章 258: Stamford Bridge Tragedy
Chelsea was set to kick off again just two minutes later. The players hadn't even warmed up yet, and they were already behind on the scoreboard. What a terrible start!
After Zola passed the ball back to Di Matteo, Chelsea began to push forward. They were down, and scoring was the logical way to get back into the game.
Their midfielders made their runs upfield, but Di Matteo found himself tangled up by Nedved. He scanned for options but saw all his teammates tightly marked, so he had to return the ball.
"Pass error! Di Matteo did not notice what was going on behind him. His return was soft and weak, and was intercepted by Larsson in the middle. Larsson moved sideways with the ball, while Trezeguet made a clever run. An opening was created in front of the penalty area. Shevchenko pretended to cut inside, and Larsson passed the ball to Ballack. There was a huge space between Chelsea's defense and the midfield!"
What started as a Chelsea attack quickly turned into a nightmare. Di Matteo's back pass left the midfield and defense disconnected, and Millwall orchestrated a swift counterattack.
Ballack advanced with long strides, unimpeded as he arrived at the edge of the penalty area, gently chipping the ball into the box.
Chelsea's three central defenders marked the attackers clustered in the middle.
But they still missed one!
The moment Di Matteo lost the ball, Nedved sprinted forward, accelerating straight into the penalty area without hesitation.
As Ballack released the ball, Nedved passed right by Duberry, ensuring he wouldn't be offside with LeBerf also moving to guard against Shevchenko's cut inside.
The Czech leapt high, powerfully heading the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.
Dutch goalkeeper De Goey could only look on in despair as he stumbled back, struggling to regain his balance.
Le Saux became furious, pointed at where Nedvěd had shot and shouted at Clark: "You should come over and fill gap, dammit!"
Clark looked furious, his frustration bubbling with nowhere to go.
"Yeah, go ahead and criticize! Why not try being a fullback for a change? You've got the opponent's fullback all over the field, while their winger is darting inside. I'm stuck trying to defend both sides, and now even their midfielders are making surprise runs! I can't believe this—there's just one of me!"
After scoring, Nedved waved to all his teammates running toward him.
When they gathered around for a hug, he chuckled and asked, "Where's the boss?"
Larsson pointed toward the VIP box where Aldrich was sitting. Nedved waved for everyone to follow him in that direction.
Meanwhile, the Chelsea fans below thought this was a provocation and rose in outrage, shouting furiously.
Nedved and his teammates lined up, then all solemnly saluted with serious expressions.
Chelsea fans fell silent, secretly acknowledging how enviable the opponent was—united, powerful, and led by a capable manager. This was the true strength of a champion team!
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen! De Goey, who had kept three clean sheets in the first five league matches, finds himself with two goals against him in less than five minutes today. Although the second goal was caused by Chelsea's error, it shows that Millwall's strategy for both goals was identical: the three forwards pulled defenders away, two midfielders charged forward at speed—one assisting while the other surprised everyone by appearing right before the goal. And let's not forget Chelsea's defense; they've left a huge gap in front of their box, and no one was there to challenge Ballack, making his pass to Nedved extremely comfortable. Now they're saluting Hall in the VIP box—this is Millwall, The Lions!"
"After the second goal went in, Aldrich sprang to his feet in the box, raising both fists in the air with a defiant look on his face.
"As the players below saluted from the sidelines, Aldrich's expression softened. He began to clap, sharing a smile with Yvonne, his face lit up with a blissful grin. Aldrich thought to himself: I knew it, I knew you could do it—you're the best!"
There was nothing that thrilled a manager more than seeing his players execute tactics beyond expectations.
It was a sense of accomplishment, an indescribable pleasure.
But it first relied on the players' abilities. Otherwise, no matter how brilliant a coach's tactical system is, it won't yield results with a squad of duds.
What pleased him most was the attacking trio that scored nearly a hundred goals last season. Each of the three strikers displayed the rare willingness to sacrifice for each other, cleverly drawing defenders with their runs and creating space for teammates to penetrate.
If this were last season's Millwall, those three forwards would have all attacked the opponent's defense simultaneously. But today, they actively pulled Chelsea's backline to one side, creating space on the opposite flank, proving that Millwall's strategy was evolving.
Previously, their attack was rigid, everyone sticking to their duties—defenders to midfielders, midfielders to forwards, and forwards finishing.
However, after the latest changes, Millwall's attacking style has become more varied and unpredictable. Forwards now create space for midfielders, who are delivering decisive passes with a newfound calmness, while full-backs are diversifying their assists rather than just targeting the forwards for finishing."
Chelsea was utterly bewildered.
Gullit looked grim on the sidelines. What now that Chelsea was two goals down?
Time to attack and play their usual "beautiful football"!
But the rest of the match fell entirely under Millwall's control. Chelsea's originally defensive formation struggled to assert dominance in midfield as they found heading into attack increasingly challenging.
In contrast, Millwall thrived as their opponents gave up their compact defense.
By the twenty-eighth minute of the first half, Millwall launched another swift counterattack.
Nedved dropped back to receive the ball and passed it to the advancing Ballack. The forwards made their runs again, this time LeBerf adjusted; he focused more on the movements of Millwall's midfielders outside the box instead of what's happening inside.
Ballack shifted laterally with the ball and then delivered a lofted pass.
Shevchenko burst forward from the edge of the penalty area, with Le Saux and Babayaro closing in, but the ball sailed over their heads. As it dropped near the goal line, Chelsea's defenders were incredulous to see who was receiving it: Schneider!
The forwards not only covered for the midfielders but also drew defenders away for the full-backs' runs.
Schneider retrieved the ball at the goal line; Chelsea's defense panicked, leaving gaps in their marks. Schneider passed it in front, where Trezeguet was tightly guarded by LeBerf, but Larsson emerged from behind Trezeguet, poking the ball into the near post with his toe. Duberry, chasing after him, crashed into both LeBerf and Trezeguet.
Chaos erupted in front of Chelsea's goal, but the ball found the net.
Larsson ran backward, laughing heartily and sticking out his tongue.
Gullit was on the verge of madness, roaring at his players before making his substitutions.
"What's Chelsea doing? Substituting within thirty minutes? Gullit is just slapping himself in the face!"
"There's no choice, Martin. Like you said, Chelsea is down three goals less than thirty minutes in. Gullit can't stick to a five-man backline anymore. After the game, he'll be criticized regardless. He knows making substitutions is a way to correct his pre-match errors. Even if it can't turn the game around, if they can score a couple of goals, it will relieve some post-match pressure."
"But I don't think bringing in a forward instead of removing a defender will guarantee goals. What if he concedes more?"
"Mark Hughes replaces the young Babayaro. LeBerf will transition from sweeper to one of the two center backs, returning Chelsea to their usual 4-4-2 setup. Oh, the young Babayaro is arguing with Gullit. I understand; being subbed off within thirty minutes in such a high-profile match can feel humiliating."
Gullit tried to shake hands with Babayaro as he left the pitch, hoping to console him.
But Babayaro showed no respect toward his coach, angrily shouting, "If you don't trust me, then don't put me on the field!"
Gullit shot back, "How can I trust you after we conceded three goals?"
"Don't pin all the blame on me! It's your terrible tactics that caused the problems! This is awful!"
"Babayaro had a heated argument with Gullit on the sidelines, and the assistant coach had to intervene and drag the player down the tunnel. Gullit seemed extremely dissatisfied. This substitution made the Chelsea players on the field equally dissatisfied. Because the player who just came on the field was It was a mistake for the players too."
When you're trailing and need to attack, removing a defender for an offensive player to revert to their regular 4-4-2 makes sense.
But why bring on 34-year-old Mark Hughes?
They all knew that Viaggi, with his solid scoring rate in training and limited appearances, was sitting on the bench.
Not only Chelsea insiders but also outsiders were aware of the rift between Gullit and Viaggi. Yet at this moment, the teammates wanted Viaggi to enter and support the team.
At least with Viaggi on the field, they could rely on the Italian trio: Di Matteo, Zola, and Viaggi.
Gullit's substitution decision stirred controversy and dissatisfaction among players.
After the changes, Chelsea's morale plummeted.
Just ten minutes later, Shevchenko was taken down in the box by LeBerf, and the referee awarded a penalty.
Stamford Bridge fell silent, the fans numb, refraining from protesting the referee's call.
Millwall was already leading by three; the referee wouldn't have blown for a penalty unless it were blatantly obvious. Yet LeBerf wrecklessly tackled Shevchenko from behind without a chance at the ball, leaving the referee with no choice.
Larsson stepped up to take the penalty and scored effortlessly.
Millwall's players gathered in front of the away supporters and began to sway rhythmically in celebration.
The Lions' fans joined in, delighting in a match that was undoubtedly a treat for them.
Gullit buried his head in his hands, seemingly resigned to the inevitable.
Before halftime, after the fourth goal went in, the stands at Stamford Bridge began to empty as fans quietly filed out.
They couldn't bear to watch any longer!
During halftime, Benítez used up two of his substitutions.
Gronkjaer came on for Larsson, and Neil replaced Zambrotta.
Millwall started the second half by tightening their formation, repelling Chelsea's attacks with effective counters.
As the final whistle blew, a significant portion of the Stamford Bridge stands lay empty.
Those who remained were furious, shouting at Gullit to leave, while others wept in despair.
The scoreboard displayed a gruesome scoreline.
0:7.
In international convention, the home team is listed first.
Millwall created a shocking event in English football known as the 'Stamford Bridge Tragedy.'"
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