MLS All Stars 1 Chelsea 0
Date: 06-08-2006 07:55
There were wholesale changes for the second-half.
Immediately Kalou found good positions around the area, but lacked the sharpness to make advantage. Erpen did his best to help him by intercepting and nutmegging his own goalkeeper and Robinson was superb in getting back and clearing off his own line.
Joe Cole lasted only seven minutes before tweaking his knee and signalling as the game restarted that he was unable to continue. Jimmy Smith replaced him.
Terry had to be at his intercepting best and bravest again when O’Brien charged in and tried to finish the tall Jaque’s dogged attack. Immediately O’Brien, the right wing-back, turned up on the left and forced a free-kick out of Mikel. MLS were looking bright. Chelsea switched Diarra and Essien to affect the flow of the game.
But hard working De Rosario put MLS ahead when he fired from the diagonal edge of the area and a startled Hilario, on the pitch for only six minutes, allowed the ball to rocket inside him. It was his side’s first effort on target.
Essien clattered Eskandarian and got booked with just under ten minutes remaining. The team looked frustrated, unable to find sharpness when it was most required.
Essien smacked the half’s first Blue shot on target after a Robben run had been cleared, belting the ball from 30 yards, and Cannon saved a little fearfully even though the ball went straight at him.
Terry moved up to centre-forward in the last five minutes with Essien shifting to defence, and outstripped Boswell to reach Carvalho’s pass, but his left-footed shot was blocked by Cannon. Maybe the captain should have played centre-forward all game.
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