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| Photo courtesy: Scott Heavey/Getty Images |
Being a Chelsea fan is like listening to a great piece of classical music. The buildup sometimes seems slow and other times appears to crash down upon itself. However, at just the right moment, it can reveal a positively overwhelming sense of fluidity, forming something truly beautiful. Whereas last autumn's collapse felt like the cataclysmic intro to Beethoven's fifth, tonight's game at Stamford Bridge was the soothing violin piece that follows.
The game got off to a roaring start, as Didier Drogba put home a goal from one of his signature power boots to give the Blues an early 1-0 lead. I should mention that my favorite player of all time is Didier Drogba. Being an ardent African football and culture fanatic, I have always been drawn to Drogba the person, on and off the field. And so, tonight as the first goal went in with the clock ticking before the three minute mark, I'd like to think I cheered from my living room as hard as anyone in West London.
Things would only get better, as Ramires, of all people, the man better known for shooting balls into the upper deck than finding the back of the net, did the latter giving Terry's Blue and White army a two goal margin with a half of football behind them. Speaking of Terry, apparently, he and Drogba led a rousing speech before the game hammering home the importance of this match. He certainly wasn't all talk. He and Drogba, at their respective ends of the pitch, played marvelously, bringing back not-so-distant memories of recent trophies.
Valencia, for their part did not come in as minnows, nor did they perform like them. They entered play having had a stellar season in La Liga, just seven points out of first and feeling confident. However, another Chelsea great, Petr Czech had one of his more unmitigated performances, making at least four world-class saves en route to a well-earned clean sheet.
The game was topped off by an outside footed gem of a finish by the aforementioned legendary Ivoirian. 3-0 the final. One thing was clear from the start of this game: Chelsea needed to win and they played like it. The fact remains that the famous CFC have never won a European cup. Nottingham Forest has won it twice. Porto won their second trophy eight years ago. The big English clubs have all won it. However, doing so remains on the to-do list for the boys from the west of the big smoke. Perhaps, cutting it so close, needing a win on the last day of group stage games will propel Chelsea deeper into the competition, creating the chance, however small, that the European trophy will make its new home at the doorstep of the cathedral of football on Fulham Road.
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