Les D
Player Valuation: £500k
European Cup semi-finalists Chelsea were made to look quite ordinary tonight with the Stamford Bridge visitors, Everton, loving life on a shoe-string, nearly taking all three points from a strange encounter.
Chelsea were pretty much full-strength. Everton, played one or two who are unlikely to figure for the Silver Pot when the clubs meet again on May 30th.
Lars Jacobsen took Tony Hibbert's berth, Segundo Castillo was the midfield crack-filler for the injured (knee strain) Marouane Fellaini, and Jo led the line, in place of Louis Saha.
It didn't take too long to realise that footballing jet-lag had caught up with both teams -- Everton having had the shortest day-time (Sunday)to recover from, and longer pitch-time (120+minutes) to try to re-energise from, than Chelsea.
What was refreshing, from an Evertonian standpoint was, even though Chelsea had the majority of possession, it was Everton who carved out the clearer chances in a watchable first-half.
Loanee Jo, found himself looking into the eyes of Petr Cech three times, and three times, Jo was found wanting.
On seven minutes, Jo latched onto a Tim Cahill through ball (left side of Chelsea's penalty area), touched, then touched the ball into the area, and failed on two counts. Firstly, Jo elected to have a low shot which Cech didn't have to over exert himself to save. Secondly, he could have cancelled the shot and passed to the unmarked Leon Osman, who was all alone on the other side of the penalty area.
On 41 minutes, Jo was slipped in again, this time homing-in on the right side of the Chelsea penalty area and fell over.
Viewing the half with Everton eyes, Jacobsen is very similar to Hibbert, except Jacobsen, after foraging into the attacking third of the pitch, doesn't seem to get back quick enough as Tony hibbert can (lack of match practice ?). Trying to compare Secundo Castillo to Marouane Fellaini is impossible - both men have differing ways of playing their game. Castillo can tackle, Fellaini can do most things but the art of tackling is alien to the beanpole Belgian. Castillo got better as the game wore on (lack of match practice ?).
In between these very good Jo chances, various players had cracks at goal - Ballack, Lampard, Essien, Pienaar, and Cahill - but scoring boots were in short supply. Half time, 0-0.
Everton made no changes at half-time -- David Moyes really does demand his pound of flesh -- whereas Chelsea like to have pounds in a Swiss bank vault.
The second half followed the same vein as the first. Chelsea having the lions' share of possession, whilst Everton continued to create decent chances. Leighton Baines has the heart of a lion and on occasions, his understanding on the left-flank with Pienaar, was absolutely outstanding -- as an attacking threat and defensive terrier.
Tim Howard brought his A-Game. Not one fumble, not one abberation, and a couple of tidy saves. One, a low drive from the marauding John Terry, which Howard tipped around his left-hand post (61 minutes). A minute before, Essien (Castillo was too big a customer for Essien to out-muscle) was replaced by John Obi Mikel and Anelka (waste of space on the left wing) made way for Salomon Kalou.
On 73 minutes Jo wasted his third chance. From 18 yards a shooting opportunity arose and the Brazilian blazed the ball toward Rio de Janeiro.
Howard made another fine save on 78 minutes -- an effort by Kalou, and Cahill & Pienaar fired two shots at the Chelsea goal.
In the dying embers David Moyes finally made substitutions -- Lars Jacobsen limped off (86 minutes) to be replaced by Phil Jagielka. Young Jack Rodwell replaced marathon man Leon Osman (88 minutes). Louis Saha replaced Jo (90 minutes).
Right at the death, Didier Drogba turned on a sixpence toward the centre of the Everton penalty area (leaving Joleon Lescott for dead) and smashed the ball immediately above Tim Howard's head and off the face of the crossbar. Full time, 0-0.
So, the spoils were shared but the next time these two teams meet there has to be a winner, and seeing as Everton fielded the weaker team tonight -- can the gap be bridged even further -- this reporter thinks it can.
Chelsea were pretty much full-strength. Everton, played one or two who are unlikely to figure for the Silver Pot when the clubs meet again on May 30th.
Lars Jacobsen took Tony Hibbert's berth, Segundo Castillo was the midfield crack-filler for the injured (knee strain) Marouane Fellaini, and Jo led the line, in place of Louis Saha.
It didn't take too long to realise that footballing jet-lag had caught up with both teams -- Everton having had the shortest day-time (Sunday)to recover from, and longer pitch-time (120+minutes) to try to re-energise from, than Chelsea.
What was refreshing, from an Evertonian standpoint was, even though Chelsea had the majority of possession, it was Everton who carved out the clearer chances in a watchable first-half.
Loanee Jo, found himself looking into the eyes of Petr Cech three times, and three times, Jo was found wanting.
On seven minutes, Jo latched onto a Tim Cahill through ball (left side of Chelsea's penalty area), touched, then touched the ball into the area, and failed on two counts. Firstly, Jo elected to have a low shot which Cech didn't have to over exert himself to save. Secondly, he could have cancelled the shot and passed to the unmarked Leon Osman, who was all alone on the other side of the penalty area.
On 41 minutes, Jo was slipped in again, this time homing-in on the right side of the Chelsea penalty area and fell over.
Viewing the half with Everton eyes, Jacobsen is very similar to Hibbert, except Jacobsen, after foraging into the attacking third of the pitch, doesn't seem to get back quick enough as Tony hibbert can (lack of match practice ?). Trying to compare Secundo Castillo to Marouane Fellaini is impossible - both men have differing ways of playing their game. Castillo can tackle, Fellaini can do most things but the art of tackling is alien to the beanpole Belgian. Castillo got better as the game wore on (lack of match practice ?).
In between these very good Jo chances, various players had cracks at goal - Ballack, Lampard, Essien, Pienaar, and Cahill - but scoring boots were in short supply. Half time, 0-0.
Everton made no changes at half-time -- David Moyes really does demand his pound of flesh -- whereas Chelsea like to have pounds in a Swiss bank vault.
The second half followed the same vein as the first. Chelsea having the lions' share of possession, whilst Everton continued to create decent chances. Leighton Baines has the heart of a lion and on occasions, his understanding on the left-flank with Pienaar, was absolutely outstanding -- as an attacking threat and defensive terrier.
Tim Howard brought his A-Game. Not one fumble, not one abberation, and a couple of tidy saves. One, a low drive from the marauding John Terry, which Howard tipped around his left-hand post (61 minutes). A minute before, Essien (Castillo was too big a customer for Essien to out-muscle) was replaced by John Obi Mikel and Anelka (waste of space on the left wing) made way for Salomon Kalou.
On 73 minutes Jo wasted his third chance. From 18 yards a shooting opportunity arose and the Brazilian blazed the ball toward Rio de Janeiro.
Howard made another fine save on 78 minutes -- an effort by Kalou, and Cahill & Pienaar fired two shots at the Chelsea goal.
In the dying embers David Moyes finally made substitutions -- Lars Jacobsen limped off (86 minutes) to be replaced by Phil Jagielka. Young Jack Rodwell replaced marathon man Leon Osman (88 minutes). Louis Saha replaced Jo (90 minutes).
Right at the death, Didier Drogba turned on a sixpence toward the centre of the Everton penalty area (leaving Joleon Lescott for dead) and smashed the ball immediately above Tim Howard's head and off the face of the crossbar. Full time, 0-0.
So, the spoils were shared but the next time these two teams meet there has to be a winner, and seeing as Everton fielded the weaker team tonight -- can the gap be bridged even further -- this reporter thinks it can.
