| 17.08.2008 |
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| Germany’s Michael Ballack set up the first goal as Luiz Felipe Scolari's tenure as manager of Chelsea got off to the perfect start as his side sent out a message to the rest of the league Sunday with a highly impressive 4-0 victory over Portsmouth. It wasn't just that Chelsea won that was so striking: it was the style of the victory. This was an open, expressive Chelsea, with Mikel Jon Obi in a holding role, Ballack, Lampard and Deco arrayed in front of them and Joe Cole operating just off striker Nicolas Anelka. It was Joe Cole, rumored to be on his way out of the club, who scored the first goal of the Scolari regime, arcing his run cleverly to stay onside as he ran onto Ballack's precise stabbed through-ball. The second came on 26 minutes as full-back Jose Bosingwa sent in a deep cross, and with Portsmouth outnumbered at the back post and James horribly out of position, Deco returned the ball to the middle where Anelka nodded the ball over the line. Lampard, who signed a new five-year contract last week, added a third in first-half injury-time, converting from the penalty spot after Sylvain Distin was perhaps harshly determined to have handled Joe Cole's cross. A swerving 25-yarder from Deco embarrassed James in the final minute to make it 4-0. However, the game ended on a slightly sour note for Ballack as the Chelsea midfielder had to be substituted after taking a knock on his left foot. Following the injury, Ballack contacted Germany coach Joachim Loew to say he would not be fit to play in Wednesday's friendly match against Belgium in Nuremburg. On an even more bitter note, Fulham got off to the worst possible start when they newly-promoted Hull City came from behind to win a 2-1 in their first match in the top flight. Moritz Volz, however, could not be blamed as he was not even included in the squad. Hull were behind within eight minutes against Fulham, but goals from Geovanni and substitute Caleb Folan gave them the win on their Premier League debut, much to manager Phil Brown's delight. "The spirit of the football club was there for everybody to see," Brown said. "The fitness levels in the second half were incredible, as was the passion and the drive. The character was tremendous." The performance from Fulham was not. |
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