Torr-ture ends
Fernando finally scores as Chelsea cruise into semis
LONDON: Fernando Torres finally ended his five-month goal drought as Chelsea cruised into the FA Cup semi-finals with a 5-2 victory over Leicester at Stamford Bridge yesterday.
Torres has endured a miserable time since his British record £50mil transfer from Liverpool in January 2011 but the Spain striker took advantage of Leicester’s sloppy defending to score twice and secure a much-needed boost to his fragile confidence.
Gary Cahill put Chelsea ahead early in the first half of the quarterfinal and Salomon Kalou added the second soon after.
But it was Torres’ increasingly rare appearance on the scoresheet that took the spotlight.
Torres had gone more than 24 hours of playing time without scoring – dating back to a double against Genk in October – and there was a huge sense of relief around the Bridge when he tucked away a simple chance midway through the second-half.
When Torres scored again in the closing moments, the roar was loud enough to suggest Chelsea had actually won the Cup and the muchmaligned star followed that by setting up Raul Meireles for Chelsea’s fifth goal.
Leicester got a couple of late goals from Jermaine Beckford and Ben Marshall but Nigel Pearson’s Championship side never threatened to spoil the feelgood factor around the Bridge.
Just two weeks ago, Chelsea’s season was spiralling out of control after Andre Villas-boas was sacked following a miserable eight-month spell in charge.
But the Portuguese coach’s departure appears to have lifted spirits to a remarkable extent and Chelsea can now look forward to an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley next month, as well as a Champions League quarter-final against Benfica.
Roberto Di Matteo, who has won all four of his matches as interim boss, deserves credit for restoring a sense of calm among a squad previously at war with Villas-boas, although the cynics will suggest it is the club’s senior players who are really running the show.
With a crucial clash at Manchester City looming on Wednesday, Di Matteo backed his reserves to see off Leicester.
Only Petr Cech, Branislav Ivanovic, Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata retained their places from the team that defeated Napoli in midweek, while captain John Terry wasn’t even on the bench.
Villas-boas had tried the same gamble inthe previous round against Birmingham and saw Chelsea held to an embarrassing draw but the sense of optimism around the Bridge since his departure ensured Di Matteo fared much better.
When Beckford curled wide from just inside the penalty area after an incisive move, it seemed the Foxes might be capable of springing a surprise.
But sloppy defending in the 12th minute proved their undoing, as Cahill was allowed to rise above several Leicester defenders to meet Mata’s corner with a header past Kasper Schmeichel at the far post.
England defender Cahill celebrated his first Chelsea goal since his January transfer from Bolton by lifting his shirt to display the message “Pray for Muamba” – a tribute to the plight of his former Wanderers team-mate Fabrice Muamba, who is critically ill after collapsing during his club’s FA Cup tie at Tottenham on Saturday.
Torres then sparked into life as he sprinted clear down the left flank before clipping a pass to Kalou, who kept his cool to slot home in the 18th minute.
That effectively ended the tie and Di Matteo took off Mata at half-time with the City match in mind but Torres ensured he wasn’t missed.
In the 67th minute, Raul Meireles whipped over a low cross towards Torres, who took a touch before steering a scuffed finish beyond Schmeichel.
Beckford reduced the deficit in the 77th minute after Danns hit a post.
Torres, now energised, sparked a frenzied finish by glancing a clever header past Schmeichel from Meireles’ corner in the 86th minute. Marshall blasted a superb second for Leicester two minutes later before Torres showed his new-found confidence by setting up Meireles to complete the rout in stoppage time. — AFP