The annual TSN.ca 'Best Of' takes a kick at soccer, examining the wild year for Chelsea FC, Leicester City stunning start and Robert Lewandowski's five-goal performance.
Chelsea's roller coaster year
On Sunday May 25th, 2015, Chelsea raised the Premier League Trophy they clinched earlier in the month with three games to spare.
On Thursday December 18th, 2015 manager Jose Mourinho “mutually” parted ways with the champions just 16 games into their title defence, after suffering nine losses and falling to just one point ahead of the relegation zone.
“It was a decision taken to protect the interests of the club,” Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo said. “While there is huge sentiment for the individual who has done so much for the club, the fact of the matter remains that Chelsea Football Club is in trouble.”
There were reports that senior club officials claimed “palpable discord” between Mourinho and the Chelsea players and further reports indicate that not all of the players turned up when the 52-year-old was given the opportunity to deliver a farewell address to the team.
So what has gone wrong at Stamford Bridge?
Many of the veteran players that carried Chelsea to the title last season have struggled to find their mark in the 2015/16 campaign.
John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic have had trouble at the back while both Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa have had to endure the boos of the fan base.
Keeper Thibaut Courtois has missed the majority of the season with a knee injury and backup Asmir Begovic has struggled to produce the same level as the Belgian international.
With a change on the bench, the Blues will be hoping it’s not too late to get back into the Champions League conversation but will need an almost flawless second half of the season to avoid producing one of the worst title defences in Premier League history.
Leicester City's stunning start
Eight of the last 11 teams to top the Premier League at Christmas have gone on to win the title, which you would assume is good news for Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal or Manchester City, whichever big spending, powerhouse team has ascended to the top of the throne this season on December 25th.
Look again, the team with the most points in England’s top league on Christmas is Leicester City, who after surviving the previous season by six points in 14th place, have shocked the soccer world by exploding out of the gate, suffering only one defeat in their first 17 games to top the table.
The main headline maker for the Foxes has been English striker Jamie Vardy, who broke Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record by scoring in 11 consecutive games.
The 28-year-old currently leads the league in goals ahead of Everton striker Romelu Lukaku and another reason for Leicester City’s success, midfielder Riyad Mahrez, who finds himself among the league leaders in both goals and assists.
Manager Claudio Ranieri gives the credit for his team’s unexpected success to not just his two top stars but to the entire squad.
“When you do this kind of performance a lot of times, it is not only Vardy or Mahrez,” said Ranieri. “Remember even Maradona alone, did nothing. He needed other players around him. Together, we are producing as a very good team.”
“Maybe here there aren’t any champions, but there is a team with great spirit. To do what we do for two, three matches? OK. But to do it for six months? There are champions in my team.”
The Holiday period will afford Leicester City a chance to prove if they are here to stay or about to fade away as they will face both Liverpool and Manchester City before the end of the year. If they can continue their current run of form, they will be well positioned to qualify for the Champions League and challenge for the league title.
Lewandowski explodes for five goals on Wolfsburg
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was on the bench for the first half of his team’s September 22nd contest against Wolfsburg and they trailed 1-0 at the break.
The 27-year-old replaced Juan Bernat at the interval and for the first five minutes that he was in the action, he was kept off the board.
Then he went to work.
50:45 – Lewandowski gets on the board converting a short pass from Thomas Muller and leveling the game 1-1.
51:43- Less than a minute later, from outside the box, the Polish international hits a beautiful strike beating the keeper low and just inside the post to give his side the lead.
54:03 - Mario Gotze finds Lewandowski breaking in on the net and all alone he rings his first shot off the post, only to have the ball ricochet back to him. His second effort is stopped by the Wolfsburg keeper but given a third chance he does not miss, completing his hat-trick in less than four minutes.
56:25 – Less than six minutes after pulling his team level, Lewandowski punishes Wolfsburg for a fourth time, this time converting a high bouncing cross by blasting it past the keeper to make the score 4-1.
59:42 – The masterpiece is complete as Lewandowski, left alone in the box, slams his fifth goal of the game with a beautiful first touch scissor kick, becoming the fastest player to score five goals in Bundesliga history.
"I am very satisfied, that was incredible," said Lewandowski after the game. "I just wanted to shoot; I didn't really think what will happen afterwards. Having been one down, we knew that we must improve and score twice at least. But five goals, that's incredible."
And the man himself had the final word on Instagram.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét