Everton plays in Wembley in front of 90,000 fans. Lovely, lovely atmosphere. Kofi Annan, FA Cup special guest, heads to the field to shake the hands of both teams. Everton is in their traditional blue and white, while Chelsea is in a banana colour. Let's give this a good go!
What a goal within the 1st minute! What a poor clearance by Chelsea!!! It went as far as Felli who headed the ball back into the opposing penalty area. Saha was left open and he let fly a volley which saw it zing past Cech! Incredulous! Everton 1-0 Chelsea.
Everton are holding well so far. Cross my fingers that it remains this way. So close! Pienaar curled in a lovely ball in the 14th minute. Just missed Felli's bushy head.
Oh no. Drogba scores in the 21st minute. Everton 1-1 Chelsea. Man! It's 42 degrees celcius in UK. Can that be? Hibbo looked wasted as Chelsea continues to attack the right flank. Such a killer of the weather. The players trooped in for their well derserved water break.
Jacobsen replaces Hibbo as all could see the latter had ran himself flat out. Everton is soaking in the pressure and they have to do it for another 40 minutes! It's a little worrying that Everton seems to be losing their shape. So close for Chelsea in the 59th minute.
What good fighting spirit from Timmy in the 61st minute that shot him block a shot from a defender and then smashing the ball from the distance. On target but no goal. Pienaar has been drawing most of the fouls and that provides the team with opportunities. It was one of those free kicks in the 66th minute that Saha nearly scored once again.
Chelsea scores again in the 72nd minute. Everton 1-2 Chelsea. Tough for Everton now. Vaughny replaces Saha. A strike by Chelsea's Malouda saw the ball went pass the line but the goal was not given. It was really only on slow-motion replay that one could see the goal.
Final substitution in the 82nd minute for Everton - Gosling on for Ossie.
Everton have tried their best and their best was not good enough. Dissappointed for an otherwise good Everton season. Congrats to Chelsea. Great job by the Everton boys! Timmy really fought his heart out!
Score: Everton 1-2
Scorer: Saha
Assist: Felli
Subs: Jacobsen, Vaughny, Gosling
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
FULHAM (0) vs (2) EVERTON - FULL TIME
Ossie scores a bracePhotos courtesy of www.evertonfc.com
Everton is just waiting for the FA Cup Final but Moyes is not letting off. The manager rested Felli, and also Jo, who will be returning to Man City after a wonderful loan stint in Everton.
So the team is still like any first XI that Moyes will put out. On the other side, both former Evertonian AJ and Simon Davis are out of the game due to injuries.
Everton made their intent known with in the 2nd minute where a looping header by Saha rocked the bar. After that, the flow of the game felt like both teams were at a practice match. I was hoping for an exhibition match actually. Both trading cautious passes but Everton soon grasp hold of possession. Rodwell is having a good game in midfield while the tricky Pienaar was a nuisance all over the park.
Everton scores a wonderful goal with Pienaar carving out the brilliant chance in the 44th minute. A nice through pass saw Ossie beating the offside trap, made the goalie commit, then sliced the ball into goal. Fulham 0-1 Everton.
Nearly! Saha was open in the 53rd minute and he basically had a free header, but it was nicely saved by the opposing goalie.
Everton is starting to look a little shaky now but are still holding on.
Gosling replaces Neville in the 75th minute. Castillo replaces Saha in the 78th minute. Moyes has pushed Timmy up front. Maybe he should give youngster Baxter or Vaughny a chance on the field.
Everton was caught sleeping in the 84th minute but Howard made sure the ball does not bulge the net. Final replacement in the 85th minute, Pienaar is replaced by Vaughny.
What a wonderful goal by Ossie! He created his own space in the 87th minute to place the ball pass the diving goalie.
Final whistle goes and Everton is the fifth best club in UK. The other two clubs that will be leaving the Premiership are Newcastle and Middlesbrough.
Score: Fulham 0-1 Everton
Scorer: Ossie (2)
Assist: Pienaar
Saturday, May 16, 2009
EVERTON (3) - (1) WEST HAM
Saha scores the team's third goalPhoto courtesy of www.evertonfc.com
Didn't get a chance to watch the match live but great to hear that Everton won their final home match. But here're the details.
Score: Everton 3-1 West Ham
Scorer: Saha (2), Yobo
Assist: Timmy, Pienaar(2)
Saturday, May 09, 2009
EVERTON (0) vs (0) TOTTENHAM - FULL TIME
Everton sees two youngsters in the first XI - Rodwell and Gosling, while the Neville fits into the right back position as Hibbo is still recovering for his injuries. Both sides are still tying to settle into the game, but Tottenham suddenly came to life in the 7th minute. In three successive attacks, Spurs placed the Toffees defence under stress but still the Blues are holding on.
The ball is starting to go all over the place with the downpour. Still, Everton has not got hold of the possession. Both Lescott and Yobo have been lazy in their tracking of the opposing players and with the run-up to Tottenham's freekick close to the six-yard box, Lescott and Pienaar both earned themselves yellow cards due to infringements.
Up till the 20th minute, Everton have been pegged back and have not even had a decent chance on goal. Tottenham, on the other hand, split the Everton's defence in the 22nd minute and only Yobo's intervention prevented the ball from going in. Everton looked shell-shocked!
What was Yobo doing? In the 28th minute, the opposing striker strolled into the penalty area and he did not pick him up. Nearly, it so nearly ended with a goal. Are we playing at Goodison??? The Tottenham midfield is just strangling any play out of Everton.
I really have my doubts of how Gosling is playing on the right wing. He has no speed, and somehow no good ability to make good crosses. Good pass in the 40th minute by Pienaar to set Jo free, only to be marked out by two Tottenham defenders. Still no shot on goal. Felli tried a shot in the 43rd minute but it was totally off target.
Good set-up play in the 44th minute with Rodwell shooting just above the bar. The players trudge into the tunnel for pep talk by both managers.
Everton is fighting much harder in the 2nd half but I still think Gosling should go. A great shot by Timmy in the 58th minute but just outside of the goal. Tottenham is starting to make mistakes but still not culminating into goals.
Oh boy! A shot by Gosling deflected away via the post. So nearly scored in the 68th minute. Finally, Ossie is on for Gosling, while Saha is on for Jo. You'd have realised that Moyes will never change three players at one go anymore. Tottenham came very close in the 69th minute. Pienaar had a chance in the 71st minute but the thunderous ball was always going wide.
Two positives in this match - Howard has broken Everton's longstanding record of 14 cleansheets, and also, Everton has confirmed that they will end the season with at least a sixth placing.
Score: Everton 0-0 Tottenham
Scorer: Nil
Assist: Nil
Subs: Ossie, Saha
Sunday, May 03, 2009
SUNDERLAND (0) vs (2) EVERTON - FULL TIME
Pienaar scored the first goal and was the man-of-the-match
Photo courtesy of www.evertonfc.com
Everton started with five changes:- Jacobsen for Hibbo, Lescott for the injured Jag, Gosling and Timmy for Castillo and Ossie. Jo also returns as he was not allowed to face his parent club - Manchester City.
The start of play has so far been scrappy but Everton had string together a couple of good passes. In the 9th minute, Timmy was unmarked when he headed the ball towards goal. But being just at the edge of the six yard box, the distance was just too much. Good Timmy shot at goal in the 10th minute.
In the 14th minute, Jo had a chance when Pienaar sliced open the defence but the Brazilian shot just flew across the goal post. Sunderland is starting to grasp hold of the game with their quick counter-attack while Everton is not making any progress upfront. Jo has been trying to win the headers but somehow the shorter Sunderland players are getting to the ball. Also, the right flank, manned by Gosling, has been very quiet. He even blocked a goal bound shot by Pienaar. Gosling needs to be replaced.
Everything else from thereon has been very scrappy, it's pretty close to crappy. Let's take a look at the second half.
What a calm and collected goal by Pienaar in the 48th minute. A pass from Neville on the right to Jo whose pass put Pienaar in. The South African still had to hold back the attention of a defender before toe-poking the ball through the legs of the oncoming goalkeeper. Sunderland 0-1 Everton.
Pienaar is just fighting for every ball like his whole life depended on it. Just after the goal, the whole tempo just headed into the doldrum once again.
In the 64th minute, Felli was about through on goal with Jo's flick but was cleared away by the opposing defender. Pienaar is taking crfeating all the foul opportunities for Everton.
And who else to set up the goal on the right flank? Pienaar! In the 70th minute, Pienaar slip the ball into the centre of the penalty box where Felli was waiting just to tap in the ball. Sunderland 0-2 Everton.
Rodwell in for Jacobsen in the 73rd minute. Everton is grinding out this win in a very clinical style. Pienaar has even played a sweeper role by intercepting passes. Saha in for Jo in the 80th minute. Last sub, Castillo in for Gosling in the 86th minute. Gosling should have gone off way earlier as Pienaar had to do Gosling's mule work.
Everton wins. One word - Clinical.
Score: Sunderland 0-2
Scorers: Pienaar, Felli
Assists: Pienaar, Jo
Subs: Rodwell, Saha, Castillo
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