Oscar: One For the Future

Blink, and the moment of brilliance was over. It came out of nothing -- a simple through ball by Ashley Cole, ending with a highlight reel finish. Even the veteran left back was caught by surprise.

With his back to goal, Oscar took a simple touch to elude both markers, circling around the pair before unleashing a sublime strike that curled past a fully stretched Gianlugi Buffon and into the top corner. Stamford Bridge erupted for a second time in a matter of minutes, as one of Brazil's new generation of samba stars decided to mark his presence in style. Whether in the stands or watching at home, everyone was clamouring to see the replay for confirmation of what just happened.

In his first official start for Chelsea, Oscar repaid manager Roberto Di Matteo's faith with a fantastic double on the biggest stage, in the Champions League against Juventus. It was just a small glimpse to the quality and massive potential of the Blues' new number eleven, a jersey deeply associated with reliability and class by its previous owner Didier Drogba

 

 

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/09/27/oscar_chelsea_brazil_epl_bpl/

Chelsea Lack Courage

Stamford Bridge erupted in triumphant jubilation when the Champions League trophy was brought onto the field before kick-off prior to Wednesday's title between Chelsea and Juventus.

The sight of the trophy triggered happy memories of that glorious day in Munich when Chelsea finally realized its European ambitions and finally lifted that last piece of silverware coveted by owner Roman Abramovich

The Russian billionaire decided to stick with manager Roberto Di Matteo for another season, uncharacteristically going against his normal system of throwing millions at a top name and subsequently buying them out when results weren't up to his standards. A repeat is highly unlikely, but football is known for its surprises, especially in Europe's premier competition

Juventus enjoyed a spectacular and quite successful campaign last season as well, going the entire domestic calendar without suffering a single defeat. The feat was achieved in large part to the tireless work-rate and vision of the ageless wonder Andrea Pirlo. Some of that credit also falls to manager Antonio Conte for his tactical approach and timely substitutions at key moments throughout the year. But unfortunately for the Italian champions their coach will not be seen on the touchline at all this season, having to serve a ten-match suspension.


To read more of my analysis click on the link below...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/09/19/uefa_champions_league_cheslea_juventus/

City's Flawed Game-Plan

When the dust settled and the Champions League groups were set last month, Real Madrid vs. Manchester City above all others leapt off the page without any analysis required.

A club recently built off an infinite channel of wealth, pitted against football royalty. The talking points are endless, but what is difficult to put into perspective is the amount of dollars spent on the expensive group of commodities sitting in each dressing room. The Estadio Santiago Bernabeu was the perfect venue to stage the first competitive match between these two clubs on Tuesday.

The anticipation for this encounter consumed sports page headlines worldwide, as Jose Mourinho and his counterpart Roberto Mancini can always be counted on to hype up proceedings.


To read more of my match analysis click on the link below...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/09/18/uefa_champions_league_manchester_city_real_madrid/