Vesper

Guiu on a hat trick

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooot

ffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Guiu again

RIGHT NOW: The game is stopped at Tele2 Arena European Conference League 12 minutes Djurgården's IF meets Legia Warszawa in the Conference League. Right now the match is interrupted due to smoke inside the Tele2 Arena.

our neighbours invited us, but we declined due to the Chels game

it would have been offside, but bullet dodged

https://www.vipleague.pm/europa-league/Chelsea-vs-shamrock-rovers-1-live-streaming https://www.vipleague.pm/europa-league/Chelsea-vs-shamrock-rovers-2-live-streaming many many links here: Сhеlsеа – Shаmrосk Rоvеrs Еurора Соnfеrеnсе Lеаguе / 19 December at 21:00 https://statistics.soccerstreams100.io/event/uefa-europa-conf/shamrock-vs-Chelsea-live-soccer-stats/720708

links inbound, just give me a couple minutes, as I got caught up in pet drama (our serval attacked our dog over animal xmas pet treats, ffs)

Maresca is putting Casadei and KDH on display for potential January sales pimp parading the hoes on the corner lololol

no, as Musiala is a right footer who often plays at LW Olise is the opposite (and indeed overkill)

cheap HG filler

I in no way invented the term I have seen it used for most of my life and not just in regards to the football club

wtf!

Chelsea may not want to counter-attack – but they are very good at it https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6000526/2024/12/18/Chelsea-counter-attack-analysis/ Enzo Maresca could not be more explicit when talking about end-to-end football. “After we concede the goal we lose a little bit our way to control the game,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in September. “The game starts to be a bit up and down — transitions. That for us isn’t our football.” This tallies with Chelsea’s approach on the field, but there’s a counter-attacking threat in the team’s style of play that is hard to ignore. The profiles of Chelsea’s forwards — in terms of pace and dribbling ability — alongside Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo’s ball-winning skills and Cole Palmer’s passing is the perfect recipe for attacking on the transition. “For sure we have players in the wide areas or in front that they can attack quick,” said Maresca in November before facing Manchester United. “But, I said many times the problem when you attack quick is then they are going to attack quick, and then become like Newcastle (match) — up and down, up and down.” It’s interesting though that Chelsea have been increasingly attacking on the transition this season, which is visible in their direct-attacks numbers. These are defined as possessions that start in a team’s own half and result in either a shot or a touch inside the opposition penalty area within 15 seconds — in other words, a counter-attack. Chelsea’s rate of 4.3 direct attacks per 90 in the Premier League this season is the highest in the division. Meanwhile, they are limiting the opponents’ counter-attacks with only 2.1 direct attacks conceded per game — the best rate in the top-flight. Another thing to note is that Chelsea’s direct-attacks numbers in the Premier League this season is their highest since 2018-19. Considering the type of players Chelsea have, attacking on the transition is a valuable tool that the team has been using when there’s an opportunity to hit on the break. It has been smartly used with the players knowing how to react when Maresca’s side retrieves possession. Chelsea’s second goal in the 2-1 victory against Brentford last Sunday came on the transition after Caicedo won the ball in midfield. Here, Caicedo immediately plays the ball to Fernandez. Before it reaches the Argentina midfielder, Nicolas Jackson sprints to attack the space behind Brentford’s left centre-back, Nathan Collins. Fernandez then plays the ball into Jackson’s path… … and Chelsea are in a two-versus-two situation against Brentford’s centre-backs. It is important to note the positioning of Palmer on the outside of Sepp van den Berg to be on the blind side of the defender, while Jackson’s run into the space Collins vacated ensures that he isolates Ethan Pinnock. If Jackson had received the ball centrally, Van den Berg would have been in a position to support his centre-back. In the one-on-one, Jackson sets up the shot with his right foot and strikes the ball into the bottom corner to score Chelsea’s second. Jackson’s off-ball movement on the counter was also beneficial in Chelsea’s first goal against Newcastle United in October. However, the Senegal forward was playing a different role in that attack — one similar to Palmer’s in the previous example. When Chelsea retrieve the ball near the edge of their own penalty area, Jackson is central and Pedro Neto is down the left wing with Newcastle’s full-backs out of position. As Malo Gusto plays the ball to Palmer, Neto surges forward to attack the space behind Tino Livramento and Jackson adjusts his position to be able to attack the space while being on Dan Burn’s blind side. Palmer finds Neto’s run behind Livramento with a mind-boggling pass, while Jackson’s adjusted position… … means that he can attack the space from Burn’s blind spot, where the centre-back is unable to see him and the ball at the same time. On the other side, Neto gets past Fabian Schar with his pace… … before squaring the ball to Jackson, who scores with a one-touch finish. Another feature of Chelsea’s counter-attacks is how their wingers spring into action once the team retrieves the ball, and Maresca’s preference of using out-and-out wingers as his widest players means that the players attacking the space are ones whose profiles fit the transitional situation. In this example, against Palace in September, Levi Colwill wins the ball and plays it to Noni Madueke out wide. Meanwhile, Neto dashes forward on the other side of the pitch, with Palace’s wing-backs trying to recover. Madueke’s pace and dribbling ability make him lethal in these positions, and he easily dribbles past Will Hughes, with Palmer, Jackson and Neto supporting the counter-attack. Neto’s initial movement when Chelsea start the transition puts him in a threatening position towards the far post, while Jackson attacks a similar space to be in the blind side of Palace’s centre-backs. Simultaneously, Palmer is attacking a different space… … and his run attracts Nathaniel Clyne as Madueke finds the Chelsea midfielder. Palmer then plays the ball across goal and Jackson scores into an empty net. It’s a four-versus-two situation when Chelsea are nearing the edge of the penalty area, but by making the right runs they are providing different options to force the Palace defenders into unfavourable decisions. In another example, from the 5-1 victory against Southampton this month, Fernandez retrieves the ball and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall instantaneously attacks the space behind the advancing left-back. At the same moment, Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho spring forward to attack the space… … and provide different options on the transition. Fernandez then plays the ball to Gusto… … which forces Southampton’s centre-backs to defend the central space. This leaves Chelsea’s forwards unmarked in the wide areas and positioned on the blind side of the centre-backs. Gusto then finds Sancho’s run, with Christopher Nkunku and Felix offering a crossing option towards the back post. However, Sancho goes by himself and blasts the ball into the back of the net. The guidelines Chelsea are following on attacking transitions in terms of attacking the wide spaces, positioning themselves in the blind side of the defenders and springing their wingers after winning the ball complement the profiles of the players and Maresca’s preferences. The counter isn’t Chelsea’s main attacking method, but it is a useful option that adds to their strengths. GO DEEPER Chelsea's wingers keep finding themselves in one-v-one situations - and it's not by chance

Most in-demand players for 2024: Koundé at the top https://football-observatory.com/WeeklyPost485 The 485th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 20 outfield footballers in 66 leagues around the world who played the most official game minutes in 2024, either for clubs (at senior level only) or national teams (A, U23 or U21). Up to December 15, the most-used outfield player in absolute terms is FC Barcelona's French international Jules Koundé: 5,872 minutes spread over 69 matches. Fluminense's Colombian Jhon Arias and Real Madrid's Uruguayan Federico Valverde complete the podium. The next three places are occupied by players over the age of 30: Dutchman Virgil van Dijk (33.4), Argentina's Nicolás Otamendi (36.8) and Switzerland's Granit Xhaka (32.2). Reading FC's New Zealander Tyler Bindon is the only footballer under the age of 20 in the top 100, demonstrating the sensitivity of coaches when it comes to balancing the efforts of younger players. Also with respect to the top 100 outfield players overall, a clear majority of minutes were played in domestic club competitions: 73.2% of the total. The remaining playing time spread almost equally between international club competitions and national teams: 15.1% for the former and 13.4% for the latter (including the Olympic Games). These reports provide more exclusive analysis on the hot topics of match calendar and player workload. Highest number of minutes played in 2024 Official matches until 15/12/2024. * [Cl-Dom]: Club (domestic leagues) / [Cl-Int]: Club (international competitions) / [Nation]: National teams

FUCK PGMOL fuck the scouser vermin corruption at the fore once again

OMG Simon Hooper just absolutely FUCKED SOTON on a clear red card and/or a possible pen

Real Madrid clinch Intercontinental Cup title with comfortable win over Pachuca Having won three trophies in the original Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor to the current format that pitched the European and South American champions against each other, and five Club World Cups, Real have now won a combined total of nine global titles. https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-41539451.html Real Madrid 3 Pachuca 0 Real Madrid won the Intercontinental Cup after beating Mexico's Pachuca 3-0 in a largely one-sided final on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr all on target. Real did just enough to win comfortably and never looked likely to cede control despite allowing the CONCACAF champions to threaten occasionally from counter-attacks at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. The Champions League winners opened the scoring in the 37th minute with a fine team goal that started with Jude Bellingham passing to Vinicius Jr, who ran past the goalkeeper before putting it on a plate for Mbappe, who tapped it into the empty net. Rodrygo extended their lead with a lovely effort in the 52nd minute when he beat two defenders before cutting back inside and curling a fine strike into the top corner with his right foot. Vinicius Jr wrapped up an easy win for Real from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute after Oussama Idrissi fouled captain Lucas Vazquez inside the box. Having won three trophies in the original Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor to the current format that pitched the European and South American champions against each other, and five Club World Cups, Real have now won a combined total of nine global titles. "We are very happy for another title," Rodrygo told Spanish television channel Telecinco. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal against CF Pachuca. Pic: AP Photo/Hussein Sayed. "I was a bit anxious with the goal because Jude (Bellingham) was in front of the goalkeeper but he doesn't interfere with the play, so I'm happy to help the team. "Vinicius is great, he is playing really well right now and we are pleased to have him with us. We have a great team and we are delighted." Pachuca threatened with early strikes by Oussama Idrissi, Luis Rodriguez and Elias Montiel denied by keeper Thibaut Courtois, yet Real slowly started to take control of proceedings with Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo running the channels and Bellingham feeding both with dangerous passes into space. Rodrygo and Bellingham had two great chances to score before Mbappe gave them the lead and Pachuca were lucky to go in at the break not losing by a wider margin as Real piled on the pressure. After Rodrygo curled home Real's second goal seven minutes into the second half, manager Carlo Ancelotti made several changes. His side then wasted several opportunities before Vazquez appealed for a foul inside the box that the referee didn't initially spot, but awarded a penalty after checking the VAR replay. Vinicius's spot-kick was low to the right and goalkeeper Carlos Moreno got a hand on it, but it wasn't enough to keep it out from finding the back of the net. Reuters

1 2 Pool SOTON pulls one back

3 2 FT meh