Closed Chelsea 2-0 Inter Milan

[Stingray 9,441]

i thought you owned the internet

anyway firstrow? they've got chelseatv links

I do Strike. But I am on vacation in France. I left the internet at home, so I have to wifi like a mere mortal :-)

[Ramzi 233]

I assumed it'd be a 442 diamond when I saw Nando come on for Hazard because it makes sense with Mikel-Essien-Ramires forming the triangle with Mata at the top. I'm at the 75th minute of the match right now and I just saw Ba run out to the left but IDK if that's because he was giving Bertrand an outlet and that's where the space was, or if he's playing LW. Right before Ba did that, Mikel and Essien aren't more than 10 yards away from each other and Ramires is off the camera on the right. Maybe it was still the 4231, maybe it wasn't. I'll edit this post when I finish the match with hopefully more findings!

Edit: It's definitely 4231 with Ba and Ramires on the wings. We were pressing the ball a bit while Inter's defenders had it and Ba ran at a defender and after he passed it, he ran back next to Essien I think and then was defending the overlapping RWB near our own box shortly after.

Ahh ok, thanks. I thought that it was a 4-1-2-1-2, which intrigued me, would've been a nice option for Mourinho to have.

[Barbara 15,149]

If ChelseaTV showed the game then it will be in the broadcast from ChelseaTV next tuesday i guess on sporting telenet..

I tought they needed to play next night :banghead:

I may be mistaken but I guess I read in the match's thread someone saying ChelseaTV would replay the match 14:30, so if it's true you can use the firstrow link and watch it.

[Johnny Kills 164]

Pardon my french mister. I thought it was monofilament (sand and rubber fillng) artificial grass on a turf soil. Sometimes we use them here in belgium. I played on them and yes they are very, very slow when dry.

No that is actually real grass that they put over the artificial turf in the stadium. This is what they've been using for our friendlies in the baseball stadiums and all of the players and coaches hate it. You can google it if you don't believe me. That's why if you went and checked, the first post in the game thread for this match is me saying I wonder how they're gonna handle the field situation. The turf we have here in America is great to play on. It's softer than grass and plays a lot faster.

[Hamilton 2,120]

I do Strike. But I am on vacation in France. I left the internet at home, so I have to wifi like a mere mortal :-)

Still on vacation mate?

I'm happy i left Dutch camping on sunday

[Johnny Kills 164]

I don´t understand that there is no stadium in the US with normal pitch, grass. An artificial turf is very bad for the players, knees..injuries..

The football stadiums here are mostly, if not all turf now. The maintenance is a lot cheaper with turf. The only stadiums that have grass are the college, baseball, and MLS stadiums. The college stadiums are for the most part in terrible locations. The baseball stadiums have to cover up the dirt in the infield. The MLS stadiums aren't big enough for these big clubs to come play in. I don't think there's a MLS stadium that could match the 40,000 that came out tonight to watch this match.

About the artificial turf: you must be thinking about the old artificial turf from 10+ years ago. The American turf is now great.

[juankikdc 17]

I don´t understand that there is no stadium in the US with normal pitch, grass. An artificial turf is very bad for the players, knees..injuries..

Actually, all of baseball stadiums in MLB except 2 (Tampa and Toronto) have grass. Half of the American Football stadiums in the NFL have grass too. I would say that 75% percent of football stadiums in the US have grass.

Metlife Stadium is not one of them though lol.

[Stingray 9,441]

No that is actually real grass that they put over the artificial turf in the stadium. This is what they've been using for our friendlies in the baseball stadiums and all of the players and coaches hate it. You can google it if you don't believe me. That's why if you went and checked, the first post in the game thread for this match is me saying I wonder how they're gonna handle the field situation. The turf we have here in America is great to play on. It's softer than grass and plays a lot faster.

Hey mate, the grass must have been too long then! It looked very, very slow. Here it is cut real short and even sprinkled on before a game. I assumed it was artificial because of the turf reference

I am happy you have good artificial turfs there, but i am an old fart and played football some time ago on first generation artificial fields. Besides having my thighs and ass burned every time you tackled, it was slow and I even tore an ankle ligament ....

Interesting fact: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640410701422076

Football style does differ on artificial pitches .... :-)

[Strike 7,490]

Loved how Cole stood up to that cunt Campagnaro

[Stingray 9,441]

Still on vacation mate?

I'm happy i left Dutch camping on sunday

Yeah but leaving tomorrow :-)

[Johnny Kills 164]

Hey mate, the grass must have been too long then! It looked very, very slow. Here it is cut real short and even sprinkled on before a game. I assumed it was artificial because of the turf reference

I am happy you have good artificial turfs there, but i am an old fart and played football some time ago on first generation artificial fields. Besides having my thighs and ass burned every time you tackled, it was slow and I even tore an ankle ligament ....

Interesting fact: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640410701422076

Football style does differ on artificial pitches .... :-)

I made a reference to that to bushman a couple of minutes ago. The original turf was terrible for everything in every sport! No one liked it! But now, even here in the rich areas, our elementary schools (5-11 years old) even have turf! This article even mentions that the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium has been voted the best surface to play on several times, something I wasn't aware of.

http://www.easyturf.com/artificial-grass-industry-news/21-nfl-teams-use-fieldturf-synthetic-grass/

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

Loved how Cole stood up to that cunt Campagnaro

Never liked Campagnaro since that Napoli games, typical Italian defender always being a cunt! Was it him who tried to intercept that pass that eventually looped over him for Mata's goal in that 3-1 game in Naples or was it someone else? Would be fitting if it was him tbh.

[xPetrCechx 13,571]

Terry and Ivanovic are the only two players starting tonight who also started in the last match (CL home 2010) vs Inter. How the team has changed!

[Stingray 9,441]

Yeah full match !

http://livefootballvideo.com/fullmatch/world/international-champions-cup/chelsea-vs-internazionale#.UftpkcsaySM

[Spike 12,049]

Never liked Campagnaro since that Napoli games, typical Italian defender always being a cunt! Was it him who tried to intercept that pass that eventually looped over him for Mata's goal in that 3-1 game in Naples or was it someone else? Would be fitting if it was him tbh.

He is an Argie you ignorant cunt.

By the way what happened between Cole and Campagnaro. And why did Campagnaro get red carded?

Nevermind, Googled it.

[Stingray 9,441]

After reading the comments and finally seeing the game, my two cents:

* Moses was great! I loved his energy in the game -and was very involved in both goals. Great!

* I knew Van Ginkel was the real deal and he will propel himself into the first team, no doubt!

* It is a clear preseason gamewhere they try out stuff done in training. Hazard looks like he is feeling it a bit, lol! Though I found him decent enough (bit sluggish at times - he lacks that extra boost still)! Much more defensive work - some good moments but his forward play was on and off :-) I remember from his Lille time he needs games under his belt to find his 'speed' form. He seems to be in a tactical learning phase actually.

* So glad for Oscar. Awesome goal! faded away a bit in the second half. Very nice actions in the first though!

* Lukaku: I don't know what people expect, but he indeed have great movement and ran the channels. I think he is trying out running lines Mourinho instructed because his movement looks different from what I normally see him do. Thats a good thing. Add the ball against the post and freeing up space for the first goal + doing the backheel link up that put someone in(just outside) the box and create the penalty - So yes, I forgive him a few bad touches, it really wasn't that bad if you actually count the bad touches. This guy will come round just fine. Our striker did what he had to do - involved in both goals, hitting the post and occupying three CB's.

* Rami has just one setting - ALL OUT :-) You gotta love the guy for that!

*Mata took control of the game - running between the lines like he knows best. I expected that ... he will remain to impact this Chelsea squad I am sure! Excellent movement off the ball, something much underappreciated!

*Defense was ok, beside some beauty error (eg. the missed interception by Terry at the start of the second half). I get why Mou likes Ivanovic on RB - teambalance-wise but I kinda like Azpi's runs there in the second half. Cole did it on the left ... maybe two backs going forward is a bit much.

*Torres - not much to comment on really- I concentrated on his movement, but there was actually little channel movement from him, making us more narrow. Also, if he is our link-up man, we are properly fucked. I counted a lot of balls where he just 'defended' passing it far back , sometimes even playing a 'hospital ball' to a midfielder bringing him into trouble. Eg. around the 82.20 minute mark for a showcase event. Anyway, that deep back passing just pushes the tepo out of our attack.

On a tactical level I felt the high pressing was wonderfull! Also, the pivot movement was really fluid - giving cover and helping the conversion. If we perfect that and you add KDB and Schurrle ..... we are a deadly team! I don't know Mourinho as a manager like some on here, but it really strikes me that you can somehow feel the work that is been done behind the scenes on training. Love that!

My MOTM is Moses. I doubted with Van Ginkel - but Moses was instrumental for the goals too much to neglect.

[bob345 1]

impressed by Moses and van Ginkel like everybody. Moses was my MOTM

[bushman 2,043]

The football stadiums here are mostly, if not all turf now. The maintenance is a lot cheaper with turf. The only stadiums that have grass are the college, baseball, and MLS stadiums. The college stadiums are for the most part in terrible locations. The baseball stadiums have to cover up the dirt in the infield. The MLS stadiums aren't big enough for these big clubs to come play in. I don't think there's a MLS stadium that could match the 40,000 that came out tonight to watch this match.

About the artificial turf: you must be thinking about the old artificial turf from 10+ years ago. The American turf is now great.

BS, no artificial turf is good enough for football games. Perhaps, the yanks may play baseball on it or whatever, but European football was meant to be played on grass.

[xPetrCechx 13,571]

And Ivanovic.

I know... I wrote terry and iva...

[CHOULO19 24,332]

It hasn't been mentioned, but Cole was amazing...again! In the first 10 mins when Inter went all out to get an early goal, they put so much pressure on that left side, but just couldn't get past Cole.