We’re a better team under Rafa
Posted Friday, December 14, 2012 by The Sun
THURSDAY night football, mediocre foreign opposition and half-empty stadiums.
Get used to it Roman Abramovich.
It is a taste of things to come for Chelsea after Christmas when they slum it in the Europa League.
So perhaps the Club World Cup is not so pointless after all?
If nothing else it is good practice for the second half of this season.
Yesterday’s routine win over mediocre Mexicans Monterrey was nothing more than a training session.
Actually, it was a lot less than a training session such was the gap in class.
But it gave interim boss Rafa Benitez the opportunity to tinker with his team, playing defender David Luiz in central midfield.
It was also useful for the rejuvenated Fernando Torres to continue his goal run — scoring 16 seconds into the second half with a deflected shot to take his tally to five in three games.
And the brooding striker could not resist a sly dig at Benitez’s predecessor Roberto di Matteo by claiming Chelsea are improving under his favourite manager.
The former Liverpool hitman — signed by Rafa for the Reds back in 2007 — said: “As a team we are getting better and coming together as one unit. We’re working better both defensively and offensively. It’s about the team.
“This season we have a team made up of better quality players.
“We have had a hard time this season but since Rafa Benitez came in as a coach it is coming together and we are showing more determination.
“As a team we are getting better and individually I feel much better now and am scoring consistently. Hopefully I can keep this going and score again on Sunday.”
It is hard to argue against the hard numbers.
Torres is hitting the back of the net and Chelsea have won three games in a row.
Giving Monterrey a good whipping will not go down as an all-time Chelsea classic.
It is not difficult to see why they finished the first half of the season seventh in the Mexican league.
Keeper Petr Cech had just one shot to deal with all night.
Chelsea did the required amount of work to make it into Sunday’s final — and nothing more. There they will face Brazilian side Corinthians who overcame Egypt’s Al-Ahly 1-0 in the other semi-final.
Juan Mata was in sharp form, Luiz looked comfortable in midfield — where he started out playing as a kid — and even Torres came good with a goal and an assist after a sloppy start to the match.
A crowd of 36,648 turned out on a freezing cold night in Japan, rattling around in a stadium built to hold twice that. This was not exactly the hottest ticket in town.
Benitez’s Blues were in total control from the start and a 48th-minute own goal from Darvin Chavez — one of Monterrey’s better players — underlined the yawning gulf in quality.
It came after good work from Torres and Mata.
Mata had scored the first after 17 minutes when Ashley Cole jigged along the left then cut the ball back for the Spaniard to drive in from the edge of the box.
Monterrey’s consolation goal came in the closing stages when Aldo de Nigris lifted his shot over Cech. Among the crowd were several hundred from Corinthians’ travelling army of 20,000 who will crank up the atmosphere for the grand finale this weekend — hopefully.
Torres said: “It’s a very important tournament, especially for the South Americans. It is their childhood dream and we Europeans must learn to treat the tournament in the same way.
“I could hear their fans calling my name and I am very flattered. This is my first time in Japan. They have been waiting a long time for me to come here. I want to show them another good performance on Sunday.
“I saw their semi-final. Their defence is very tight. I’d like to see the video again.
“They are hoping to win this title again but for us it would be the first title in this tournament and I would like to win it. It will be a very difficult game but I will do my best.”
The introduction of goal-line technology was the only landmark moment of this match.
When the ball crossed the line the referee’s watch buzzed thanks to magnets in the crossbar and goalposts.
Sadly, it will take more than that to give this tournament much of an attraction.
SUN RATINGS CHELSEA: Cech 6, Azpilicueta 6, Cahill 6, Ivanovic 6, Cole 7, Luiz 7 (Lampard 6), Mikel 6, Oscar 6, Hazard 7, Mata 7 (Ferreira 5), Torres 6 (Moses 5).
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