Friendly vs LA Galaxy

[Alan]

So our final game of the US tour is a couple of hours away, and it looks likely that Beckham won't start but will play some part.

Predictions? I'm gonna go for a 2-0 Chelsea win.

[The Moos]

I'll go with 4-1.

[callista]

Despite LA Galaxy's apparently dire loss a few days ago against Tigres I'm going for a 1-0 or even 1-1.

The opposition are going to be under incredible pressure to make a good game of it, to impress the world's watching media that MLS "soccer" isn't that bad after all. They're at home and licking their wounds and I don't think we can just expect to turn up there and put lots of goals past them. We are in preseason they are not. Lets hope that there are NO injuries that's the most important thing.

Sounds like the sponsors and the club are absolutely desparate for Beckham to get out on to that pitch even if it's just for 5 minutes and I think he will, this thing has been hyped so much that he doesn't really have much choice poor sod.

It's ridiculous how much media frenzy there has been over this game just because of Beckham, I'm actually quite glad he's not playing for most of the match.

The TV stations who are all covering this will not be that happy though.

[footiemadman007]

Does anyone know when the kickoff is? Soccernet says 03:30am, but the official Chelsea HTML site (seeing as its the only version which gives the pre-season fixtures) says 02:00am :?

[Scott]

About 9:00pm US East Coast so + 5hr = 02:00 UK.

[footiemadman007]

About 9:00pm US East Coast so + 5hr = 02:00 UK.

Thanks Scott :)

I'll be watching!

[callista]

The team has been announced:

Cech

Paulo

JT

Ben Haim

RC

SWP

Essien

Malouda

FL

Kalou

Drogba

[Kev123]

I'm almost wishing I'd chose the Chinese speaking channel for internet streaming, these American commentators are doing my head in

I'm going for a 4-1 as well.

[Lofty]

Well I can't get Sopcast to work, but I've just found out it's on 5Live. That'll do me!

[callista]

They are saying that it's all about Becks on the TV stations over there and he isn't even on the pitch!

God knows what will happen when he actually gets on there, if at all.

[Kev123]

Well I can't get Sopcast to work, but I've just found out it's on 5Live. That'll do me!

Its on PPmate and PP stream as well

There's a crowd of about 50 reporters around Becks

Can't believe I'm so excited about a friendly. It's been too long without football

[callista]

We really should have scored by now, we are playing well but no final product in front of goal but almost trying to walk the ball into the back of the net.

Galaxy are really defending well, although Malouda is having the time of his life down the flank with Roberts.

Kalou missed a sitter.

BH is playing high up the pitch.

Paulo is not playing that well, giving away free kicks.

SWP is lively and so is Kalou - I yelled out when Kalou missed - he should have scored.

Cech made a great save.

For all our attack play when Galaxy have broken they could have scored twice ironically.

[Alan]

Good game so far, we've created a lot of chances but just seem a bit too elaborate.

Kalou seems to be his usual self, with his eratic finishing.

[Kev123]

Start of the 2nd half and Terry makes it 1-0 with a finish Drogba would have been proud of.

1-0 to the blues

[Kev123]

SWP is lively and so is Kalou - I yelled out when Kalou missed - he should have scored.

Mourinho should BAN Kalou from shooting at goal

[Kev123]

We scored a BEAUTIFUL goal, passing it all the way into the net, but the linesman was the only one who decided Sheva was offside.

[Alan]

Saw that, sheer class.

[callista]

Well we stepped off the gas when Terry scored his goal frankly, Jose I think thought we had done enough and we got Maka on to cover the defence when a strike almost got through - pragmatic Jose to the last a win is a win is a win.

I think there were quite a few good points to this match, despite our incredibly annoying lack of final finish.

We are now Arsenal in disguise.

Essien was everywhere and he brings such energy to the team, Malouda, Cole and SWP swapped positions a lot, Sheva had a quite beautifully worked goal with Kalou disallowed when it should have stood.

Kalou was sparky but oh so wasteful in his shooting.

Drogba's strength gave the defence problems as did Malouda down that flank in the first half - we should have made more of those chances.

But our overall movement was good, lots of players interchanging positions - I lost track at times where everyone was.

Feel so sorry for Sheva having that goal disallowed it was a beauty, we should have scored more, our corners were not that wonderful but this was never going to be a free scoring game, I don't care how poor LA Galaxy are meant to be. If we are still missing chances come the actual season then yes we will have problems.

We are in pre-season and we got the win and tried out our 442 and then goodness knows what formation after that, Jose learned some more no doubt which he can apply when we turn to Europe and the more serious pre-season.

Some people on other boards are almost slitting their wrists about the fact we didn't put about 10 goals passed them but LA Galaxy defended well and frantically at times - Xavier got them out of quite a bit of trouble and we let them off the hook with some of our poor finished.

But that's to be expected in pre-season and overall the match went pretty much as I expected. Beckham contributed nothing despite the screams from the crowd - he is obviously injured and Sidwell left him a nice little calling card!

Paulo worries me, he did not have a comfortable game in the first half and gave away a hell of lot of free kicks.

I thought Ben Haim did well first half got quite high up the pitch.

Malouda looks really promising, I wonder what Robben would have done as an option for Jose, I think he would have given that defence down the flank some problems.

[lauren]

I managed to catch the last 15 mins in a bar, I mostly saw Essien all over the park. big yawn that Becks was on, they showed plenty of his WAG and the other hangers on. Did catch a replay of the goal eventually.

[callista]

I managed to catch the last 15 mins in a bar, I mostly saw Essien all over the park. big yawn that Becks was on, they showed plenty of his WAG and the other hangers on. Did catch a replay of the goal eventually.

Thankfully I was watching Chelsea TV which actually had commentary about the football but I understand if you were watching the American channels you had the occasional glimpse of football then a break to watch Arnie or some celeb in the stands and constant talk about Beckham.

A total circus sideshow and no one came out of it looking good - Beckham should never has been on the pitch he was obviously injured.

I'm sure Jose and the Chelsea team will be glad to get back across the other side of the pond and let Beckham stay here - all he is to these people is a money generator for their shirt sales, they should never have allowed him to play, I mean really "Beckham cam" just so stupid.

No wonder football never takes off over there - they just can't watch an entire game for 90 minutes without having some kind of extra "show" on hand.

Total madness.

[PraetorianGuard]

The coverage wasn't that bad here in America.

I'm glad we got Malouda, he looks promising and Ben Haim played better then I expected.

[lauren]

since I was in a bar I luckily didnt have to listen to the awful american TV presenters. I can't stand all the screen shrinking to show player stats in the middle of the screen. Not to mention ticker tape with other sports info.

btw JT won the Honda MOM

[Alan]

The whole Beckham thing was laughable really, he clearly wasn't fit and was under pressure to play some part. He got a very nice welcome tackle by Sidwell

[dozza]

The coverage wasn't that bad here in America.

I'm not sure if you were watching ESPN or not, but it was utterly horrific. The "Beckham Cam"? Are you joking? Plus having to watch the celebrities in the stands every two minutes was extremely irritating as well.

Let's not forget the announcers... Prior to watching this game, I had no idea that Beckham was the best football player in the world *ever*, but thanks to ESPN, now I do. Tommy Smyth was the only voice of reason amongst those four muppets.

[callista]

The coverage wasn't that bad here in America.

I'm not sure if you were watching ESPN or not, but it was utterly horrific. The "Beckham Cam"? Are you joking? Plus having to watch the celebrities in the stands every two minutes was extremely irritating as well.

Let's not forget the announcers... Prior to watching this game, I had no idea that Beckham was the best football player in the world *ever*, but thanks to ESPN, now I do. Tommy Smyth was the only voice of reason amongst those four muppets.

Jesus.

Sounds toe curlingly bad - Beckham cam?

To be fair they had Becks being interviewed afterwards and he did have the good grace to look and say he was embarrassed about the sheer hyperbole of him being filmed putting a sock on or even getting up when on the touchline.

Beckham should never have set foot on that pitch, HE WAS NOT MATCH FIT. If ever there was a sponsor's led decision that was it! Beckham is just playing to the celebrity piper that is calling the tune now, this game was never just a football friendly and Chelsea did the bare minimum they needed to do, could have done much better (and scored more if match fit and sharper) but they can now pack their bags, breathe a sigh of relief and go home with no real injuries and leave Beckhamania where it belongs - in the States.

Sidwell's challenge was a hoot - you could almost see the entire MLS,Galaxy/media convulsing when Becks was on the floor.

Jose later told the press it was just Sidwell trying to impress him and he expected that and he had no problems with it - had to laugh.

Chelsea were never going to let Becks have his dream moment no matter (scoring with a free kick or making a killer pass) what Jose might have said beforehand, a win is a win is a win to Jose.

Chelsea play with the same outlook whether it's LA Galaxy or MU. If you can win by 1-0 then why the hell not? He's not the type of manager to go in for hockey scores of 4-0 just because you can sort of thing, goes against his pragmatic nature. Although frankly how we didn't score more goals I don't know, we were camped most of the time in their half for huge portions of the match, our percentage possession must have been amazing.

Still I did like some of the stuff we put together at times and Malouda has slotted straight in, looks like he's been playing with us for ages already.