Chelsea had difficulty in dealing with.  Minutes later Kroos put in another cross which Muller headed into the turf and into the net (left), it was vaguely reminiscent of another European Cup final goal scored in Munich.  Both sides then made substitutions that would have a bearing on the remainder of the game, Bayern brought on Daniel van Buyten for the goalscorer Muller in a clear defensive move while Chelsea brought on Torres.  With three minutes left, Bayern’s worst nightmare began as Chelsea’s first corner brought their goal – Drogba evaded his marker to bullet a header past Neuer.  Bayern then began to look nervous and tired as the ghosts of 1987 and 1999 began to circle, however they did manage to reach extra time.

In Extra Time, Bayern had two chances to win.  Firstly, Drogba brought down Ribery to concede a penalty.  Robben’s penalty was saved by Cech, then in the second period a Lahm pass found the second substitute Olic who elected to cross into Buyten rather than shoot himself.  That was it, and the match went to penalties.  Must be a win for Bayern Munich considering how good German teams are at penalties, right?  Well, no.

Chelsea recovered from missing their first penalty to win 4-3.  The key penalty takers being Olic and Schweinsteiger – who stuttered with his run up and hit the post (right) – for Bayern while Drogba scored the decisive penalty.  So Chelsea became the 23rd team to win the European Cup, the first new team to win since Borrusia Dortmund down the road at the Olympiastadion 15 years ago.  Unusually for a European Cup winning team, this victory does not go to a team with a glittering future or in the middle of a trophy glut but to an experienced side that will break up in the next couple of years.

Bayern Munich will face questions of their own, like how on earth they lost that match.  For Chelsea, the questions will revolve around the identity of their new coach and of the rebuilding job that will be required to replace Terry, Lampard and Drogba.  It’s one thing for Di Matteo to re-shape an existing squad to make them more compact and harder to beat (which countless sides have done with much success in Europe and in Cup matches in England) but it’s another to re-build this Chelsea side.  However, as last hurrah’s for great teams go, this one will probably take some beating.

The Impossible Final

Bayern Munich's last European Cup win in Milan, 2001

Saturday doesn’t just see the first Scottish Cup Final contested by Edinburgh’s top two since the 19th century.  Saturday night sees Bayern Munich attempt to become the first team to win a European trophy on their home patch since Feyenoord beat Borrussia Dortmund in the UEFA Cup 10 years ago.  Of course, this is the European Cup, so things are a little rarefied.  Munich are only the fourth team to reach a European Cup final that is played on their home ground (Real Madrid in 1957, Inter Milan in 1965 and AS Roma in 1984 are the others).  Standing in their way is the improbable shape of Chelsea.  Because of their respective semi final victims being both halves of El Classico, this is the most improbable final pairing for many a year.

In some respects, Bayern Munich are the favourites.  Having lost out two years ago to Mourinio’s Inter Milan side, this side will constitute most of the team that lost out then.  Notably Frank Ribbery will be available, as he was banned two years ago.  They also have the experienced Jupp Heynckes in charge (for the third time).  Heynckes will be aiming to emulate a former Bayern manager Ottmar Hitzfield (as well as Ernst Happel and Jose Mourinio) in winning the European Cup with two different teams.

Yet what will be key will be how both teams adapt to their missing players.  Bayern have Gustavo, Alaba and Badstubber suspended after picking up bookings in the semi final win over Real Madrid.  All are players who take up defensive positions.  Van Buyten may well be pressed into service, while Phillip Lamm may well be shuffled around the Bayern back line.  Chelsea appear to be worse off though – they will be missing the Skipper Terry, Ivanovic, Ramires and Meireles.  It will be the defensive positions that will be hardest to fill as both Luis and Cahill are racing to be fit.  Meanwhile one of the possible replacements for Meireles, Florien Malouda is also struggling to be fit after a pulled hamstring.

Terry's miss depriving Chelsea of European Cup Glory in 2008

That Chelsea has reached this stage of the tournament is something akin to a miracle.  In January and February, they were listless and directionless as the senior players fell out with their manager Andreas Villas Boas (Who?).  From the moment he was sacked, and former midfielder Roberto Di Mateo was installed as the caretaker manager, Chelsea became that bit more difficult to beat.  They did miss out on the top four of the English Premier league, but they did pick up their sixth English FA Cup in 15 years and went on a European Cup run, disposing of the highly rated Napoli, followed by Benfica before their staggering toppling of Barcelona – a win that puts an end to the claim that this Barcelona side were the best football team ever.

The consensus seems to be that with essentially the second string defences playing for both sides, that it will be an open game.  Certainly the only time these sides have met (in the quarter finals in 2004/5) it finished 6-5 on aggregate.  I’m not so sure about that, Chelsea under Di Mateo are not set up to be open.  While both sides play 4-2-3-1, Bayern’s attacking 4 is much more advanced than Chelsea’s, though there is the suggestion that Bayern will be forced to change formation.  If Bayern adapt quickly, then I suspect that they will win comfortably.  Whatever happens, this may well be the last hurrah for this Chelsea side.  They will be hoping to go out on a high.

Sporting Pick's of 2008: Part 2, May 21st – European Cup Final : Chelsea 1 Manchester United 1 (Manchester United win 6-5 on penalties)

“Manchester United won the Champions League by beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw.
Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front after 26 minutes but Frank Lampard equalised before the interval. Lampard and Didier Drogba hit the woodwork before the striker saw red in extra time for slapping Nemanja Vidic.
Ronaldo missed his penalty, but John Terry hit the post with a kick that would have won it for Chelsea and Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka. It sparked wild celebrations for Sir Alex Ferguson and his players in the Moscow rain as United won Europe's elite trophy for the third time, a triumph made more poignant as it came 50 years on from the Munich air crash.”

In a season which ended with an international tournament, it is a sign of the times perhaps that this years European Championships doesn’t merit one of my picks. Truth be told, Euro 2008 was a dull tournament, which marked the continued homogenisation of International Football. The majority of sides played a variation of 4-5-1, with the 2 finalists playing it for differing reasons. Spain came to 4-5-1 due to the enforced absence of David Villa as the tournament went on. Even Germany, who only under Rudi Voller 6 years ago turned to the dark side of 4-4-2, tried it for one of their pool matches, and found the form which took them almost all the way.

In sharp contrast, this years European Cup Final is here simply because it represents the High point of the English Premiership in its 16 year history. Whether that is a good thing or not, hmmm I think I know how you feel. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not petty jealousy. However despite all the guff generated in the name of the so called “Golden Generation”, England has gone (for some) alarmingly backwards in the lifetime of the Premiership. This correlation can be made with the drop in English players playing in the Premiership. This is particularly galling when you consider that the reason for the original blueprint which led to the formation of the Premier League, under the umberella of the FA, was the advancement of the English national team. At least Lex, Roger and the other leaders who initially set up the SPL were being semi honest when they said that they were looking for more of the TV revenue pie to go to their club’s.

However, for two English sides, there were remarkably few English players. Chelsea have been the embodiment of buying finished article foreign players since Hoddle brought in Gullit, Vialli and Di Mateo in the mid 1990’s. While you can’t really argue with those purchases, the continuation of this policy has undoubtedly undermined any youth policy which Chelsea has. Their captain, John Terry, being the only player to have come through the ranks properly in 16 years. Bizarrely, while Manchester United have a reputation for bringing through the ranks young British talent, only Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown, Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea represented that tradition (Gary Neville would have certainly played had he been fit). Though Rooney, Ronaldo, Nani & Anderson were brought in, while still very young, having been promising youngsters elsewhere.

The match itself was an OK match, to describe it as an advert for the English Premiership, as some commentators and callers to BBC 5live’s 606 programme did, would be stretching it… a lot. Manchester United should have been home and hosed before Chelsea equalised before Half Time. Chelsea then dominated the remainder of the game, and Extra Time, without threatening to take the game away from United. Drogba’s sending off was a turning point, and not just for the inevitable penalty kick competition. Drogba surely would have taken one of the first 5 penalties, and as the competition transpired, could have taken the decisive kick. Instead, it fell to Terry’s slip (above) to decide the contest.

As has been said before, this game was picked, not because it was a great game, but because it (and not the England national team winning an international tournament) is the pinnacle of the achievements of the Premiership. How sad is that.