Last year I introduce myself to this forum writeing post where I criticise every player (and coach) in Inter squad after loss to Manchester UTD in knockout round... this year i return with oposite intention:
Congradulations to Inter, to everybody- from director`s to junior players... and of course all fans around the world (who probably deserve this victory the most)!
First I must praise the team as collective. They have spirit, they look like fresh team... team that have idea how to play big teams and quallityes to do it. I must say that they don`t look that way too often. All team fight tonight, they play proffesional, but also with their hearts... They have something to prove, and that feel in their play. They play for fans, for their owner, for their coach, for themselfes... and they play well! They helped eichother in every tough situation, they defended like a team and they attack as a team... and thouse final 10-15 minutes they move the ball like never before.
So lets start:
12. Julio César- He keep his promise that he won`t let Inter to concide... He looked confident even he don`t have too much work tonight. But he was stable, he organise the defence very well, and he reacted greatly on thouse several corners at the end of first half. Great teams always have great goalkeepers, and Julio is undoubtfully one of them! After first dissapointing leg for him, he find strenght and focus and compleatly locked the goal. Great game!
13. Maicon- He show that he is best right back in the world football... he made clown out of Maluda couple of times (most dangerous player of Chelsea) and he will make nightmares on Zyrkov and Lampard. And all that with that smile on his face and that light run that makes football to look like most easy sport on planet. I always liked players who enjoy playing football, and Maicon is deffinetly one of them...
6. Lucio- Two games, two fascinating performances. He is probably the most hated man in London now, but he was most deserveing for Inter progressing in 1/4 finals of CL. He make Drogba to look like second class striker, and he do that every time, every minute, every second of 187 minutes of play. I don`t see single error from him, and he is probably best spent 5 million euros in football history! He sacriface for every opponent possesion, he dive, tackle, jump, mark, kick, run foward, dribble, argue... unbealivable performance of one veteran football master!
25. Walter Adrian Samuel- He was not just "The Wall", he was the great chinnesse wall strenghten with electric fence and dynamite under it
... he follow Lucio performance with his own. The Inter defense never looked better and more confident, Samuel was a true general tonight.
4. Javier Zanetti- Superlatives for the Inter captain and his briliant display. If every player play like Javier (with determination and conistency) Inter would be in very different position. He run a true marathon, and he didn`t do a single mistake. He was superb on stoping Anelka, and he helped Sneijder on numerous occations. Its really a pleasure to watch Zanetti fly over the pitch playing "old-fashion" football without ugly fouls, constant pace, extraordinary crossing and with accurate short passes. He is real icon for this team... and if there is a player in the world who deserve his first Champions League trophy, Javier is the man!
19. Esteban Cambiasso- Both central midfielders play their match of the season. Cambiasso was on every ball in middle, destructing every possesion of Chelsea, his passing was briliant, and he stopped Lampard and Ballack with no trouble. He also command the middle with autority and gave his heart in this match. He is unreplaceable in this squad and tonight he show why. Not a foot wrong, highest grade there is!
8. Thiago Motta- Match of the season without a doubt. I havent even know that Motta can play like this. We have to wait this long, and on this big game to see his abbility. He play cold-warm all season, but tonight he was fantastic. He command the middle, something that missed in first leg. He bring teammates in play, he close Obi Mikel, he was in attack, he was in defense, he was everywere... he covered 10 km tonight and Chelsea have no strategy for him... he even lose some playing time when Inter needed. If Motta continue playing like this, or even 70% of this he will be one of the best players of the squad. I don`t know what was the issue, motivation, atmosphere, strategy or something else... but he was reborn player tonight- player who make difference.
10. Wesley Sneijder- Superman, Mr. Fantastic, Flash... real superhero of this generation. Real Madrid probably want some time-machine to bring him back... he was on superstar level all night, when team lose idea of "what to do" he steped up and do the right thing. It was masterfull performance from one of the best players in the world. He get one of the best assist of the season, he completly raise the team level of play, he was with one eye in defense and with other in ofense, he always was one step ahead of his oponent, he always has idea what to do. This season he play game after game in great manner, but tonight he was simply special. He added ultra-motivation and great desire to win on his game and he was perfect. For me he is the greatest asset to this Inter team in last 10-15 years, and he dellivers in such a high-stake game tonight. Inter wanted trequartista? They have the best in the world!
27. Goran Pandev- My countryman, the great surprise from Mourinho to Chelsea... extra attacker who totally crush every Ancelotti strategy plans. I can`t say that this is his best match ever, but in this important game he do small things that resulted in Inter win. He wasn`t 100% fit, and that shows, but he do some great thing in middle of the pitch, and also strech the chelsea defense with his many crossings in middle. He know how to play big games, and he done that with confidence tonight. Ivanovic has real problems on that left side, and cannot produce anything in attack- all Pandev "fault". Inter do marvelous buisness buying him, and he will just upgrade his play. I expect his best in next round... but for him sky is a limit!
9. Samuel Eto'o- He himself know why is in Inter, to play in this big games on high level, and he done it that tonight. He was all over the place, running like never before, fighting for every ball, for every aerial challenge, looking for some space to score. He also helped in defense also very succesfully. His goal come like reward for his great evening, he deserve applause and he deserve his name in big headlines tommorow. I can see his great confidence tonight and his superb desire to win and to progress further. He is class striker and tonight he was spot on! Alex and Terry will curse him some time... but we are already thinking about his next "huge" goal!
22. Diego Milito- If Eto`o is class then Milito is masterclass. He don`t score, he don`t even shot on goal but his presence was everywhere. I wasn`t surprise when stats show that Milito ran the most of Inter players (10,2 km), he always magnetize two players on him, he open space, he passed the ball extraordinary, he helped in middle when was needed, he "score" many goals that wasn`t write on scoreboard! I won`t say something new if I say that he is probably the most clinical striker in the world, but he is so more than that... tonight he was also one of the most powerfull tactical players of Mourinho, finishing his dutyes without mistake. We will see more games like this from him, cause he is just briliant player.
no.1. Jose Mourinho- The "special one" was the ultimate factor for this 1/8 finals win. He give a football tactical lesson to his collegue Ancelotti who don`t have idea what to do with his team. Every Inter player knew what to do, every Inter player was on high level, every aspect of tonight game was planned and analysed... and execute. It was like Mourinho watched the game earlyer... there was nothing unexpected... He locked the Drogba again, he isolate Lampard and Ballack, he close the path of Malouda moving, he went hard on Zyrkov and Ivanovic. He dictate the pace of the game, which was favorivable for Inter, he combinate short passes with long ones like never before. Inter played better than Chelsea on their ground, and that was something I don`t expect... but that is why Mourinho is best and most unexpected tactician in the world! He can go all way, that is for sure... and if players support him like tonight- there is no unbeatable team for Inter.
I will just remind that Inter don`t won the trophy yet
, they just progress in 1/4 finals (not big deal for most clubs)... Mourinho can`t let his players to become complacent. (not just CL but the domestic league also)
Now we will wait for Friday, expecting a slightly weaker opponent... CSKA, Bordeaux, Bayern... all look ideal for Inter gameplay.
Congradulations again, and if Inter play like this is no matter who will be our opponent next time!
P.S: Excuse me for lot of grammatical errors, but i`m so excited!!!
10 years of FIF
