Tournament win in Amsterdam

[EskWeston 696]

The final whistle has blown on Chelsea match action for the season with even more silverware won. A team of young Blues were victorious in the Copa Amsterdam Under 19 tournament played over three days in Holland and with international call-ups and injuries cutting significantly the number of players available, it was a sign of strength-in-depth in the junior ranks.

Major clubs from Europe and South and Central America were represented and in the first group game, a Chelsea side that was predominantly a youth team beat Chivas Guadalajara 2-0 with goals from Ben Gordon and Daniel Philliskirk.

Botafogo of Brazil were then defeated in the last minute by a goal from guest player Aleksander Trajkovski, guaranteeing a place in the semi-final. The squad was rotated for the third group game which was lost 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar of Holland.

The semi-final presented the tough challenge of playing Ajax in Amsterdam. The tournament was held in the city's Olympisch Stadion which is that club's former home.

Chelsea won 1-0 thanks to a Billy Clifford goal and Sevilla knocked out another Dutch team, AZ, in the other semi.

Following a final against the Spaniards that ended goalless, the first 13 takers in the penalty shoot-out kept their nerve, but then Sam Walker (pictured) saved to give Chelsea victory 7-6 on penalties.

Walker, the keeper for the recent FA Youth Cup triumph, won best goalkeeper of the tournament and Chelsea centre-back Rohan Ince won player of the tournament.

'It has rounded off a fantastic season for the club at all levels,' reports reserve team manager Steve Holland.

'It is a tournament we look back on with a great deal of satisfaction because it doesn't just highlight the fact we have talented young players at the club, we knew that anyway by the lads that made their first-team debuts this year and the success of the youth team, it also shows what depth we have.

'We were without 13 players who could have been available to us and to enter a tournament of this standing without players like Fabio Borini, Gael Kakuta, Jacob Mellis, Josh McEachran, Conor Clifford, Jacop Sala, Jeffrey Bruma and Danny Mills Pappoe and still win is great testament to the strength that we have.

'Billy Clifford did very well,' Holland adds. 'He played mainly at full-back for the youth team in the Youth Cup but with Conor Clifford, McEachran and Sala away on international duty, Billy moved into midfield and scored the vital winner in the semi.

'The cup we won is huge. It takes two people to lift it an inch off the ground!'

Source: Chelsea FC

[Kostas 1,468]

This must be the 2nd penalty shootout a Chelsea team won in the last 9 months

[Steve 10,227]

Good to see the lads are keeping up good results.

[dibase 0]

Best Keeper Copa Amsterdam 2010

Edited May 26, 2010 by dibase

[chelsea blue 615]

Size of the cup :champions:

[EskWeston 696]

Lol, that cup is Massive!!!!

Sam Walker is looking to be a real talent between the sticks. With him and Delac on board we have 2 very good young keepers

[ZanSnake 1,211]

Brilliant to see the youngsters to be winning stuff.

Future looks golden