Goal Analysis: Moses vs Middlesbrough (FA Cup)

CHELSEA'S FIRST HALF PERFORMANCE against Middlesbrough was abysmal. Forget 'tactical plans' and 'strategies'! The team couldn't even do basic things, like, um... pass or try to look totally competent against a lesser side. As if to reward everyone who had sit through a--if I may put it ever so delicately--shit show of a football match, the Blues scored twice after the break, and the second one in particular was super awesome. While the post-match shenanigans have taken a bite out of the precious time we have on this wonderful planet, we will take a close look at that Victor Moses goal here on the blog because it is the least it deserves.

Picture 1. Ake wins header

It all started when Nathan Ake, making his full debut in midfield alongside Ramries, won a header in midfield. A long goal-kick taken by Jason Steele dropped into the center circle and the young Dutch man jumped the highest to head it forward. Chelsea had a solid defensive shape, you can almost make out a 4-2-3-1 form neatly. Ake's header would land in Fernando Torres' feet and the break was on... Well, not quite.

Picture 2. Ake passes to Hazard

As he has often done in Chelsea shirt--with incredible ease as well--, Torres managed to (a) mis-control the ball with his first touch, (b) over-hit it with his second and (c) lose possession entirely. The Chelsea counter was going to be prematurely stopped if not for that youngster Ake, who again stepped up and passed the loose ball over to Hazard on the left wing. The counter is back on!

This time Torres would do the right thing and move out of the way, to the left, opening a lane toward the center for Hazard to dribble into. Oscar advanced to the edge of the box while Moses marched on from the right flank.

Picture 3. Hazard and Oscar prepares to tiki-taka

From Boro's point of view, they had recovered well defensively. They had six players coming back to defend against Chelsea's four; Oscar and Moses, the two closest to the goal, were tightly marked. But the magic of tiki-taka would cast a powerful spell which can shatter their defensive structure.

GIF 1. Moses scores

Hazard tapped the ball to Oscar before dashing into the box; the Brazilian then outrageously hooked a perfect pass with the side of this right boot; Hazard sprinted through two defenders to get on the ball. Any player with a bit of selfishness in his gene would probably have tried to scored but that's not Hazard's style (see assist for Ivanovic vs Reading). The Belgium squared it to Moses who only needed to speed past his marker in order to score with the simplest of tap-ins. We would have of course talked more about this wonderful goal if you-know-who hadn't treated a post-game press conference like a therapy session. Thanks a lot!

We know what we are...

A typical Lampard goal vs Brazil

Picture 1. Lampard with the ball

FRANK LAMPARD'S GAME-WINNING goal against Brazil is the type of goal the midfielder is known for in his incredible career. At the beginning of the buildup, he received a pass from Glen Johnson on the right midfield. Lampard was level with his midfield partner Gerrard and the fullbacks, Baines and Johnson. Ahead of him, Welbeck, Rooney, Wilshere and Walcott pushed up against the four Brazil defenders. England's 4-2-3-1 shape turned upside down to a 2-4-4 as they attack Brazil who had 9 men behind the ball.

Picture 2. Lampard's forward run

With little forward-passing options, Lampard chose to tap the ball back to Cahill who then found Wilshere dropping back from the advance position. The Arsenal man would set his club teammate Walcott free on the right wing. Meanwhile, Lampard, in the background, made his signature forward run through the center. By the time Walcott prepared to cross, Lampard was unmarked at the 'D' of the Brazil box with Welbeck and Rooney ahead of him.

What Lampard had done up to this point is simple: he made a safe pass, found a path forward and positioned himself well finish off the chance if it came. Wilshere and Walcott, especially the latter, did more on the ball in this buildup, but Lampard's instinctive and intelligent movement got himself into a good situation. Of course, it is not a guarantee that he will get the chance to score but if he does get it, he's ready.

The chance came in a round-about way. Walcott's cross was cleared; Rooney then picked the pocket of the Brazilian player to present Lampard with the opportunity to strike from the edge of the box. The thing about being at the right place at the right time is that people don't notice it unless you score after being at the right place at the right time. The brilliance of the finish was made even better by the composure with which it was executed; a guided, curving shot with the inside of the foot, greeting the post before landing inside the net. A typical Lampard goal indeed.

We know what we are...

A "typical" Lampard goal vs. Reading

NO. FRANK LAMPARD DOESN'T usually score header goals from corners. Not because he's a poor header of the ball, mind; he's decent. But the midfielder has spent the majority of his Chelsea career delivering crosses into the box from attacking corner, and even a capable man like Lampard, with the word "Super" in front of his name, can't bend the space-time continuum to be at two places at once. Yet this was a very typical Frank Lampard goal.

We will do this analysis in reverse. Let's start with the goal. Mata's corner was perfect, dipping, with speed, into the danger zone. Lampard, marked tightly at the start, was able to create a bit of space by checking his run quickly as the cross came in. He rose; he hung; he headed the ball with power. Pogrebnyak, the last man on the line, couldn't do much except deflected it into his own net. One. Nine. Six.

But how did Chelsea win this corner in the first place?

<< REWIND

Ah, here you see Lampard bringing the ball forward, moving out from his deeper midfield role, with Torres and Oscar ahead of him, making the identical diagonal run to the left. In a 4-2-3-1 shape, you would expect Mata, the central attacking midfielder, to be in Lampard's position at this particular point of the attack, but Lampard is Lampard; he makes driving runs forward from midfield, that's what he does.

The midfielder would then slip a perfectly weighted pass into the feet of Oscar. The Brazilian, having failed to hit the target with an acrobatic strike just earlier, decided to square it to Torres instead of taking the shot himself (which he probably should have done).

Still, how did Lampard get to that position to deliver what should have ended up as an assist?

<< REWIND

Turns out Lampard was heavily involved from the start with a well-timed tackle at the halfway line, breaking up a Reading attack and starting a Chelsea counter--just as he did against the best player, against one of the best teams, on one of football's biggest stages. After a quick exchange with Mata, Frank Lampard was through, dribbling forward and taking on the Royals defense head on.

THE BALL MIGHT HAVE been put into the net in an atypical fashion from Lampard, but the buildup is all too familiar for Chelsea supporters.

We know what we are...

Breaking Down the Two Southampton Goals

Picture 1. Lambert Goal

CHELSEA USUALLY WINS WHEN they lead 2-0 at halftime, that was not the case against Southampton. With the substitution of Ricky Lambert, the Saints strengthened their presence centrally; then they exploited Chelsea's weakness down the flanks to earn a point from this game.

For the Lambert goal, the initial mistake was made by Hazard, who attempted to tackle Saints' fullback Clyne. When that was not successful, Clyne had time measure a cross into the box. Still, it wasn't the end of the world for Chelsea; both of the Southampton attackers--Lambert and Do Prado--in the box were marked--by Cahill and Azpilicueta respectively.

As Clyne prepared to cross, Lambert pushed Cahill toward the goal to gain a yard of space. The cross came; the striker leaned back on Azpilicueta and headed the ball with his feet on the ground.

The initial mistake by Hazard combined with Cahill losing out the physical battle allowed the Saints to get back into the game.

Picture 2. Puncheon Goal

Demba Ba rarely loses possession, but when he did on this occasion, Azpilicueta pressed aggressively down the right, leaving a ton of space behind him. When Luke Shaw broke down that right side, Azpilicueta would come out second best in the foot race. Down the middle, Gaston Ramirez, another substitute, sped past Lampard and headed toward the box.

This meant that Chelsea defense had to shift from left to right: Cahill, who was initially marking Lambert, now looked to close down Shaw; Luiz filled in to mark Lambert; Cole, who could have been minding Puncheon on the far left, now had to shift toward Ramirez down the center*. So when a cross from Shaw finally came, Puncheon was free to take a touch before finding the net.

*Cole probably could have still marked Puncheon if Lampard tracked Ramirez all the way back into the Chelsea box.

The two key points here are (1) Azpilicueta pushing too far forward and getting caught out and (2) Lampard's inability to keep up with the fresh legs of Ramirez down the middle.

We know what we are...

Chelsea Overload Left to Score vs. Saints

Picture 1. Buildup to the first goal

THANKS TO HIS DEBUT brace, Demba Ba gets to dominate the headlines after the Blues 5-1 victory over Southampton in the FA Cup. But it was Chelsea's overloading of the left side that led them to their first three goals.

On paper, Eden Hazard (right) and Victor Moses (left) start on the opposite flank while Juan Mata roams in the center of the attacking third. In reality, both Hazard and Mata seem to have a free role, moving about the pitch as they see fit.

In the buildup to their first goal, Mata characteristically dropped deep to collect a pass from Branislav Ivanovic. Meanwhile, Hazard the "right winger" was on the left, creating a 2v1 with Moses against Jack Cork. After a quick exchange with Moses, Hazard was through on the left wing quite easily. Mata accompanied the Belgium to create another 2v1 against Jose Fonte. Hazard found Mata with a square pass and the Spaniard dodged a tackle from Maya Yoshida before chipping the ball toward the goal. Demba Ba made sure it went in.

Aside from the overloading of the left, Hazard's burst of speed and Mata's instinctive dribble past Yoshida were crucial in the buildup to this goal. Next!

Picture 2. Buildup to the second goal

Just before halftime, Moses, Mata and Cole were combining well on the left side. Hazard took the central role around the 'D'. When the initial cross from Mata was cleared, Moses exchanged passes neatly with Cole on the edge of the box on the left.

Having worked their way around the first Southampton player, Moses, Mata and Cole faced a 3v2 in the box. Mata made an important diagonal run to drag Steven Davis aside, opening up a forward pass for Cole. But the left-back would cut back to Moses who found himself with a bit of space. His finish was pure quality, but left overload again created this chance.

Picture 3. Buildup to the third goal

The third goal began from a corner, which Hazard took from the left. It was cleared by Southampton, but it fell to Cole around the halfway line. When Cole passed the ball forward to Hazard, Chelsea found themselves in another left side overload with Mata, Hazard and Moses all in that region.

While Moses dashed toward the box centrally, Hazard supported Mata on the wing, making it easier for the Spaniard to beat James Ward-Prowse before making a perfect cross into the box for Ivanovic to head home.

ALL THREE OF THESE goals came about when Chelsea overloaded the left side, with Mata and Hazard moving around freely. Man of the moment, Juan Mata played a vital role in all these goals.

We know what we are...

Defending A Late Norwich Corner

CHELSEA WERE PRETTY COMFORTABLE for the most part in their 1-0 victory over Norwich City, but it could all have gone horribly wrong during the second half injury time had Sebastien Bassong directed his header better from a corner. Here's how it went down.

Rafa Benitez has a reputation for favoring zonal defending, but Chelsea were man-marking this corner. I've highlighted the two areas that were active during this set-piece. Right down the middle, Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic were minding Bassong and Russell Martin. Bassong in particular is very dangerous from set-pieces, scoring 3 goals this season from this kind of situation. It was not clear from the video who's marking who, but I'm guessing it was Lampard marking Martin and Ivanovic marking Bassong.

Closer to the back post, Gary Cahill stayed tight to Michael Turner while Cesar Azpilicueta marked substitute Steve Morison.

As the corner was taken, Turner ran toward the center and Cahill followed the Norwich defender. In the central zone, Martin pushed ahead, closer to the goal and Lampard, while Bassong held his ground. When the corner was crossed, Ivanovic had his eyes on the ball and his back to Bassong. The Serbian watched as the ball flew over his head to the back post where Bassong was totally unmarked. The Norwich defender did the right thing, heading the ball downward, but, fortunately for Chelsea, it bounced over the crossbar.

On a different day, in a different game, this might well have been a late equalizer that robs Chelsea of 2 precious points. We got away with it this time. How one would sign blame for this poor defending depends on how you see the defensive set-up. If Lampard and Ivanovic were simply marking the zone, then both were responsible. If they were man-marking, the blame would go to whoever was supposed to be marking Bassong. As I said above, I think Bassong was Ivanovic's problem.

We know what we are...

What Lampard Did for THAT Gudjohnsen Goal vs Leeds

THIS IS THE FINISH that forces itself into my memory whenever I hear the mention of a Chelsea-v-Leeds fixture. An outrageous overhead kick by Gudjohnsen. An iconic goal that deserves to be worshiped like David Luiz's hair. But that super strike was built on a fine run from a player who is often associated with the word "super."

Picture 1. Lampard picks up the ball in midfield

The role Frank Lampard played in this goal was huge because when this attack began Leeds had nine men, in two defensive lines, behind the ball. Under pressure from one of the Leeds strikers, Lampard received a pass near the half way line with space in front of him. From that point on, he used his pace to skip past his midfield opposition, cutting towards the right wing, before delivering the cross.

Ten years on, Lampard has understandably lost that pace of his youth. His regular game time for the team is being cut short due to injuries and rotation. And he is very likely to leave (as a club legend) this summer. If that happens, we will fondly remember him for many things he has done for the team; let's add this to the list.

We know what we are...

Mikel's Sideway Pass No.121

THE GAME: Tottenham Hotspurs (A), Premier League 2012-2013.

THE SITUATION: About 15 minutes into the game. Still scoreless. Spurs left back Vertonghen followed the movement of Oscar toward the middle, leaving the space open on the flanks for Mata to run onto. While being closed down quickly by the opposition, Mikel sees the opportunity.

THE EXECUTION: With two Spurs players directly in front of him, Mikel lifts the ball over and into the path of Mata's run. BEHOLD! THE WIDTH!

THE CONSEQUENCE:

After a few exchanges with Oscar, Mata floats a cross into the box; Gallas clears and concedes a corner. Cahill scores with an amazing volley from this corner to give Chelsea the lead.

Carefree, wherever you may be...

Pointing Fingers: The Goals from Luiz (OG) and RVP

POOR REFEREEING DECIDED THE result of this game. Chelsea conceded two goals from Manchester United counter-attacks within the first 12 minutes. But unlike in their match against Shakhtar Donetsk, the Blues recovered well. Goals from Mata and Ramires put Chelsea on level terms and the momentum was on their side with enough time to win the game. Then, the two red cards changed the game and the offside goal was hammered in as the final nail to the coffin.

The team should get credit for the way they attempted to turn things around; only the incompetency of the officials denied the players the result they deserved. However, we should try to understand what went wrong in the early stages of the game. If we can figure out the errors, we might have a chance to learn from them. Analysis of the David Luiz (OG) and Robin van Persie goals after the jump.

Five Points on Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Chelsea

THE 2-1 DEFEAT TO Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday was a traumatic experience for me as a Chelsea fan. As we often do with these kinds of painful memories, I shoved it deep inside my unconscious mind, buried it, and avoided it. (Also, Zonal Marking wrote an analysis piece, which I'm in agreement with, about 3 hours after the game; I didn't feel like rehashing the same points he made.)

But like any haunting experiences that one fails to deal with, it has been hanging heavy in my mind like a dark rain cloud. I find myself not being able to move forward, to concentrate on the next game -- Manchester United. So, here I lie on this couch/blog, with you listening/reading as my therapist/reader, ready to cast my mind back to that stormy night in Ukraine.