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Chelsea: The one that slipped away

Fri 23rd, May 2008

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - For the first time in 103 years, Chelsea was on the verge of becoming the top club in Europe.

All the Blues needed was for John Terry to convert the team's fifth straight penalty kick and the dream of billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich would come true.

Abramovich would get to see his team hoist the most coveted prize in European club soccer on his native soil, and glory was just one kick away.

Only 12 yards separated much-maligned manager Avram Grant from claiming the trophy that not even "The Special One", Jose Mourinho, was ever able to track down.

Just one kick of the ball and players like Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack would finally have the title that has eluded them for so many years.

But that is when things went horribly wrong.

The Chelsea captain's left foot slid on the rain-soaked pitch as he planted to strike the ball, sending his shot crashing off the right post and giving Manchester United new life.

Of course, the match was not over after Terry's miss, but as he laid flat on his back in anguish, you could tell what the outcome was going to be.

Opportunity rarely knocks twice, and this was not one of those occasions.

French striker Nicolas Anelka had his effort stopped by United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar minutes later, and Chelsea was left with the empty feeling of a team that let a championship slip through its fingers.

It wasn't supposed to end this way for Chelsea. This was the year when the Blues would finally break through and claim the crown that they should have won in years past.

Everything seemed to be breaking Chelsea's way this time around. It received the most favorable draw in the knockout round, taking down Greek side Olympiakos in the Round of 16 before drawing another inferior opponent in Turkish outfit Fenerbahce in the quarterfinals.

Even longtime nemesis Liverpool, which had eliminated the Blues in the semifinals two of the past three years, could not deny them.

They had finally reached the final for the first time, but after going down 1-0 in the first half, they received a fortuitous bounce as Michael Essien's shot took two deflections before falling into the path of Lampard, who leveled the match right before the break.

Didier Drogba hit the post in the second half and Lampard struck the crossbar in extra time, and even though Chelsea was the better team, it couldn't put its English rivals away.

"It's a small, small detail that loses you the game," Lampard told the club's website. "No one can deny that after 30 minutes of the game we completely dominated. The best team didn't win, but let's take nothing away from Man United, they are a fantastic team and they've gone and won the Champions League, but it's very hard to take when it happens like that."

If Lampard sounds a little bitter, it's easy to understand why.

The English midfielder has taken his fair share of criticism over the years for the many failures of the national team. Lampard has often played poorly in England's biggest games, and this was a chance to show the skeptics that he is capable of a big effort on a big stage.

Both he and Terry have won numerous titles in their time with Chelsea, capturing the Premiership, FA Cup, and Carling Cup trophies among others. But this was the ultimate prize and it was so close they could taste it.

"At the end of the day it's a game of soccer - we'll be back," Lampard said following the match.

Don't be so sure Frank, because Chelsea is anything but a lock to get back to the final next season.

There are many questions facing the Blues as they head into the summer and the first question concerns who will be managing the team next season.

Will it be Grant, who took over for Mourinho in September after his sudden departure, or will Abramovich go searching for a flashier name to stalk the sidelines.

Lampard will open discussions with the team in June about a contract extension, but nothing is guaranteed and he is rumored to be a target of Juventus, among other teams.

There has been speculation Drogba may be headed elsewhere for months, while fellow striker Andriy Shevchenko is a pretty safe bet to depart as well.

Ballack, who has been to the quarterfinals of the Champions League with four different teams but still has not won the competition, has been injury prone, while Claude Makelele's days are numbered at the of age 35.

Chelsea will have another loaded roster next season regardless, because it has a good young mix of players like Joe Cole, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou who complement the veteran talent already in the side.

The team has already signed talented Portuguese defender Jose Bosingwa from FC Porto, and more players will be expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge in the coming months.

However, Chelsea knows better than almost anyone that a stacked roster does not ensure anything when its comes to the Champions League.

Getting to the final takes plenty of talent, but it also requires a bit of luck and good timing along the way.

Chelsea had all of those things in its favor for the first time this year, but let the title slip away.

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