Is Derek Jeter In Decline?

By Rebecca Glass

This is not a topic that will appease many. Some will consider it downright blasphemy.

Heroes, after all, are supposed to be immortal. They are supposed to be more than human, faultless, blameless, and incapable of aging past their prime.

For over a decade now, Derek Jeter has been more than a hero to legions of Yankees fans. Ask anyone on the street, pink hat or not, to name the quintessential Yankee of the last ten years, and you would be shocked and appalled if “Derek Jeter” did not cross his or her lips.

It is hard to quantify how much Derek Jeter has meant to the Yankees. Four World Series rings, six World Series, seven League Championship Series, twelve Octobers…and still, this does not seem to do him justice.

His name is uttered in the same breath as the other Yankee icons–Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, for example–and right now, it seems an impossibility to imagine an Opening Day roster without Derek Jeter present.

Yet, sooner or later, he will retire. There will be a plaque in Monument Park to start (and, perhaps a half-century or so down the line, a monument as well), a ballot to Cooperstown, an appearance (or two or three or ten…) at Old Timer’s Day, and a spike in sales of “vintage” Jeter jerseys.

While the day that this happens might still be a few years off–Jeter is 34 this year, so it’s not unreasonable to expect another five–the decline that precipitates it is not.

Derek Jeter is not Lou Gehrig; it is highly unlikely his decline will be as sudden and complete as Gehrig, who was, of course, victim of ALS. Instead, it will likely be more subtle–a play here or there that he would have made in his youth that he can no longer make. Perhaps one of those spin-jump-throws he does so well is the first place you see it, because the jump isn’t quite as high as you would have expected from the Captain.

However, the decline will happen, the production at the plate will begin to drop off a bit and the fielding will cease to be as crisp and a day might eventually come where Alberto Gonzalez (or whoever is on the team at the time) replaces Jeter in the field in later innings in a close game for better defense.

When it does happen, it will become the elephant in the room–the one topic that must be addressed, though no one will want to address it.

No one is going to want to replace Derek Jeter–if the Yankees can find anyone remotely similar to the way Tino Martinez was for Don Mattingly, it will be an accomplishment.

No one wants to talk about the decline of Derek Jeter, but eventually, the Yankees–and thus their fans–will have to. They’ll have to talk about the decline, find a replacement (Despite how long Jason Giambi has been with the team, he still doesn’t seem to be the proper replacement for Mattingly and Martinez, and while Melky is coming into his own, it will, rightly or wrongly, be a while before people mention him in the same breath as Bernie Williams) and move on, and somehow, somewhere, someone will have to admit that Derek Jeter is human.

In terms of what he has meant for the Yankees, Jeter is as immortal as they come. No true Yankee fan would question that, but the sooner Yankee fans realize that he won’t play forever, the sooner he is no longer made untouchable, the easier it will be when Jeter’s decline reaches the point that it can no longer be ignored.

Rebecca blogs at This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes


Larry Brown Ends Up With The Bobcats

By Alex Curits-Slep

MJ put his stamp on the Bobcats by bringing hall of fame coach Larry Brown in to run the show. I think this move is a good one, but they still aren’t a contender (for a title at least). Despite Larry Brown’s incredible coaching skills, they are a young expansion squad that can’t win a title for at least a couple years. Jordan seems to be ready to make big things happen, but will he sacrifice developing young talent to make this team good now? We saw a little bit of that at last year’s draft with the Jason Richardson trade.

I’d like him to keep most of the young talent and let them grow. Maybe you trade a player or two, but don’t really shake things up. Keep this year’s draft pick and try to get a nice low post scorer. Charlotte won 32 games this year and if the East stays terrible they can make it. Brown could give them a 5+ game improvement and that’s with the squad they have now. That would tie them with the Hawks for the eighth spot in the East. You add a nice draft pick and a few veterans and maybe you’ll see another 10 games added to Brown’s five. That would result in a 47 win season, putting them two games over the Cavs for the fourth seed in the East. How much do you think they can improve?

Alex blogs at Basketball Notes by Alex


NBA Playoffs Sunday Recap

By Alex Curtis-Slep

PISTONS BEAT SIXERS!

The Pistons beat the Sixers 93-84 to tie the series 2-2. They responded in the second half and took the lead throughout the fourth. The question was would they respond and after trailing by 10 at halftime, they came out ready to take over. This series will go back to Detroit for game five.

The Sixers have to be disappointed about giving up their halftime advantage. Winning in Detroit is possible, but it will be tough. Just like the Spurs, they have to force the tempo. They averaged 92.5 points in their two victories; tonight they couldn’t even touch 90. They need to make it a game where Detroit has to put 100 on the board to beat them. Take the ball out of the basket and continue to run like mad. Fast break opportunities don’t occur only off a steal or turnover.

Detroit, you now have to put the clamp down in game five. You have to realize you are not unbeatable. Come out and act like there was no time between game four and game five. The only thing that changed is where you’re playing and the color of your jersey. Once this happens, this series will be back in your hands.

SUNS BEAT THE SPURS!

The Suns beat the Spurs 105-86, but still trail the series 3-1. They put forth some defensive effort and they blew them out. They started out hot on offense and it had a clear effect on how they played defense. Mike D’Antoni got thrown out of the game late, maybe this will help the Suns more. There was some call he didn’t like and he was on fire. They know they’ve got to bring the heat in game five, a little heat from their coach wouldn’t hurt.

The Spurs just have to not get into a hole early. If they can contain the Suns early, they’ll be able to stay in the game. Maybe a reminder that they’re a grind the game out team wouldn’t hurt. Force the tempo and make the Suns play long and hard on the defensive end. Scoring under 100 points is not bad if you’re San Antonio, it’s welcomed.

Phoenix should win game five. It will be much closer, but they will extend the series at least one more game.

LJ NBA Playoffs Sunday Recap

CAVS BEAT WIZARDS!

The Cavs beat the Wizards 100-97 to take a 3-1 series lead. Delonte West hit a clutch three late to ice the game. The only reason any of this was possible is LJ’s unselfishness. He was doubled and needed to hit someone for an open shot. West was open and he delivered. This should enable them to take this series in five games.

The Wiz have to try not to anger LeBron to win game five. All they do is give him that steam and all it does is hurt them. Eddie Jordan needs to make a point to his team: just play. Don’t worry about all of these public comments and what not, just trash talk with your game. They have the talent to do that, it’s what they did in game three.

LJ has to attempt to keep the same full head of steam to close this team out and start getting ready for round two. Also, the supporting cast has to show up again. Gibson and West hit some big three’s late and they will need that again.

Photo by: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Alex blogs at Basketball Notes By Alex


Book Review: Major: A Black Athlete, A White Era, and the Fight to be the World’s Fastest Human Being

By Jim DeMaioribus

The conclusion of the Civil War marked the beginning of the cycling’s golden age. Races and racers captivated the United States public. Decades before Jackie Robinson broke Baseball’s color barrier there was Major Taylor.

About a year ago, during Black History month, my 10 year old son chose to write about a champion cyclist named Major Taylor. I was so moved by the essay that, with his permission, I posted it here. I had not heard of Major Taylor which saddened me to know that such a presence on the international sports scene had been forgotten. Now comes a book that documents the life of this exceptional cyclist.

Todd Balf’s Major: A Black Athlete, A White Era, and the Fight to be the World’s Fastest Human Being documents that lost era of cycling and the heroes that were lost with it. What makes this a fascinating book is that it is not about cycling, race, post civil war reconstruction. And yet it is.

 Book Review: Major: A Black Athlete, A White Era, and the Fight to be the World’s Fastest Human Being

Balf uses all of these lenses to tell us about an era of our Nation’s history which does not take up a lot of space in history books. During this time, there was a perfect storm for cycling. The advent of the pneumatic tube, lightweight bikes, bad roads, good lights, a public craving competition all led to the explosion of track racing.

From the 1870’s to just after the turn of the century, the bicycle ruled the sporting world. Balf captures this era with an easy style that follows Major Taylor’s life from his youth in Indianapolis to his ascendancy to the world stage.

Every good story nees a villan which came from the Virginia-born Floyd McFarland. Each man pushed the other to new heights. In the end, Major Taylor transcended sport to become a role model for generations to come.

I hope you read this fascinating book that revives a lost era and a lost hero.

Jim blogs at Endless Cycle.


Euro 2004: Was Greece Lucky?

By Alessandro

With Euro 2008 around the corner, it’s time to talk soccer. Let’s start with the defending champions Greece.

Before I answer this question, I’d like to tell a story. We were at a friend’s house prior to the start of the Euro 2004 tournament talking about, you guessed it, how to make a thick omelet.

As we discussed who the pre-tournament favorites were – you know, the Italy’s, Holland’s, France’s and Germany’s of this world – one of us warned, “Even Greece can win. You never know.” Of course, he was Greek and we looked at him as if he was drunk on ouzo.

A little luck here and a star aligned there and presto! Victory!

You never know. Ah, those three precious and powerful poetic words in sports.

My friend wasn’t nuts. While we were looking at historical pedigree, he simply looked at recent trends. Specifically, Euro qualifiers where he observed the Greeks were playing very well.

As investment advisors, we always considered long and short term trends of products we recommended. He was focusing on the short term given that it was a one month tournament.

Now, it still was a massive long shot and we could not stop snickering at the suggestion that Greece could win. The Greeks had no world class strikers or depth to speak of.

It was simple logic.

Doesn’t life laugh at logic?

Anyone who does not think that the victory was a fluke is delusional. Of course it was. It was a Cinderella story at full throttle.

This should not be viewed as dismissing Greece’s remarkable achievement. The Greeks played within themselves and did what they had to do to win. They were deserved – and shocking – champions.

After failing to qualify for the World Cup in Germany, it only served for some to add to the suspicion that the Greeks had the stars aligned for them.

That’s the depth factor I alluded to earlier.

However, they rebounded and had a solid Euro 2008 qualification campaign. This time, their good form should not come as a surprise and teams will be better prepared this time. Greece has added depth as well as sharp strikers.

While most experts of fans still do not mention Greece in the same breath of the European powers including Portugal (a team they beat twice on Portuguese soil in 2004 and most recently in a friendly 2-1), this may serve them just fine. The road to earning respect is a long one.

Greece are champions but now they need to show they belong among the elite nations.


NFL Draft: An Interview With Brady Ackerman Part 2

Submitted by: Vince Mullins (4/20/2008)

Part One of my interview with Brady Ackerman discusses the Florida NFL Team needs in depth. Part Two opens up to the big picture.

Vince Mullins: Who are your top three players, regardless of position and why?

dorsey NFL Draft: An Interview With Brady Ackerman Part 2Ack: My top three players in this draft regardless of position are in this order:

  1. Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU (right, Icon SMI).
  2. Chris Long DE, Virginia.
  3. Jake Long OT, Michigan.

All three of these players have Hall of Fame potential. Dorsey can be the next Warren Sapp because he is so quick off the ball and extremely strong.

Chris Long has an unbelievable motor and a high football IQ. He could be in the line of a Lawrence Taylor type.

Jake Long is as big and gifted of an offensive lineman to come down the pipe since Tony Bosselli with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

VM: What college star is not getting enough respect ahead of this draft? Is there a workout wonder that is overrated?

Ack: I don’t think Kevin Smith the running back out of UCF is getting enough respect. He looks to be a third rounder right now and this guy has first round talent. He was over-worked at UCF, but made the right call coming out and possesses a Marcus Allen style of running.

I think Jerrod Mayo the linebacker out of Tennessee is getting way too much hype for his workouts. Inside linebacker is always a thin position but he seems to be benefiting from Ole Miss starting LB Patrick Willis big rookie year with the Niners. I think people are reaching in the first round on Mayo.

VM: Our site focuses on the skill position players – what “big uglies” on the offensive line should we know?

Ack: The offensive line class is led by Jake Long out of Michigan, then after that you must be a true college football fan to know the other guys. Tackles worth nothing are Ryan Clady out of Boise State and Jeff Otah out of Pittsburgh. Otah played for former NFL coach Dave Wannstedt which should help his stock. Sam Baker out of USC is another offensive tackle that could be a nice pick for teams late in the first round or early in the second round.

Guards and Center won’t go in round one but look for Mike Pollak out Arizona State to be taken in the second round, he played for ex-NFL coach Dennis Erickson and his pro style system in Tempe. 

VM: Everyone loves talking QBs – your views on Matt Ryan specifically, does he have more than intangibles? What about the others?

Ack: I don’t think this is a great quarterback class for 2008. I like Matt Ryan out of Boston College he is solid, but not an “elite” quarterback . I think he is a reach for where he will be drafted. He played for NFL coach Jeff Jagodinski and this should help his chances, plus NFL teams have to draft quarterbacks but he may not end up the best pro.

I think Chad Henne will be a steal outside the first round for some team. Henne’s career at Michigan included some injury problems, but he can play. I saw him in person at the Capital One Bowl and he has the size and arm strength to be a starter in the NFL. Keep an eye on Josh Johnson out of San Diego. Former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh recruited him and while he played at a small school he has tremendous upside.

My top five impact quarterbacks in the draft are;

  1. Chad Henne, Michigan
  2. Matt Ryan, Boston College
  3. Brian Brohm, Louisville
  4. Josh Johnson, San Diego and
  5. Joe Flacco, Delaware.

Fantasy College Blitz


NFL Draft: An Interview With Brady Ackerman

By Vince Mullins

Brady Ackerman is a Florida football institution – the former Gator RB has progressed through coaching to host talk radio around the state while settling in Orlando the last few years.

While he calls it a sports talk radio show, the diehard listeners to ESPN 1080 in Orlando Florida revel in a “football talk radio show” that talks pro, college and even Florida prep ball.

Ack sat down with me via email and brought his point of view to the Sunshine State pro teams and the rest of the talent in general.

———-

Vince Mullins: Starting with your Florida focus, let us dig in to the Dolphins first – who is their first pick? Since they need so much help and should trade down, what teams may work a deal?

long chris NFL Draft: An Interview With Brady AckermanBrady Ackerman: The Miami Dolphins have a lot of needs but the area to build a franchise is at the line of scrimmage. This is more important this year with no “franchise-elite” quarterbacks in the draft. A lot of the pre-draft focus has been on Michigan tackle Jake Long. He is very good and will be a good pro, but I think the Dolphins take Chris Long (right, Icon SMI) from Virginia. He will be a flex-type defensive end that can play in a 3-4 system. He has a good pedigree with his father being Howie Long and I just have a hunch that Parcells will go in this direction.

It does not look like anyone will trade up because there is not that “sexy” pick out there that teams have to get this year. The number one pick is a big financial commitment and the Miami Dolphins appear to be stuck with it and I say they take Chris Long.

VM: Buccaneers pick at 20, seems their needs are mostly offensive. Whom should they target there? Would you pick someone differently than Gruden/Allen would?

Ack: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick is harder to gauge because they should be in a position to take the “best player available”. Look for the Bucs to take a skill position player at receiver or cornerback. The only thing that could change between now and draft day is the fact that Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen is on the market and if the Bucs could get him (I think he ends up in Minnesota) then they would give up their first round pick. CB Mike Jenkins out of South Florida is on John Gruden’s radar along with WR DeSean Jackson of California. Malcom Kelly is another possibility from Oklahoma, but his stock is sliding because of a slow 40 time. Again I am going on a hunch that Gruden will go with the big productive receiver out of Oklahoma and take Malcom Kelly. I would pick DeSean Jackson who can help you with kick returns and punt returns as well as give you a young guy with great speed to take over for Joey Galloway in the future.

VM: Jaguars pick 26 – is it possible they go QB to plan ahead? They were in the top five in the league with plays of 20+ and 40+ yards, do they really have any offensive needs?

Ack: The offensive skill positions look pretty solid with maybe Del Rio taking a flyer on a young quarterback in day two. I think the Jacksonville Jaguars will look along the defensive front for their pick. The pass rush wore down last year and they would love to get their hands on Derrick Harvey out of Florida. He should be gone and would require trading up maybe 10 spots. Clemson defensive end Philip Marling, Miami defensive end Calais Campbell and North Carolina defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer are on Jack Del Rio’s radar. I think the pick is Balmer from North Carolina to stay solid versus the run. Look for the Jaguars to address the offensive line and safety position in the later rounds. The offensive skill positions look pretty solid with maybe Del Rio taking a flyer on a young quarterback in day two.

That wraps up the Sunshine state talk, click here for big picture NFL Draft discussion with the Ack.

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Kyle Busch Is The Alexander Ovechkin Of NASCAR

By Bob Ellis

I was watching the Philadelphia Flyers – Washington Capitals play-off game the other night and something hit me, something I should have seen long ago but didn’t – Kyle Busch is NASCAR’s version of the NHL’s Alexander Ovechkin.

That’s right, he is.

Putting aside the obvious fact that they are not in the same sport, or even from the same country, they are both brash young stars in their perspective sports.

It has been said that Kyle Busch is the only driver who can drive 3-wide all by himself, well have you ever seen Ovechkin skate? That guy skates 3-wide all by himself.

Have you ever seen the goal he scored while sliding on his back head first toward the boards with his face turned away from the net? Ovechkin may never be the next Wayne Gretzky, but Gretzky never scored a goal like that. In fact, Ovechkin scored that goal in front of Greztky as he was playing against the team Gretzky is coach for.

Ovechkin pushes himself to the limit every time he is on the ice, skating with youthful fearlessness, hungry for the next goal and the victory. Every time Ovechkin puts on his visored helmet he goes full throttle flat out until the final siren. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Just change ice to track, and goal to green flag and you’ve got Kyle Busch.

They even are the same age; Busch was born on May 2, 1985, while Ovechkin was born on September 17th, 1985.

They both started their careers at a young age. They are both outspoken at times. They both have been held back at times, not because of their lack of skill but due to their young age (Busch has sat out races because they have been sponsored by companies that are not allowed to sell to anyone under 18 yrs of age and he was younger than 18 at the time). And most importantly, I hated them both just a few short years ago (even last year).

I disliked Ovechkin when he was on the Russian Junior Hockey Team. I disliked Kyle when he drove for Hendrick Motorsports. Now, as they both have matured, I am much more tolerant of them both.

I may never be a true Kyle Busch fan, or a true Ovechkin fan, but I certainly enjoy watching them do what they do. I also respect and appreciate them for the athletes that they are – you never know what they will do next, how they will pull that next win out of a hat.

NASCAR Ranting And Raving Blog
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The All-Holy Team

By Rebecca Glass

Over on Pete Abraham’s blog, the most recent post has commenters talking about the possibility that Yankees’ prospect Alexander Pope may one day pitch to Jesus Montero.

 The All Holy Team

That, of course, got me thinking, could we create an All-Holy Team? Well, if we stretch our imagination, not too much, it might look something like this:

SP: Alexander Pope, or Fautino De Los Santos

Catcher: Ryan Church
1B: Jesus Montero
Centerfield: David DeJesus
Leftfield: Matt Holliday
Rightfield: Nelson Cruz (For the non-Spanish speakers, Cruz = Cross)

Now, 2B-SS-3B would involve some imaginative stretching, but we could theoretically have:

2b: Angel Sanchez
Shortstop: Ramon Santiago
3b: Stephen King (I’m not sure King cuts it, but it’s the best I can do).

Keep in mind, the All-Holy Team would have a plethora of pitchers, such as John Parrish, for example…

As for the opponents, one would think that Matt Cain might start, and Angel Pagan play in one of the outfield positions…

This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes


Chelsea Pull A Fast One On Liverpool: Erect Statue Of Riise

By John ST

Liverpool were given a taste of their own medicine as they ended the Champions League semi-final first leg vexed – John Arne Riise scored a last-gasp own goal to hand Chelsea the advantage in a 1-1 draw.

The match was clouded by security concerns because of the arrival of an unwelcome man, Tom Hicks. There was no telling if fans’ displeasure at the power struggle and the debt-ridden status of their club will turn into violence. However, Hicks defiantly showed up in the Anfield directors box, paying scant regard to personal safety.

Rick Parry was relegated to the back of the seats by Hick’s entourage. Gillett did not make the trip but invited a DIC consortium comprising their chief executive and negotiator. Fortunately, the political sideshow matters little to the vociferous Anfield crowd who were engrossed on the pitch action.

Both teams began in cautious fashion and given their penchant for winning “efficiently,” goals were expected to be a rare occurrence. As the minutes ticked away, it was Liverpool who got into the groove with a confident and enterprising display. They dominated proceedings and were rewarded with a goal before half time.

Unfortunately, Liverpool did not press home their advantage despite further clear-cut chances. Eventually, Chelsea made the Reds pay for the profligacy. Grant had to thank Riise for gift-wrapping the away goal and Petr Cech who produced amazing saves to deny an embarrassing scoreline. I am impressed with Cech’s tenacity as he had suffered severe injuries to his skull and recently had stitches inserted in his face following a training ground incident but his composure and sharpness were still intact.

Dirk Kuyt launched Liverpool’s first real threat when he raced onto Alonso’s long pass but his poor chest control allowed Carvalho and Cech to clear the danger. Swimming against the tide, Chelsea nearly broke the duck as Frank Lampard picked out Joe Cole with a sublime chip in the penalty area but Cole could only muster a weak volley.

In the 29th minute, Didier charged towards a through ball and Carragher was left to chase him down. At the final moment, just when the Ivorian appeared ready to pull the trigger, Carragher struck his foot out and both tumbled outside the penalty box. Drogba instinctively clamored for a penalty but referee Konrad Plautz dismissed the protests.

This was actually the second blatant foul by Carragher. As early as the 2nd minute, Drogba’s raw pace and power had already pushed Carragher to the limits. Drogba bullied his way through and the only way to stop him was to commit a foul, rather than affording him a sitter. I do not blame Carragher as Drogba is a defender’s nightmare when he is on song, just ask Arsenal’s rearguard who was torn apart ruthlessly.

In the 31st minute, the Gerrard-Torres partnership spun into action. Gerrard who was shackled tightly by Makelele till then, managed to carve out a defence-splitting pass to put Torres clean through. However, hopes of securing an early lead were doomed when Cech made a superb stop to frustrate “El Nino.”

Liverpool were not discouraged, their relentless forays yielded a goal after 43 minutes. Kuyt robbed Lampard outside the box and a neat exchange between Alonso and Mascherano saw the Argentine loping a speculative pass a few yards away from Cech. A mix up between Makelele and Ashley Cole allowed Kuyt to pounce, sliding his shot under Cech.

Chelsea were punished for their carelessness but what is disappointing is their reaction after half-time. Instead of firing on all cylinders to make up for lost ground, they were equally lackluster. Grant has apparently not done a proper job of pumping up his men’s morale in the dressing room.

Liverpool continued to pursue a second goal as Ryan Babel caused chaos in Chelsea’s defense by surging past Paulo Ferreira and whipping in a low cross that led to a blocked Torres shot. Babel remained a constant danger and went close again in the 60th minute with a dipping half-volley.

Chelsea finally awoke from their slumber when Michael Ballack met Lampard’s free-kick with a glancing header which Jose Reina held well. Florent Malouda then took Lampard’s pass and cut inside Alvaro Arbeloa. Just as Malouda was about to shoot, Mascherano slid in with a crucial block.

In the closing minutes, Gerrard forced a brilliant one-handed tip-over from Cech as Liverpool sought to close the match. Cech then denied Torres with another fine stop at his near post. Unfortunately, out of the blue (as Chelsea were still pegged back by the Reds till the final minute), the match was turned on its head.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Salomon Kalou swung in a cross from the left and Riise, diving to head clear, succeeded only in diverting the ball into his own net. Anfield fell silent as Liverpool were left to rue what might have been if they had taken their chances well.

Benitez was understandably devastated by the late goal. He was critical of the referee for the amount of added time, but had sympathy for Norwegian defender Riise. He said: “These situations are difficult. You can’t blame the player. Those kind of balls when they bounce are difficult to deal with. We are all very disappointed to concede an own goal so late in the match.”

“But we had three clear chances and in games like these it is hard to create chances. We needed to take them. We have to go to Stamford Bridge and win now. It will be difficult but we have enough confidence in ourselves to do that.”

As for Grant, his tenure has not been convincing even as Chelsea maintained their lofty second place in the Premier League. He believes that the fans and Abramovich will be pleased to be presented with a Champions League final in Moscow but the main issue for them is to fill the trophy cabinets, not fighting all the way to be second best; so far nothing has been won.

Grant was glad to gain the advantage, especially after Benitez had subtly “insulted” his abilities in pre-match interviews. He said: “We want to be in the final. We took a big step today. Drawing 1-1 away from home is always a good advantage. It will be tough in the second game though.

Grant also did not forget to pay tribute to his own tactical brilliance, saying: “When they scored we made some changes. We knew for an away game it was important to score so we used Nicolas (Anelka) and Kalou and changed the midfield and it was a good result for us.”

I feel Torres is not his clinical self in this match. He took too long and too many touches to line up his shot and that gave Cech sufficient time to prepare and to close down his angle. Babel and Kuyt put in the mileage and assists down the flanks well so I had little complaints there.

The turning point for Liverpool was when Fabio Aurelio had to be stretched off and replaced with Riise. Up to this point, Liverpool’s defense was holding up well and fended off Chelsea’s attacks competently.

On the other hand, Chelsea were beset with a malfunctioning midfield. Frank Lampard was too careless in possession and Joe Cole lost his usual trickery and mobility. Michael Ballack was a pedestrian and did not help the team gain possession nor opened up the opponent’s defense. As such, Drogba was deprived of service for long periods to cause any serious damage.

Chelsea love the direct approach, aiming for long balls and hoping for the best. If Drogba can pounce on mistakes, then great, if not, wait for the opponent to attack and then get the defenders to kick the ball up in the air again. Even after Liverpool took the lead, Chelsea looked more interested in doing damage control.

It is clear Grant is relying solely on his players’ qualities to win games. Unlike Mourinho’s era where the team knew what to do and were highly organized, the players were now running the show themselves, without Grant’s direction or advice.

I believe Chelsea are feeling upbeat, not because of the slight advantage but rather they felt that Lady Luck was finally on their side. After suffering semi-final exits at Anfield in two of the last three seasons (Luis Garcia’s ‘phantom goal’ in 2005 and penalty shootouts last season), Grant has a chance to outdo his predecessor, avenge those bitter memories and most importantly, to achieve history for Chelsea FC.

However, it is too early to count the chickens. Though Chelsea have the upper hand, their resources will be stretched thin with a colossal match against Manchester United on Saturday and then a few days after, to face Liverpool again in the second leg. The players will be tired and they are expected to give their all since Chelsea still retain a chance of becoming Premier League champions.

Liverpool can prepare a nice surprise for them with plenty of time on their side as their Premier League fourth spot is almost secured, it will be folly for Chelsea to write off Liverpool.

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