You know the season is coming when:
-Ro is back on game day banners!
-We visit an old friend, and Pat Cook's VERY good friend!
-And if all goes well I will try and live blog the game tonight, but I can't make any promises. Either way there will be updates below during the match, even if it is just ranting and raving as we get our butts kicked, I mean as we show Carletto whose boss!
My Live Ranting...
-how scary good is chelski...possible starting eleven cech, bosingwa, terry, alex, cole, essien, lamps, Mikel, Malouda, Cole, and Drogs...and that doesn't even factor in the bench with Ballack, Zhirkov, Carvalho, and Anelka...WOW.
-Lalas says, "Carletto traded up" Nice....
-starting eleven Kalac, oddo, silva, nesta, zambro, Pirlo, flamini, Dorf, Dinho, Borriello and Pato...big guns are out...very close to our starting eleven save Kalac, Clarence and possibly Oddo.
-Carletto counters with Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry,Cole, Mikel, Belletti, Zhirkov, Lamps, Anelka, and Drogba
-2 minutes in and I think I can say we suck...
-4 minutes, still suck...
-WOW...Drogba is AWESOME...what a goal in the 7th minute...frankly it doesn't appear we can compete here.
-9th minute Dinho gets his first touch, fruitless, Seedorf doing the majority of the playmaking here.
-Lalas and Adrian Healey lambasting Dinho as well, possibly the only love this man gets is here?
-13th minute, Pirlo gets his first touch, also not good, our midfield is lost.
-14' Pato moves in but a poor first touch, can be expected as this is his first real game action.
-17' Oddo back to his old self and killing a cross in to row 13!
-Flamini seems to be the only guy who can pass, and Borriello is a ghost.
-Dinho with a moment of brilliance as he attempts a bicycle which is blocked by none other than Borriello for his first touch...irony...
-A flurry in the 29th leads to a crossbar from Dorf, the tight passing maneuvers were nice, and Flamini was the starter, well played, should have finished.
-Pirlo shanks another in the 32nd and I know it is preseason, but the don't give a shit attitude of our boys is frustrating me to no end.
-Flamini with his second yellow of the friendly tournament!? American is going to think he is a thug...
-Seedorf scores a cracker off a sweet one two from Zambro to Dinho!! 1-1 in the 39th!
-40' back to reality as Milan back under pressure and no real semblance of ball movement.
-Seedorf may be a necessity come the start of the season...not what many of us wanted, but if he is producing and he seems very game, does he or doesn't he deserve the spot?
-Some OK interchange on the attack, promising, but the final pass is always lacking.
-Borriello wearing 22, poor taste?
-First half over, 1-1, little positive to take from this. Yes, Chelsea are ahead in preseason, and yes they are in fact the better team. It wouldn't kill Milan to gear up, amp up, and show a little passion and heart. Maybe the biggest problem is not talent or depth, maybe it is heart? No real standout play in the first half, lots of phantoms, with Seedorf and Flamini being the real dicators of pace and tempo. Hopefully Abate, Baretta, and Zigoni can come in to push the issue a bit.
-Second hald underway...
-No changes from both squads, anyone think this game is a bit more meaningful to the coaches!?
-Anelka lets Milan off the hook with the miss in the 48th.
-Nesta looking solid, and a sight for sore eyes in terms of CB play.
-These Blues are not afraid to let it rip. Lalas and Healey discussing Carletto's like of the 4-4-2 with diamond mid (4-1-2-1-2) and everyone here saying he was a one formation guy!?
-Dinho missing another set piece, Milan buzzing here.
-Hopefully the end of Seedorf's night to not risk injury here. Anelka coming off for Sheva, the irony never stops.
-Abate in for Clarence, keep an eye on his pace.
-Gooch coming on in front of his home town fans, he needs to be better than Wednesday and build his performances. Nesta coming off after a GREAT performance.
-Chelsea's Eastern Bloc boys make some magic and leads to a goal in the 69th minute. Sheva makes a vintage cut, and Zhirkov cleans up the mess. Boy I miss Milan's Eastern Bloc crew...
-Abate pushes the issue following the goal, kid is a gamer, his teammates can learn.
-72nd RINO TIME! Pirlo off..
-Zigoni on as well...he too needs to improve from Wednesday.
-If Milan got points for all the Dinho cheeky touches we would be kicking ass, but all his turnovers wipe that slate clean. Not good enough, and don't feed me the "he is getting there line." It has to be consistent, efficient, and simple.
-Oddo having a really tough go tonight...few flashes of brilliance for all the errors.
-77th Silva off for Kaladze, not much bad from Silva, but not much good, usually a good sign for a CB. Relatively quiet night for the first real look I have had of him.
-79th Dinho off for DiGennaro, lots of cheers, lets see what DiGennaro has got for us.
-Pippo for Pato, don't be surprised if he gets one.
-83rd DiGennaro has a rip, straight on, but with promise.
-Trivia: Has Milan ever attempted three bicylce kicks in one game? Has any team ever done that? Has any team ever taken three cracks at a bike and missed?
-My girlfriend says Leonardo looks more like a BeeGee than a soccer coach...even the casual fan see's how out of place he really looks.
-Zigoni's problems continue, kid looks big time shellshocked.
-Little RinoDinho action in the 88th as he makes his way through two players and lays off a great ball to DiGennaro that goes nowhere. Again the passing is working but the final pass is virtually nonexistent.
-Abate cuts in and hits a beauty to Pippo who forces a big save from Cech. Great ball by Abate, but even better was his effort to keep that ball. Soon after Gooch barely misses a header, his ability on set pieces may prove helpful in the long run.
-Chelsea counters with a great ball from Sheva to Lampard who plays a World class turn and puts one on net.
-94th Free Kick to Milan, last chance here and Oddo wastes it into the wall. Gets a rise out of Leonardo for that gaff who looks pissed, but that is that and Carletto gets the last laugh. This leaves Milan and Inter to play for last place in the World Football Challenge on Sunday. Chelsea and Carletto are far superior and again we are left with questions...