Where's the award? WHERE THE HELL IS THAT AWARD????!!! Diego Simeone has won coach of the year. Thank you. No point in debating it. After THAT victory and that performance AWAY from home, I have to hand it to Diego who totally outcoached one of THE great coaches in the game. And Mourinho had to just hold his hands up and admit a resounding defeat.
It started well for Mourinho. They kept it well defensively, got the goal and seemed that they would go in half-time WINNING. The experimental selection seemed to be working...but all it took were a few defensive mistakes by EXPERIENCED players that lead to Atletico taking the initiative. I feel it was a case of SLIGHT underestimation of the opponent. Atletico have rarely looked better. They moved the ball well, RIDICULOUS organization and just had so many creative ideas when moving forward. Chelsea's heavier legs and laborious bodies could not cope.
The match pretty much ended when Diego Costa put the penalty away. Then, it was just all over for Chelsea. Too heavy a blow for them to come back from. But instead of Atletico sitting back, knowing Chelsea HAD to score two, they had the bravery and the audacity to keep it going and attacking. Chelsea just found it too hard to keep up with a team that were more balanced and moved the ball quicker than they did. And after Arda Turan put the nail further into the coffin, Atletico had made a HUGE statement that they were more than just a very good defensive team. They showed they could attack and had the willingness and drive to win and score goals. THREE goals they managed to score at the Bridge and it was a loss that would have hurt very deep for Chelsea. But, not like that "ghost" goal from Luis Garcia, but more about just how badly they were beaten whilst their own fans watched. It still pains when a team that is just so much better than you ON THE DAY totally owns that booty.
I can't sing the praises of Simeone highly enough. The level of coaching that he has brought to Atletico is of the highest level. To be working with hardly anything and to take a team to within touching distance of the La Liga and possibly winning the Champions League is a SUPERB achievement. But remember Leverkusen? It would be a disaster if after all that work it all ends up with them not winning anything.
HH
