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The FA Cup Final : A 1-0 Hammering

Published by Ian John on May 16, 2010

Chelsea have joined the list of great clubs to have won the League and FA Cup double after yesterdays 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Wembley. Carlo Ancelotti has achieved, in his first season, something that even Jose Mourinho failed to do and captured the two most prestigious prizes in English football within the space of a week.

In truth, Chelsea were worthy winners. In actual fact, worthy doesn’t even begin to describe the level of dominance they exerted for the majority of the game. In an incredible first half, incredible that it somehow ended up 0-0 at half time, the Londoners hit the woodwork of the Pompey goal on five occasions, most memorably when Solomon Kalou contrived to slam the ball against the bar from four yards out with the gaping goal right in front of him. It was almost enough for the Chelsea fans to perhaps wonder if football fate had decreed that no matter what they did, this was not to be their day.

Kalou however wasn’t the first to miss from such tiny distances, minutes previously Portsmouth, in their only real attack of the half, wasted a glorious chance to take the lead when Frederic Piquionne could only divert Kevin Prince-Boateng’s shot onto the flailing arms of Peter Cech from a distance of three yards when had he put the ball anywhere else, it would surely have resulted in a goal.

If the miracle at half time was that Chelsea were not three goals up already, then the miracles continued in the second half. And no doubt many Chelsea fans felt that the football fates had truly deserted them when Juliano Belletti, in his last game for the club, showed why that was the case with a terribly clumsy tackle on Aruna Dindane to earn Portsmouth a penalty and the chance to take the lead. Kevin Prince Boateng stepped up but his weak effort was easily saved by Peter Cech and Chelsea cleared comprehensively.

In truth, if football fate had decreed Portsmouth were to win, then that was their moment. That Boateng failed to take the opportunity proved vital as barely three minutes later Chelsea grabbed the solitary goal of the game. Drogba, who had seen a first half free kick superbly tipped onto the underside of the bar by David James, once again stood over the ball and this time he struck a clean sidefoot shot powerfully past a rather disorganised Portsmouth wall towards the corner that James was supposed to be guarding. Mindful of Drogba curling the ball into the other corner however, James had begun to creep across goal to his right as Drogba struck the shot. That single decision cost Portsmouth as Drogba’s accurate shot flew past the disintegrating wall and into the bottom corner of the net, past the flying dive of James and in off the inside of the post.

From then on, it wasn’t a question of if Chelsea would win, but by how many. Further chances came and went as the game somewhat deteriorated as a spectacle afterwards. Pompey, with no real answer to Chelsea’s dominance, were left clutching at straws and it seemed a kindness when Frank Lampard dragged his penalty wide in the latter stages of the game, rather than adding a second. Though no doubt Fabio Capello will have been none too impressed at the England stars penalty taking prowess ahead of the World Cup Finals.

A game that should have been 6-2 to Chelsea ended 1-0. It didn’t matter, the best team had deservedly won the honour and John Terry managed to put a season filled of moments to forget behind him by having two weeks of a career to remember forever, lifting the Premier League and FA Cup in successive weeks.

For Avram Grant and Portsmouth, it was a spirited effort and a predictable result. Pompey face a bigger fight in staving off the vultures that hover over Pompey and if that battle can be won then this FA Cup final defeat will appear only as a mere blip.

For Chelsea, it is glory. Ancelotti however will know that despite his great start and Abramovich’s delight, that next season he will be expected to once again follow in the footsteps of a Chelsea legend and follow the track beaten by Jose Mourinho this season, and reach the Champions League final.

Then, perhaps, his job will be safe for a little while.

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