Chelsea Makes History as Europa League Champion

Chelsea becomes the first English team to win all three major European club competitions. (Martin Meissner)

Unlikely as it may seem, Chelsea is a European Champion once again. Last year, the club made an unlikely run to defeat Bayern Munich in dramatic fashion to win the Champions League final. Today, Chelsea earned the club's first Europa League trophy by beating Benfica, 2-1, in similar fashion with a goal in stoppage time.

Chelsea becomes the first English team to win all three major European club competitions, having won the Champions League last year and the Cup Winners’ Cup, which is no longer in existence. Today's win helps to bring closure to what can be described as a tumultuous season. This has seemingly become the norm for a club that has lately made an art of collecting trophies in unconventional fashions.

There are always high expectations for Chelsea and coming off a Champions League title made this situation even more extreme. Things not begin as the club had hoped. After a slow start in the Premier League, Chelsea had to settle for trying to secure a Champions League spot for next season’s tournament. Meanwhile, the Blues struggled in this season's competition. A disgraceful 3-0 loss to Juventus in November not only essentially eliminated the club from contention, but cost highly-decorated manger Roberto Di Matteo his job.

Chelsea supporters were shocked by Di Matteo’s dismissal, but became even more vexed by the appointment of the unpopular Rafael Benitez as the interim manager. Many questioned the club's direction and leadership at the top. A surprising loss to Corinthians in the World Club Cup final in December only fueled their fury.

With the turn of the calender year, things slowly began to turnaround for the club. The Europa League final presented Chelsea with one final opportunity for redemption. This would be the club's last opportunity to lift a trophy, be it one they had never won before.

The match did not start out the way the English side had hoped. Benfica, one of the top Portuguese clubs, was the aggressor for the opening whistle. Much the way Bayern dominated in its final against Chelsea last year, Benfica took control early and frankly was the better team. The Blues had to be grateful when the whistle blew, and the sides went to their locker rooms scoreless at the intermission.

To begin the second half, Benfica controlled the pace of play once again, until Chelsea caught the break they had been looking for. Goalkeeper Peter Cech threw the ball forward to midfield. Midfielder Juan Mata was on the receiving end and precisely passed it towards striker Fernando Torres. Torres broke through the Benfica defense, was able to dribble around goalkeeper Artur  and bury it for his ninth goal in Europe this season.

Benfica would not be deterred. The Portuguese side's persistent pressure finally paid off as they were rewarded a penalty kick. Oscar Cardozo calmly drilled it home to level the score.

Last year, Chelsea faced similar adversity against Bayern Munich with limited time left to play. Chelsea steadily improved as that game went on. That was true of today's match as well. Despite the setback, the Blues seemed to brim with confidence as they advanced forward a stream of scoring opportunities.

As stoppage time waned on, Chelsea earned one final corner kick. Mata's booming kick was headed to the far post. Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic kept his eyes on the ball the whole time. As he backpedaled into position, he rose over the Benfica defense and hit an arching header that was placed beautifully in the corner of the net for the match-winning goal.

Chelsea now joins Bayern Munich, Ajax and Juventus as the only clubs to have won all three major European club competitions (the Champions League, the Europa League and the Cup Winners’ Cup). The Blues also become only the second club to win both major competitions back to back and the first to hold them at the same time.

Chelsea's campaign may have gotten off to a tumultuous start, but is coming to an end in glorious fashion. Benitez will leave the club with yet another accomplishment to add to his impeccable record. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will rest easier tonight knowing that his club has now won its 11th trophy in his 10 years at the helm and made history yet again.

Demba Ba Scores Twice in Chelsea Debut

Demba Ba scored two goals Saturday in his debut for Chelsea. (Sang Tan)

Controversy surrounded Stamford Bridge following Chelsea's shocking defeat to last-place QPR. The Blues just wanted to put the disappointment behind them. On Friday, they completed their acquisition of Senegalese striker Demba Ba, who came over in a transfer from Newcastle. As it turned out, he was exactly the remedy they were looking for.

Ba got his first run just about 24 hours later. Chelsea, the current FA Cup holders, began their defense of the trophy on Saturday at Southampton. Ba's arrival allowed manager Rafa Benitez to fellow striker Fernando Torres a day off after his recent heavy workload. He decided to give Ba the start in his place.

Chelsea came out confident, but surprisingly it was the home side that struck first. In the 22nd minute, Southampton took advantage on the counter. Jason Puncheon's pass found Jay Rodriguez in space. Rodriguez made the most of it as he was able to chip the ball past the charging Ross Turnbull.

Chelsea had the answer though. Juan Mata was the one that challenged the Southampton defense. He sidestepped his defender and put the ball past Artur Boruc. The ball was headed towards the net and Ba beat Steven Davis to provide the final touch into the net. Just like that, Ba had a goal in his debut for the Blues.

In the waning stoppage time of the first half, Chelsea struck again. Ashley Cole was able to cut the ball back to Victor Moses, was able to finish it on a half-volley. Seven minutes into the second half, the Blues netted another when Mata's cross found Branislav Ivanovic for a simple header.

Ba was rewarded for his excellent movement throughout the match. He was on the receiving end of a pass from Eden Hazard in the box. Ba was able to fend off Southampton captain Jose Fonte to bury it past Boruc. He looked set to complete a hat trick, but was denied by the Polish goalkeeper.

With seven minutes left in the match, Frank Lampard drew a penalty kick on a foul by Davis. He buried to put the icing on Chelsea's 5-1 rout of Southampton. Lampard joins Kerry Dixon at second on the all-time Chelsea goal scorer list with 193 goals. He is ten away from overtaking Bobby Tambling to become the most prolific marksman in club history.

The contrast between Ba and Torres is a pleasant surprise for Chelsea supporters. While it took the Spaniard 14 games to score his first goal for the Blues, he watched as the newcomer buried two in his debut. The goals are not the only difference either. Ba's movement and understanding of the game were far superior to Torres' form of late.

"It is always important for a striker to score goals but Ba's movement and understanding of the team was really impressive as well," said Benitez. "It is important for the team to have different options in attack and Ba gives us that."

Oscar Shines Brightly in Chelsea FC Starting Debut

In his Chelsea FC debut, Oscar celebrates one of his two goals in their 2-2 Champions League draw with Juventus. (AP Photo)

In terms of this year's UEFA Champions League, the pressure may be greatest on Chelsea FC. As the reigning champions of Europe, they must overcome history if they hope to repeat this year as champions. Since 1990 and the beginning of the Champions League era, no club has managed to successfully defend their European crown.

Chelsea's title defense began with their greatest competition in the group stage. In recent years, Juventus has emerged as the class of Italian football in Serie A. It was Chelsea that got on the scoreboard first with a pair of first half goals (more about those is forthcoming). Juventus answered with one goal to pull within 2-1 at halftime.

As Chelsea tried to hold on for the crucial victory, they set back defensively. However, poor decision making and play allowed Juventus multiple opportunities to comeback. The Italians took full advantage in the 80th minute when Fabio Quagliarella scored the equalizer. Juventus had chances to score a winner, but the final whistle sealed a draw for both sides.

While it is easy for Chelsea to be disappointed by the result, there were certainly a number of positives that emerged from the game. The foremost being the emergence of a blossoming star. Oscar is one of the young superstars coming out of Brazil ready to burst onto the international scene. Just 21 years of age, the midfielder has a world of potential in his footballing prowess.

When acquiring Oscar for a cool 25 million pounds, many openly wondered if Chelsea had panicked and overpaid for a young talent that only had potential to accomplish great things. Making his club debut as a starter, Oscar left little to doubt that he is ready for the big stage. His first goal did benefit from some good fortune when his shot deflected off a Juventus player and into the net.

Only two minute later, Oscar's second goal was the result of pure skill and the talent he has been blessed with. His beautiful strike didn't even grant Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon a hope of saving it. The goals weren't the only thing that caused Oscar to shine brightly before his peers, supporters, and viewers around the world. His play all over the field was superb to say the least.

When writing about Oscar's performance, ESPN.com's Phil Lythell described it as follows, "The strike (first goal), though, filled the youngster with confidence and his second goal a couple of minutes later was a thing of beauty, leaving everyone in Stamford Bridge wide-eyed and open-mouthed. His tricks and flicks were all measured and to the benefit to the team, every backheel purposeful rather than indulgent. Given room to operate, he began to dictate Chelsea's forward momentum and became the central figure in the home side's display."

Chelsea did have to settle for a draw with Juventus. However, regardless of how they play in the Champions League, they have witnessed the emergence of a new star. Oscar is not only loaded with potential, but is capable of making a significant impact immediately. It will be a joy to get to watch him mature and grow with both Chelsea and his native Brazilian national team.

Ten Men Enough for Chelsea to Advance

Photo Credit: Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

Chelsea came into today's UEFA Champions League semifinal with a 1-0 lead. Everyone expected the favorite Barcelona to roll over the Blues in the second leg at Camp Nou. Everything seemed to be going according to plan in the first half for Barcelona. They scored the first goal of the second leg on some beautiful  passing off a corner. Sergio Busquets was the goal scorer. Then, they caught a break when Chelsea captain John Terry made a foolish decision in the 37th minute. He thought he could get away with kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the hamstring, but the assistant referee spotted the blatant foul and Terry was immediately sent off with a red card. Terry complained, but the call was obvious, and Chelsea was left having to play with only ten players the rest of the way. Barcelona made them pay quickly for Terry's rash action. Some more nice passing led to a Andres Iniesta goal, which put the Spanish club up 2-0 in the second leg and 2-1 in the aggregate.

Things seemed to go further down hill for the Blues when Ramires picked up a yellow card for complaining, which meant he would miss the final if they made it. However, in the stoppage time of the first half, Ramires made amends for his mistake when he scored on a beautiful chip shot to pull Chelsea even on aggregate. The goal meant Chelsea would go through to the final if the score remained the same because the tiebreaker is away goals (which Chelsea gained as a result of the Ramires goal). That goal may have been exactly what Chelsea needed because they came out the second half focused and locked down defensively. That was until a crafty move by Barcelona forward Cesc Fabregas drew a penalty kick for Lionel Messi. Messi looked set to put Barca in the lead in the aggregate, until his blast ricocheted off the crossbar.

Barcelona kept their foot on the accelerator, seeking the goal they so desperately need. Petr Cech and the Chelsea defense refused to give in. In the 82nd minute, Barca looked like they had their goal, but Dani Alves was called just offsides. Only a minute later, they had another fabulous opportunity when Messi made a nice cut inside and let it rip. This time his shot struck the post. The opportunities continued for Barcelona into the stoppage time. Barca substitue Cristian Tello lost the ball in the Chelsea box, so the Blues cleared down field. Fernando Torres tracked it down and found space around him. He broke for the goal, dribbled around Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, and tapped it in for the sealing goal.

Chelsea could hardly contain their excitement after the final whistle blew. Viewers could hardly believe what they just witnessed. Despite having only ten men, being without their best defender, and playing at Camp Nou against the best club team in the world, Chelsea pulled off the improbable. They managed to come from behind, scored two goals, and kept Barcelona from scoring, despite being down a man since the 37th minute. Chelsea has a slew of imperative players suspended for the final, but they will cherish this unlikely upset win for today. For Barcelona, it is nothing but sheer disappointment. The best club team in the world fell to their rival Real Madrid in El Clasico over the weekend and have now been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by an undermanned sixth place EPL team. Both losses came at Camp Nou and are truly inexcusable. Barcelona had every opportunity they could ask for, but they could not put the ball in the net when they needed to against Chelsea. Chelsea should be commended for their valiant effort. They certainly deserve their spot in the UEFA Champions League final.

UEFA Champions League Group Action Reaction - 12/7/11

And then there were 16. Following today's results, the group stage of the UEFA Champions League has ended. The top two teams from each group advance. Let's take a look at some of the action and see who is advancing.

Manchester City 2 Bayern Munich 0 (Group A)

Manchester City has been leading the Premier League standings all year, but has struggled in the Champions League. They knew they would need some help to advance. Bayern Munich had already locked their place as the group winner prior to the game. Manchester City came out strong and netted two goals in a win over an under-strength Bayern Munich team. But it was too little, too late for Manchester City as Napoli beat last place Villarreal, who finished with zero points. Manchester City will have to wait for another chance to prove themselves, as they will be relegated to the second-tier Europa League.

Advancing from Group A: Bayern Munich and Napoli

CSKA Moscow 2 Internazionale 1 (Group B)

Group B may have had the most exciting finish of any group. Internazionale had already booked their spot in the Final 16 as the group winner, but the other three teams all had a shot at advancing. CSKA Moscow traveled to Italy to take on Internazionale, while Trabzonspor traveled to France to play Lille. In the latter game, second place Trabzonspor decided to stick to a defensively minded game hoping for some help from Internazionale in the other game. Trabzonspor goalkeeper Tolga Zengin held up his end of the bargain helping his team secure the 0-0 draw. This meant that CSKA Moscow needed a win to advance. Both teams had their share of opportunities, but halftime saw the teams scoreless. CSKA Moscow didn't waste much time in the second half before striking first blood though. Vagner Love made a nice cross from the right side that found the foot of Seydou Doumbia, who buried it in the bottom corner. Internazionale had the immediate answer though when Esteban Cambiasso scored the equalizer less than a minute later. Both teams had great opportunities, but this one seemed destined to be a draw. But then, CSKA Moscow drew a corner with three minutes to go. Substitute Aleksandrs Cauna took the corner. His ball in found the head of Vasili Berezutski who put it just past goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi's outstretched hand for the winner.

Advancing from Group B: Internazionale and CSKA Moscow

FC Basel 2 Manchester United 1 (Group C)

Manchester United was not supposed to be in this position, but all they needed was a draw against FC Basel. United remained confident heading to Switzerland for the match. The hosts put United in their place early on when Marco Streller put Basel up in the 9th minute. Manchester United didn't lack quality opportunities, but try as they might, they couldn't find the net. In the 84th minute, Basel finally gained some breathing room when Alexander Frei doubled their lead. Phil Jones cut the lead in half in the 89th minute, but Basel kept United from finding the equalizer. When the final whistle blew, the inconceivable happened as FC Basel got their greatest victory in club history. Manchester United's defensive lapses ultimately cost them the humiliation no one saw coming, regulation to the Europa League.

Advancing from Group C: Benfica and FC Basel

Lyon 7 Dinamo Zagreb 1 (Group D)

Lyon knew they would have to pour it on big time against last place Dinamo Zagreb in order to have a chance to advance. All second place Ajax Amsterdam had to do is get a draw against first place Real Madrid or just not surrender their huge goal differential lead. Real Madrid was up 2-0 at halftime. Lyon's hopes though seemed slim at halftime when they trailed lowly Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 at halftime. However, Lyon came out and went on a rampage scoring seven goals in the first thirty minutes of the second half. Bafetimbi Gomis netted four of those goals. This gave Lyon a shocking one goal lead in the tie-breaking goal differential. Ajax Amsterdam tried to find the net to stay alive, but Real Madrid forward Jose Maria Callejon put the final nail in the coffin. Lyon completed an incredible nine-goal swing to advance to the last 16.

Advancing from Group D: Real Madrid and Lyon

Chelsea 3 Valencia 0 (Group E)

Unlike fellow Premier foes Manchester City and Manchester United, Chelsea stepped up when it mattered the most. Chelsea needed a win over Valencia to advance. The Blues wasted little time as Didier Drogba started the scoring in the 3rd minute. Ramires doubled the lead in the 22nd minute. In the 76th minute, Drogba scored his second of the match for good measure. With Bayer Leverkusen's 1-1 draw against last place Racing Genk, Chelsea not only advanced, but managed to win the group.

Advancing from Group E: Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen

Marseille 3 Borussia Dortmund 2 (Group F)

Group F provided another thriller. Group winner Arsenal had already advanced, but the second place was up for grabs. Olympiakos showed they wanted the spot in a convincing 3-1 victory over Arsenal. The win looked like it would be enough as last place Borussia Dortmund had the lead 2-1 late over second place Marseille. However, in the 85th minute, Marseille midfielder Andre Ayew found the net for the equalizer. Two minutes later, Mathieu Valbuena put Marseille through to the last 16 for sure with the winning goal.

Advancing from Group F: Arsenal and Marseille

FC Porto 0 Zenit St Petersburg 0 (Group G)

With surprising Apoel Nicosia already having their ticket booked to advance, this game would decide who would advance with them. FC Porto needed a win to advance. Zenit St Petersburg made the long trip from Russia to Portugal knowing all they needed was a draw. As a result, they decided to stick to a defensively-minded strategy. FC Porto responded by pounding Zenit's goal with a barrage of shots. They had 24 total, including 8 on goal, but Zenit goalkeeper Viacheslav Malafeev stopped every one, becoming the hero of the 0-0 draw. Just like Apoel Nicosia, Zenit St Petersburg advanced to the last 16 for the first time ever.

Advancing from Group G: Apoel Nicosia and Zenit St Petersburg

Nothing of importance happened in the final two games of Group H. Barcelona had already locked up their position as group winner, and AC Milan was already secured as the runner up.

Advancing from Group H: Barcelona and AC Milan

Now, we have to wait until February 14, 2012 for the Round of 16 to begin. Keep an eye on these teams as they return to league play.

Managers' reactions to FC's Basel's "David over Goliath" Victory: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/matches/round=2000263/match=2007661/postmatch/quotes/index.html

UEFA Champions League Group Action Reaction - 11/23/11

Following today's matches, all teams in the UEFA Champions League have played five of their six matches in group play. Here is some of the notable scores from the past few days:

Napoli 2 Manchester City 1 (Group A)

You might remember I blogged about Manchester City's early success three weeks ago (http://fireawayblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-good-is-manchester-city.html). I mentioned for them to be considered among the cream of the crop in Europe they would have to succeed in the UEFA Champions League. Well, they struggled once again. Manchester City controlled the majority of possession (70%), but struggled to put the ball in the net. They had 17 shots, including 8 shots on goal, and 5 corners. However, they only scored once. On the other hand, Napoli forward Edinson Cavani didn't seem to have the same problem. The Uruguayan striker scored twice. Bayern Munich has already clinched its spot in the Final 16 as the group's winner. Following this result, Napoli currently sits in 2nd with 8 points, while Manchester City is third with 7. This means that for Man City to advance they have to beat Bayern Munich in their final game. They also would need winless Villarreal to win or tie against Napoli.

Trabzonspor 1 Internazionale 1 (Group B)

Inter Milan got the tie they needed in this match, which combined with Lille's 2-0 victory over CSKA Moscow, sends them into the Final 16 as the guaranteed group winner. Trabzonspor outshot Inter 22-9, but Brasilian keeper Julio Cesar reminded viewers why he is one of the best in the world. Trabzonspor is in 2nd with 6 points, while Lille and CSKA Moscow now are tied with 5. This means that it will come down to the final group games, as any of these three can advance. Trabzonspor plays Lille and advances automatically with a win. CSKA Moscow plays Inter.

Manchester United 2 Benfica 2 (Group C)

Manchester United stumbled in this one at Old Trafford. United overcame an early own goal with 2 goals of their own. In the 59th minute, Darren Fletcher put them in the lead 2-1. However, one minute later Pablo Aimar scored the equalizer. Both these teams remain tied for the lead in the group with 9 points, but FC Basel is right there with 8. Benfica has to like their odds in their final match against Otelul Galati, who has lost all five of their games. This means that the key final matchup will be the big one between Manchester United and FC Basel. It would be shocker if United failed to advance.

Lyon 0 Ajax Amsterdam 0 (Group D)

With Real Madrid (5-0-0) advancing after dominating the group, Lyon and Ajax knew they were battling to be the second team to advance from the group. Both teams had some great opportunities, but the game ended in a scoreless draw. Thanks in large part to two stellar saves by Kenneth Vermeer late, Ajax maintained their 3 point edge over Lyon in the group standings. Ajax will advance with at least a tie against Real Madrid. Lyon will need to score a lot of goals in a win over last place Dinamo Zagreb and an Ajax loss to have a shot at advancing.

Bayer Leverkusen 2 Chelsea 1 (Group E)

Chelsea knew what they needed to do in this game. They needed to take care of business like they should and pick up a win. They were on their way to this when Didier Drogba put them up 1-0. It seemed bad enough when they let Eren Derdiyok score the equalizer in the 73rd minute. Then, in stoppage time, Manuel Friedrich scored the shocking winning goal. Bayer Leverkusen is now in first place in the group and will advance with a mere draw against winless Racing Genk, who lost 7-0 to Valencia. Valencia now holds the goal differential edge over Chelsea. This means that Chelsea would need either a win or a scoreless draw against Valencia in their final match to advance.

Olympiakos 1 Marseille 0 (Group F)

While most of the talk is about Arsenal advancing as the group winners, this result had the most affect on the rest of the group. Olympiakos now has a shot of advancing thanks to a goal in the 82nd minute by substitute Ioannis Fetfatzidis. The sub scored just seven minutes after coming on the pitch. Marseille remains in second with 7 points. Picking up their second win, Olympiakos is now third with 6 points. Borussia Dortmund have 4 points and still has a slim chance of advancing. They would need a victory over Marseille to have a chance. Olympiakos needs at least a tie against Arsenal. Any of these three teams are capable of advancing.

Zenit St Petersburg 0 Apoel Nicosia 0 (Group G)

Apoel Nicosia knew they would advance with a draw, so they decided to play defensively from the onset. That is the way it remained the whole game as they only had 2 shots the whole game. Zenit St Petersburg did all they could to score as they fired 23 shots, had 8 of those on goal, and 10 corners. With the scoreless draw, Apoel Nicosia became the first Cypriot team to advance. This means that the group's decisive final game between Zenit St Petersburg and FC Porto will determine which of the two will advance. Zenit holds a one point edge in the standings, which means that FC Porto will need a win to advance.

Barcelona 3 AC Milan 2 (Group H)

This was the premier match people wanted to watch. After a 2-2 draw in the last matchup back in September, what would happen in this one? Mark Van Bommel's own goal put Barcelona up to start. In the 20th minute, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the equalizer against his old side. Lionel Messi put Barca back on top following a somewhat questionable penalty kick call. Kevin-Prince Boateng tied it up once again in the 54th minute. In the 63rd minute, Messi had a beautiful run to setup Xavi for the winning goal for Barca. Barcelona wins the group as both sides advance to the Final 16 in what was a well-played game by both sides.

How good is Manchester City?

Manchester City has been trying to establish itself as a football power in Europe. The team has has spent most of the season atop the Premier League table. Tonight was another step in this direction as they convincingly beat Villarreal 3-0 in the first stage of the 2011 Champions League. Yaya Toure led the attack, scoring twice.

Manchester City began the Premier season looking good, but there loss to Bayern Munich on September 27 seemed to reveal that they weren't quite ready for the top competition of Europe. They bounced back with two solid Premier wins, before facing their next Champions League foe, Villarreal. They won the first meeting 2-1.

On October 23, Manchester City had a Premier showdown with archrival Manchester United at Old Trafford. City proceeded to demolish United 6-1. City recorded only their second win at Old Trafford since 1974, and inflicted United's first home defeat since April 2010 and ended their run of 19 consecutive home league wins.

Including its win tonight, Manchester City is 7-0 since the loss to Bayern Munich. One player to watch is Italian Mario Balotelli. He has thrived as a new addition to the team, but has had a history of off-field issues. Here are some games to keep an eye on coming up for Manchester City as they continue Premier and Champions League play:

Nov 19	10:00 ET	Manchester City	v	Newcastle United	Etihad Stadium	Premier League
Nov 22	2:45 ET	Napoli	v	Manchester City	San Paolo	Champions League (2011 First Phase)

Dec 7	2:45 ET	Manchester City	v	Bayern Munich	Etihad Stadium	Champions League (2011 First Phase)
Dec 12	3:00 ET	Chelsea	v	Manchester City	Stamford Bridge	Premier League

These games will help to show how good Manchester City really is. Are they ready to be among the elite clubs in Europe. Stay tuned to these games and this blog to find out.

Read more about Man City's victory over Man U on October 23 here: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/317936?cc=5901
Read more about Man City's Mario Balotelli here: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature/_/id/977685/mario-balotelli:-a-world-all-his-own?cc=5901
Read more about Man City's win today over Villarreal here: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/331166?cc=5901