European Cup Winners Cup

                                    Round One  -  1st Leg  -  2nd Leg
                                    Round Two  - 1st Leg  -  2nd Leg
                                  Quarter Finals - 1st Leg  -  2nd Leg
                                      Semi Finals - 1st Leg  -  2nd Leg

Cup Winners Cup
Final
 
Stuttgart V Chelsea

May 13 in Stockholm

ECWC Semi-final 2nd Leg
Chelsea 3 Vicenza 1
(Chelsea win 3-2 on agg.)

Stephen's Television View.

Chelsea lined up with
De Goey - Clarke - Leboeuf - Duberry - LeSaux
Morris - Wise - Newton - Poyet
Vialli - Zola

subs Hughes, Charvet, Myers, Flo, Nicholls, Hitchcock

Chelsea went into this match 0-1 with any goals conceded counting double should there be a draw. The rain was pouring creating a slippery surface making the timing of tackles and overall control difficult.

Both teams applied early pressure with Chelsea winning a corner inside the first minute. Only 6 minutes later came the shot on target, De Goey saving well and both Newton and LeSaux helping to clear any danger. Chelsea's first chance fell to their manager, Vialli, who could only head straight at the keeper. Chelsea kept the pressure on, Zola had a shot saved from a Morris cross. Morris was once again involved having his shot from the edge of box deflected off target by an over eager Poyet. Not long after a Vicenza player was booked for not retreating 10 yards, and Morris escaped punishment when he went in on the keeper leaving his feet high.

Just past the half hour mark came the killer blow. A Vicenza player split the defence right open and found 2 players unmarked, Leboeuf collided with LeSaux as they both tried to get across, Luiso slotted home leaving De Goey no chance (maybe we will buy him in a year or so). Within 3 minutes cfc pulled a goal back. LeSaux and Vialli combined to give Zola the ball, his powerful shot was only parried to Poyet who finished well. Now there was some hope.

Chelsea kept the pressure up with a couple of corners and another free-kick yet could not find the back of the net. Vicenza gave us some scares in the final 5 minutes, a goal disallowed for offside (the ref did blow before the ball was sent goal bound). In injury time Leboeuf cleared off the line after the onrushing keeper was cleverly beaten. In between this efforts Vialli poorly converted a half chance. 1-1 on the night, 1-2 on aggregate, cfc needing 2 more goals.

The second half started with the same 22. Chelsea could not get a much better start. Six minutes in and good work down the flank by Vialli and his pin-pointed cross saw Zola head home unchallenged, yes he scored with his head! Chelsea were now rampant and being lead by their player-manager who was again charging down the flank, he pulled the ball and LeSaux's 35 yarder hit Wise who inturn shot straight at the keeper.

After 15 minutes Vicenza signaled their intentions and brought on a defender for a midfielder, thinking that they had done enough. However from a well worked free-kick an unchallenged header went over from 4 yards out. Chelsea were riding their luck at the back. Zola took another poor free-kick straight into the wall, when the ball was played back in Poyet was just a yard short when put through on the keeper.

Then the game turned on 70 mins. Hughes and Charvet replaced Newton and the excellent Morris. Zola dropped onto the left wing and Hughes went up to partner Vialli with Charvet playing in the middle. Every time Hughes went in to tackle or challenge for the ball the ref would award a free-kick to Vicenza. Six minutes after being brought on Hughes scored our third and decisive goal. A long clearance from De Goey and then Hughes thumped the ball home from just inside the area. For the first time Chelsea were ahead on aggregate.

Vicenza were now panicking and brought on two strikers, knowing that they now had to chase a goal. To counter this Zola was replaced with Myers who made it five at the back and Vialli dropped a bit deeper into midfield. 10 minutes to go and Chelsea were going to try and shut up shop, not the best tactics knowing our defence. Vicenza went close with another well worked free-kick with 5 minutes to go. Just a couple of minutes later and frustration was getting to the Vicenza players and Ambrosini received his marching orders with a second yellow card for a foul on Vialli. As the clock spilled into injury time both sides had further chances and then it was all over.

This was a thrilling match and a very good result. We remain unbeaten at home in all European competitions. So on to the final against Stuttgart on May 13th. Hopefully i will be there.

Match Reports {Electronic Telegraph}{Soccernet} {Mirror}
Fans Reports to follow

ECWC Semi-final 1st Leg
Vicenza 1 Chelsea 0

A brilliant display from Ed de Goey prevented Chelsea from suffering a heavy first leg defeat to give the Londoners hope of reaching the Cup Winners' Cup final in two weeks time.
 
Chelsea's dream lived on but Gianluca Vialli knows he will have to perform much better in the second leg if they are to claim a trip to Stockholm next month. Vialli's Blues produced their worst performance of the Cup Winners' Cup campaign, with their defending suspect all night, and it was no surprise when they went behind.
 
Dutch keeper de Goey, made a string of fine saves throughout, but had little chance of saving the goal which came in the 16th minute, when Lamberto Zauli made room in the box to give the Italians the lead.
 
But Chelsea could have been made to suffer much earlier. An inswinging corner in the 14th minute saw Zauli's header heading into the back of the net, but somehow de Goey stretched out his hand to palm the ball away, with Vicenza appealing that the ball had crossed the line.
 
Chelsea tightened up defensively after the break and their major blow of the half was Roberto Di Matteo's booking which rules him out of the second leg.
 
They did at last have something to shout about when Gianfranco Zola almost caught keeper Pierluigi Brivio napping with one near-post effort. Flo came close when his cross hit the outside of the post, and then a Zola corner found Vialli's downward header beating Brivio, only for Ambrosetti to hack off the line.
 
Chelsea: De Goey, Clarke, Leboeuf, Duberry, Le Saux, Petrescu (Flo 59), Wise, Newton, Di Matteo, Zola (Morris 88), Vialli.
 
Subs Not Used: Hughes, Hitchcock, Granville, Myers, Nicholls.
 
Booked: Leboeuf, Di Matteo.

Match Reports {Electronic Telegraph}{Soccernet} {Times}
Fans Reports Paul M.

ECWC Quarter-final 2nd Leg
Chelsea 3 Real Betis 1
(Chelsea win 5-2 on agg.)

Chelsea kept Britain's hopes of a European triumph alive after surviving an early scare to see off Real Betis in a pulsating Cup Winners' Cup clash.
 
Finidi George put the visitors level on aggregate with an unstoppable effort after 20 minutes but, after Vialli and Gianfranco Zola hit the woodwork, Frank Sinclair headed Chelsea back in front.
 
Betis continued to threaten throughout, but Roberto Di Matteo (49) and a last minute Zola goal sealed the Blues' victory.
 
Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu, Leboeuf, Clarke, Vialli, Wise, Duberry, Di Matteo, Sinclair, Newton, Zola. 
Subs: Lambourde, Hughes, Hitchcock, Myers, Flo

Match Reports {Electronic Telegraph}{Mirror}{Soccernet}
Fans Reports to follow

ECWC Quarter-final 1st Leg
Real Betis 1 Chelsea 2

Tore Andre Flo's two goals in the first 12 minutes gave Chelsea a 2-1 win at Real Betis in the first leg of the European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final.
  
Flo cut inside from the right to net two brilliant goals on 8 and 12 minutes during a first half in which the Blues comfortably kept their hosts at bay.
  
A close-range header from Alfonso gave Betis hope, but although the dangerous Robert Jarni went close twice and Ed de Goey was called on to make several fine saves, Chelsea take a lead to London.

Match Reports {Electronic Telegraph} {The Times}  {Soccernet}
Fans Reports James Paul M.

European Cup Winners Cup 2nd round 2nd leg
Chelsea 7 Tromso 1
(9-4) on aggregate

Gianluca Vialli notched the easiest hat-trick of his distinguished career as Chelsea swept away lingering memories of their frozen anguish at an embarrassing night in snow-bound Norway, with an explosion of goals that made Stamford Bridge hotter than hell for the upstart part-timers of Tromso.

Chelsea's passage into the quarter-finals next March was never in doubt even though Bjorn Johansen appeared to pull Tromso back into contention after Dan Petrescu and Vialli had shot the Blues into early command.

A magnificent free kick three minutes before the break by Vialli's brilliant Italian compatriate Gianfranco Zola restored sanity in the scoreline and the goals continued to rain in during the second-half.

Match Reports to follow  {Electronic Telegraph} {Times}   {Soccernet}
Fans Reports to follow.

European Cup Winners Cup 2nd round 1st leg
Tromso 3 Chelsea 2

Chelsea's superstars get frozen out, but thankfully Vialli gave us a chance in the 2nd leg in a fortnights time

Match Reports to follow  {Electronic Telegraph} {Times} {CarlingNet}  {Soccernet}
Fans Reports to follow {Paul M another must read}

European Cup Winners Cup 1st round 2nd leg
Slovan Bratislava 0 Chelsea 2

Stephen's Radio View
Cheslea cruised through to the 2nd round as the home side insisted on playing deep, allowing Chelsea to dominate the second leg even two goals up from the first leg. Chelsea were confident enough of the right result, leaving Zola and Hughes on the bench. We took the lead from a 'lucky' goal with the ball bouncing off of his bum and into the goal via the crossbar. The home side still let Chelsea dominate the midfield and they secured the result when Di Matteo score in the second half. The score line could have and should have been a lot larger. Onto the next round.

Match Reports {CarlingNet} {Electronic Telegraph} {Times} {Guardian} {Soccernet}
Fans Reports - {Paul - must read}

European Cup Winners Cup 1st round 1st leg
Chelsea 2 Slovan Bratislava 0

Stephen's Radio View
Chelsea totally dominated this game, albeit the score does not reflect this. Chelsea scored early on, but had to wait until the 80th minute for Danny Granville to secure the victory and give Chelsea the 2 goal cushion they more than deserved. As usual Chelsea scored too early, DiMatteo after 6 minutes, and took the game at a stroll but were not able to covert any more of the 20-odd chances that they. True that Slovan sat behind the ball, but nevertheless the 'new' Chelsea should know better and they should have penetrated the goal more. Only 23,000 in attendance!!!
The result should mean that the return leg in 2 weeks is more or less a formality, with the home side attacking more. We should be able to hit them on the break and make the aggregate score look more comfortable.

Match Reports {CarlingNet} {Electronic Telegraph} {Times}
Fans Reports {Peter H.}