Champions League Recap

Chelsea's Champions League win in Munich may have been the end to one of the most prolific club soccer runs in history. As the final Drogba penalty found the back of the net, I found myself in disbelief. Somehow, a bunch of 30-somethings  infused with some young talent fought their way through the best in Europe to be crowned the kings. Unbelievable.

                There is no logical explanation for why Bayern Munich's 43 shots didn't find twine besides a higher power. There is no way the sure footed Robben misses a penalty like that or the fact the a German (Schweinsteiger) clangs another penalty off the woodwork on German soil. Sure enough though, all of that happened and more. Drogba's 88th minute goal was also a miracle in itself. Out of the 3 big chances Chelsea had, he was somehow able to make it count.

                Some may say that this was an undeserved championship by the Blues or that the Barvarians lost it. The truth is that Chelsea marched into Bayern's house without their Capitan, implemented their brand of soccer, and won the game despite being out played.

                I give the credit to three men for this win. Drogba is the obvious one. His equalizer and deciding penalty kick were the main points of the match. Without the Ivorian, Chelsea would have been gone long ago. The second man is Roberto Di Matteo. His managing was vital to the Blues. He made sure that the Blues played their game and seemed to be able to give the right emotions at the right time for his men. Di Matteo's utter calmness in the most feisty of situations kept the boys from London afloat. The Third and maybe most important man of all has been over looked for years. Petr Cech has been the key to the Blues success for years. He is quietly been one of the best keepers in all of England and in the world for that matter. He guessed right with every shot thrown at him that night, but was just slightly off for a few. With Cech only at the age of 30, there will not be many balls in the Chelsea net for many years to come.

               

                Now looking forward to next year, I have to say that both teams could be making another run. Chelsea will be losing Drogba this year, but have plenty of talent to fill in for him. The depth of the Blue's roster is amazing and that will really come in handy in the upcoming seasons. I don't see a repeat as the champions of Europe, but I do see them finishing higher than 6th in the Premier League. The one thing that Chelsea must do though is make Roberto Di Matteo the full time manager. He was able to bring them two trophies in a year that look to be lost. Imagine what he could do in a full year!

                Bayern Munich on the other hand will certainly be back near the top of the Champions League. With names like Gomez, Robben, and Olic, it is hard for me to imagine them falling early. I expect them to come back with guns blazing next year to prove that they deserve the trophy. It will take time, but I feel the Bayern will make a comeback comparable to the 1999 team. Maybe the ribbons will be red in 2014? Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading! I will be doing a couple posts to wrap up the European leagues as we head into the off-season. Also a couple tid-bits on the U.S. Men's National team and the NHL Playoffs will be on their way as well!