Frank Lampard and John Terry are amongst the goals as Chelsea slip to a last-ditch defeat at the hands of MLS All Stars. Shinji Kagawa opens his United account after some good work by Bebe, Ricardo Vaz Te bags a double for West Ham, West Brom hit Copenhagen for three, while Liverpool slip to defeat against Roma:
MLS All Stars 3 Chelsea 2
Roberto Di Matteo fielded a strong starting XI for the game against MLS All Stars earlier this morning. Branislav Ivanovic started at right-back, with Gary Cahill partnering John Terry at centre-half, while in midfield, Frank Lampard sat in the double-pivot and Ramires was handed an attacking role on the right flank, with Romelu Lukaku the lone striker in the 4-2-3-1. After falling behind in the first-half, the Blues equaliser came from a familiar route, as Terry rose to nod home a Lampard corner and leave the match all-square at half-time. Di Matteo made four changes at the break, with Marko Marin’s creativity continuing to carve open the hosts’ defence without any reward. The Premier League side eventually took the lead through Lampard after sub keeper Dan Kennedy had misjudged a Ramires cross but another host of changes cost Chelsea – their rhythm disrupted, the Blues conceded twice to fall to an unexpected defeat. Di Matteo admitted post-match that although his tinkering perhaps led to the loss, the main issue was to give plenty players game time under their belt.
We’re disappointed with the result, we are always looking to win and we were a little bit stretched in the second half. I made some changes and the team was maybe not as together as in the first half….We have to look to improve the way we play a little bit but I was happy with the play in the first half and it was a good test for us. We need to help our striker a little bit more for sure, he needs more support and we need more penetration, but that will come. We have players who have only trained for five, seven or 10 days, so we weren’t expecting to be sharp but we are working towards our first league game which is important for us.
Chelsea Starting XI: Hilario (Turnbull 46); Ivanovic, Cahill (Chalobah 74), Terry (David Luiz 46), Cole (Ferreira 46; Essien (Mikel 60), Lampard (Meireles 60); Ramires (Hazard 60), Marin (Piazon 60), Benayoun (Malouda 46); Lukaku (De Bruyne 74).
Shanghai Shenhua 0 Man United 1
Sir Alex Ferguson handed Michael Carrick a role alongside Rio Ferdinand in the heart of the back-four, with United’s central defensive options currently stretched to the limit. Antonio Valencia and Davide Petrucci were given the wing roles, while Shinji Kagawa one again operated in “the holeâ€, with Federico Macheda the lone forward. New signing Nick Powell also started and should have given his side the lead but fluffed his lines when put through by Petrucci midway through the first-half – in a game affected by heat and humidity and their opponents’ willingness to sit deep and break on the counter, this was United’s only real chance prior to the break.
Ferguson made a trio of changes at half-time and once more it was the introduction of Bebe that made the difference. Having scored in the previous match against Ajax Cape Town, the winger was described as the “star of the second half†by the club’s official website after bedazzling the hosts with his trickery on the left. Not only did he lay on the only goal of the game for Kagawa, Bebe also went close on a couple of occasions and, with the Japanese playmaker also impressing, United were unlucky not to extend their lead – due to an inability to finish off their chances, Ferguson’s side instead had to settle for a slender 1-0 win.
United Starting XI: Lindegaard (Johnstone 46); Veseli (Vermijl 71), Carrick, Ferdinand, Brady; Valencia (Lingard 71), Powell (Tunnicliffe 46), Anderson (Scholes 71), Petrucci (Bebe 46); Kagawa, Macheda (Hernandez 60)
Rot-Weiss Erfurt 0 West Ham 3
Sam Allardyce started the game with three triallists in the Hammers XI; defensive midfielder Bilel Mohsni, right-back Michael Lamey and Colin Kazim-Richards (playing centrally in a front three) were all afforded a chance to impress. The first-half ended goalless and was a bit of a non-event from an attacking perspective for the Premier League side – indeed, if it wasn’t for the heroics of summer signing Stephen Henderson in goal, they could easily have gone in behind. After a couple of changes at the break, the visitors quickly went ahead – Kazim Richards’ cross was diverted his own net by Erfurt’s Phil Ofosu-Ayeh as West Ham stepped up the pace.
Sam Baldock – on as a sub at half-time – lasted just 15 minutes before making way for Ricardo Vaz Te, with the former still not over the effects of a recent illness. Vaz Te needed just two minutes before finding the net after good work by Blair Turgott and the forward notched again on 77 minutes – Nicky Maynard was the provider this time. Henderson continued to defy the home side and racked up a clean sheet thanks to a string of second-half saves; his display over the 90 minutes was afforded plenty praise by the club’s official website and suggests Jussi Jaskelainen may not have it all his own way next season.
West Ham Starting XI: Henderson, Lamey (Driver 46), O’Brien (Baldock 46, Vaz Te 61), Spence, Potts, Mohsni, Moncur, Hall, Turgott, Maynard (Taylor 78), Kazim-Richards
Copenhgen 0 West Brom 3
Steve Clarke rolled out a 4-3-3 formation for West Brom’s game in Denmark last night, with Peter Odemwingie and Jerome Thomas on the flanks and Marc-Antoine Fortune through the middle up front. Despite his wide role, Odemwingie was an immediate threat to the hosts – he was inches away from connecting with a Fortune cut back with just over a minute on the clock and continued to show menace, letting fly with a 30-yard effort soon after. It was no surprise to see Odemwingie involved in his side’s opener; a foul on the Nigerian allowed Steven Reid the chance to fire home a superb free-kick from outside the box to give Clarke’s side the lead. Jonas Olsson, Shane Long and Simon Cox were all afforded their first game time since Euro 2012; the trio were handed 45 minutes apiece, with the latter two on as second-half subs. Cox almost added to his side’s lead on a couple of occasions but it was Long who eventually notched the second from the spot after being brought down in the box. Reid was denied another wonder free-kick thanks to a superb stop by the opposition keeper before Gabrial Tamas (on as a sub for Olsson at the break) added a third late on.
West Brom Starting XI: Daniels; Reid, McAuley, Olsson (Tamas 46), Ridgewell; Mulumbu (Gera71), Morrison (Thorne 62), Dorrans (Mantom 62); Odemwingie (El Ghanassy 71), Fortune (Long 46), Thomas (Cox 46)
Liverpool 1 Roma 2
Brendan Rodgers handed Raheem Sterling a place in his first XI for last night’s match at Fenway Park. The likes of Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani also featured from the off, with the latter handed a role as the most advanced central midfielder and Sterling almost gave his side the lead early on after some good work by Cole. Liverpool’s midfield caused the Italians plenty problems in the first 45; Jonjo Shelvey and Cole both had a couple of efforts, while Nathan Eccleston also went close, but the Roma keeper was in fine form and ensured the teams went in goalless at the break.
Rodgers made seven changes at the break but Liverpool continued to create chances without finding the net; Shelvey went close with a free-kick and sub Suso should have netted as Roma made the Mersyesiders pay with two decisive finishes. Charlie Adam grabbed a consolation with 10 minutes remaining but Roma held out for the win.
Liverpool Starting XI: Gulacsi; McLaughlin, Skrtel, Carragher, Enrique; Spearing, Shelvey, Aquilani; Cole, Sterling, Eccleston.
Second Half Subs: Adam, Agger, Flanagan, Jones, Morgan, Pacheco, Suso.
