Devastating Defeat for Pool & fans (Gerrard, Carragher & Hamman dejected)
Alas, the dream of winning some kind of silverware ended in disappointment this morning (Singapore time). Liverpool was held to a 1 - 1 draw by Chelsea during normal time & had to battle during extra time, despite their fatigue.
Pool could have won the Cup in normal time, save for a freaked own goal by skipper; Stevie Gerrard. He headed Chelsea's freekick into his own net & left Dudek rooted to the ground, shocked. What's worse, the own goal lifted Chelsea's spirit & they continued to put pressure on Pool's defence. Hence, both sides had to play out the 30-mins extra time.
Following the quick goal by Riise (less than a min into the game!!), Pool played well during the first half & looked like they were winning this. However, Chelsea fought hard & constantly pressured the Pool's defense. Jose Mourinho's team are not one that gives up fighting easily, they were playing 4 strikers upfront to grab the equaliser. But, it was Gerrard whom gave them the lifeline in the 80th min; heading the ball into his own net.
Jose Mourinho got into trouble with the police authority & the fourth official & was sent off. Before the sent-off, he lost his temper & berated Finnan & Carragher from the sidelines for no reason whatsoever. After the own goal by Gerrard, he even gestured the Pool's fans to be quiet by putting his finger to his lips repeatedly.
The match was extremely explosive & fast-paced that really put both teams' fitness to the test. Both Pool & Chelsea showed signs of slowing down during extra time. It was Chelsea who scored first, with Drogba on the score sheet. Kezman followed suit & Chelsea were 3 - 1 up with only 7 mins remaining of the 2nd period of extra time. Though Nunez scored his first ever goal for Pool after that, it was a case of too little, too late. Chelsea walked away with a famous victory & Jose Mourinho is on his way for the chase of silverware, with the Carling Cup being the first.
It was extremely painful for me to watch, being a Pool fan. I seriously thought Pool would win the Carling Cup with the magnificent early strike from Riise & confidence they displayed during the 1st half. However, things were not meant to be & Pool lost the only 1 real chance of winning any kind of silverware this season. I saw Stevie Gerrard sitting on the pitch after the match & it must have been terrible for him. He would love to bring glory to Anfield by lifting the Carling Cup at Cardiff, but he turned out to be the hero-turned-villian with the own goal.
It's pointless to feel dejected with the loss now. Hopefully, they can pick themselves up quick enough to face off Newcastle in their next Premiership match & probably stage an upset against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany & advance further in the Champions League.
The body may be tired, but the spirit must prevail & move on.
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