Reactions

By: Cesar | April 5th, 2007

It wasn’t a classic, but it was an all-out knock-em-dead slobberknocker at Stamford Bridge.
1-1 and if someone had told me this before the game, I’d have taken it.
We’re in pole position. Play smart, play Valencia football and we can get through …
Here are some quick tidbits and reactions regarding the game:

- David Silva’s goal was absolutely phenomenal. This kid is pure class. Anyone have a video of it?

- In what many people were saying was an ‘audition’, David Villa was very quiet. He missed a shot early in the game and dissapeared. We need him to step up.

- Didier Drogba took advantage of indecisiveness between Ayala and Canizares to nod home a long Ashley Cole pass. A bad error and a rare lapse in concentration cost us the win.
“To play these types of teams you need to concentrate 100 percent and the only error we made in the 90 minutes cost us the win,” midfielder David Albelda said.

- What is up with Vicente? Can’t he stay healthy? He’s always hurt. I really like this lad, but it’s strange that he’s always healing. He looked good when he was out there. Such a shame.
“We are going to be without Vicente for some time. It is upsetting because he gives us that extra quality and when he isn’t there we notice his absence,” said Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

- I thought Joaquin played ok. He made some good crosses and jiggled through the midfield a few times. I think some fans are giving him too much flack. He’s coming on … albeit slowly.

- Some more reactions from the players and coaches:

“It leaves a good taste,” midfielder Albelda told reporters. “…it puts us in a good position for the return leg. We’d all have settled for this result before the match.”
“Against Inter Milan we drew in the San Siro and progressed to this stage by not conceding a goal in the Mestalla. We are going to have to play a great game to put us through but at least it will be in our own stadium,” he added.

“The tie is tipped 51 percent in our favour,” said Valencia sporting director Amedeo Carboni.
“Chelsea are very tough, very Italian in style, and put a lot of players in midfield. In this respect it means they are probably better away from home.”

Where’s the Special One? Oh, here he is … Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has warned Valencia to take nothing for granted.
“Maybe everyone thinks they are one step ahead and enjoying this result. If I was in their place, I would be very cautious,” he said.
“I imagine the Valencia players feel more comfortable playing at their Mestalla stadium than here. But if we have a good referee, not influenced by the enthusiastic atmopshere, why can’t we get a result there?”
Mourinho also said if Chelsea do lose and fail to get to the semifinals, he will take his children to watch wrestling on the night of the match.
“If we win the second leg then we will go through to the semi-final, if we lose then I will go with my children to watch the wrestling at Earls Court on April 24 instead.”
What a good dad!!

Quique? Anything further to add? “We’ve got objective one achieved, which was to take the game into the second leg, so the tie will be settled in the Mestalla, rather than here. So that’s good,” he said.
The Valencia coach warned Chelsea to expect a more attacking display in next Tuesday’s second leg from striker David Villa, who had a quiet game in west London.
“Not just David Villa, but the rest of the team will probably have a more offensive approach than we did tonight because we’re playing at home.
“David will obviously be expected to play his part in that.
“Tonight I think he was taken away from his attacking duties slightly by tackling back and helping out defensively.
“But certainly at home we’ll see the attacking side of David Villa and he’ll be creating more chances for himself, I’m sure.”

We can’t sit back and wait for them. I think we need to score.

What are your thoughts??