February 18, 2010
English FA Cup- Chelsea crushed Cardiff City 4-1 and Advanced to Quarterfinals of FA Cup
By Ally White
The Chelsea team advanced to the FA Cup quarterfinals after beating the Second Division team, Cardiff City, 4-1 at Stamford Bridge this past Saturday. Chelsea is the current FA Cup champion and one of the favorites to win the Cup once again. However, Chelsea’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, needs to move his pieces carefully in the following quarterfinals game, and at the same time hope his important players will play at their best.
Beginning the first half, Chelsea reached an early lead with a goal from Didier Drogba, who converted a pass from Jon Obi Mikel at minute 2. The London club looked uncomfortable, and without the presence of defender John Terry, the vulnerability of the defense became evident at minute 36, when Michael Chopra advanced without obstacle to score the equalizer with a header. The goal left Chelsea anxious in the offense, but the team couldn’t score; the first half finished with a 1-1 draw.
Entering the second, Chelsea was again determined to gain an early lead, and succeeded. Drogba sent Michael Ballack a pass that, at minute 51, Ballack converted into Chelsea’s second goal. Eighteen minutes later, Daniel Sturridge scored the third for the Blues. Now ahead by two points, Chelsea gained confidence and controlled the game for the rest of the match.
Just four minutes before the match ended, Salomon Kalou gave Chelsea the 4-1 with a header from a cross by Paulo Ferreira, finishing the game and gaining the qualification for the FA cup quarterfinals.
At the end of the game, Chelsea’s assistant manager, Ray Wilkins, stated that Chelsea competed well; although the team got off to a rocky beginning, Wilkins praised the players’ perseverance to the end of the game, happy with the way they handled the adversity in the first half
"Cardiff made it tough for us in this game and we had to fight hard to get through, but it was a comfortable afternoon in the end. It's a tribute to the professionalism of players like Drogba and Frank Lampard that they continue to perform at their best against a side we are expected to beat comfortably. This was another good Chelsea performance." alleged Wilkins.
On the other hand, Cardiff boss Dave Jones seemed happy with his team's efforts, despite the final adverse score.
“We didn't come here merely intent on avoiding a battering as that is not our way, but you can get undone when you come up against the touch of quality they have here. Chelsea is top of the Premier League and my lads matched them for long periods, but the little mistakes we made cost us. Now we can focus on the prime target which has always been promotion," alleged Jones.
With Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool already eliminated, Carlo Ancelotti's team is the favorite to win this season's prestigious FA Cup.
Chelsea’s next match will be against Wolverhampton on February 27th for the Premier League, and on February 24th will face Inter Milan in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Cardiff City will play against West Bromwich Albion on February 16th, for the Football League Championship.
About the Author
Ally White has been a prominent writer on regular International Football games, sports news and the sportsbetting industry for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.