U19 - Chelsea 3 - 1 Zenit St Petersburg - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLD7x2VTrY 歐洲青年聯賽小組賽第一輪精華


https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/09/14/
uyl-report--chelsea-vs-zenit-st-petersburg

UYL report: Chelsea 3 Zenit St Petersburg 1

14 Sep 2021


Three second-half goals sealed a come-from-behind victory for Chelsea
Under-19s as we kicked off our UEFA Youth League campaign with a win at
Cobham.


https://i.imgur.com/l6qH5HK.jpg


Zenit St Petersburg were the visitors in a warm-up for this evening's
senior Champions League action and the Russians made it tough with a
resilient opening during which they took a surprise lead through Evgeny
Kim.


The Blues were wasteful at times but finally turned the game on its head
with three quick goals in 20 minutes in the second period. Charlie Webster
fired us level before Harvey Vale dispatched a penalty and Jude
Soonsup-Bell rounded off the scoring late on.


== The selection ==


Following the cancellation of last season's competition due to the
Covid-19 pandemic, this was the first UEFA Youth League team picked by
Andy Myers in 21 months and it therefore contained plenty of new faces
experiencing European club football at this level for the first time.


The only survivors from the side that started a 1-1 draw with Lille at
Cobham in December 2019 were Sam McClelland, who captained the young Blues
in this latest outing, and Dion Rankine.


https://i.imgur.com/bvWL0ic.jpg
The starting XI against Zenit


Myers opted for a 3-4-3 system, with McClelland at the heart of our back
three alongside Bashir Humphreys and Brodi Hughes, protecting Teddy
Sharman-Lowe in goal. Silko Thomas and Rankine were used as wing-backs,
with Lewis Hall partnering Webster in central midfield.


Up top, Soonsup-Bell led the line supported by Ronnie Stutter and Vale,
the latter with four goals for our development squad already this term and
Stutter with five for our Under-18s.


== Joy down the left ==


After a pre-match downpour under blanket grey clouds in Surrey, the hosts
made a promising start on the slick turf at our Cobham training base. Vale
and Thomas combined well on the left flank, interchanging between
overlapping on the outside and drifting into pockets of space infield to
good effect.


It was Vale who fashioned the game's first opportunity just five minutes
in with a measured delivery into the six-yard box that Arseniy Zigangirov,
the Zenit captain, did well to turn behind from right underneath his own
crossbar. From the resulting corner, a curling ball swung in by Webster,
goalkeeper Daniil Odoevski punched to safety.


Thomas was fresh from signing his first professional contract at the club
last week and appeared brimming with confidence, skipping past his direct
opponent Elisei Emelianov with growing ease and forcing the right-back
into the book inside 15 minutes.


https://i.imgur.com/DYhFKl2.jpg
Thomas had joy for the Blues down the left


Shortly afterwards, he latched on to a brilliant cross-field pass from
Hall and jinked dangerously into the box but opted to go for goal rather
than pass and smashed his effort into the side-netting.


== Russian resilience and reward ==


The boys from St Petersburg were set up in a compact shape but still
carried a threat of their own, initially testing Sharman-Lowe through
forward Daniil Kuznetsov before Ilia Rodionov curled narrowly wide.


Down the other end, a familiar theme was developing as left-sided attacks
brought promise but no dent to the scoreline. Vale pounced on an error to
advance and teed up Stutter with a clever cutback but the striker's shot
span wide, while Soonsup-Bell twice went close with efforts that failed to
trouble Odoevski.


https://i.imgur.com/y5hvbKr.jpg
Soonsup-Bell was denied on more than one occasion in the first half


As can so often be the case in this competition, the visitors soon
punished Chelsea's profligacy by breaking the deadlock with a goal of
their own. Kim skipped away from Hughes on the edge of the box and drilled
a fine finish past Sharman-Lowe into the far bottom corner.


== Opportunities knock ==


It could have been worse for the young Blues within seconds as Kim again
took aim, this time from a little further out and with the end result
seeing the ball whistle just wide.


Yet our best chance came just before the break as a quick attack paid
dividends and the ball found its way across the box to Stutter, who
slammed a shot against the post. Even later in the half, Humphreys stepped
forward from centre-back and Soonsup-Bell manoeuvred some space with a
brilliant first touch to swivel and shoot but the effort flew over.


In added time, Stutter saw a close-range strike blocked and Thomas
volleyed wide on the rebound following penalty box pinball as our pressure
intensified.


== Visitors vanquished ==


It didn't take long in the second half for the Blues to finally break
Zenit's resolve, with Stutter providing an early warning sign when he
headed wide from a tight angle a few yards out following Hall's corner.


https://i.imgur.com/tQ2MPnR.jpg
Hall on the ball


Relief and celebration soon came with the equaliser after 52 minutes as
Webster finally found a finish for the hosts, arrowing the ball into the
top corner from eight yards out after Soonsup-Bell had seen another shot
blocked.


https://i.imgur.com/wNMwGgb.jpg
Webster fired in the equaliser


With the tide turning in Chelsea's favour, the momentum built for Myers's
men, with Soonsup-Bell's free-kick and then Hughes's long-range drive
stinging the palms of Odoevski between the Zenit posts.


The game truly swung midway through the second period with the concession
of a penalty and a red card for the visitors. Soonsup-Bell was the eager
protagonist, running on to the end of a long kick forward from
Sharman-Lowe and getting the wrong side of defender Artem Kasimov, who
clipped his legs.


The Irish referee was perhaps a touch harsh in showing a red card for what
could have been deemed a genuine attempt to play the ball but Chelsea
weren't complaining and Vale showed no reprieve from 12 yards, drilling
the ball down the middle to make it 2-1.


https://i.imgur.com/8sS998W.jpg
Vale converted a penalty for 2-1 but then missed another late on


Soonsup-Bell's search for a goal of his own continued into the final 20
minutes after he was denied a brilliant individual effort by Odoevski's
fine save down low to the right but the 17-year-old was finally on the
scoresheet moments later as he produced a simple finish to turn in Vale's
cross.


https://i.imgur.com/91ZDGOe.jpg
Soonsup-Bell is congratulated for his goal


With the Blues a man up and in control of the points, it was a dominant
final 15 minutes of action, with the only blot coming as Vale spurned the
opportunity to add another goal when he skied a penalty over the bar after
substitute Joe Haigh had been upended at the end of a mazy run.


Nevertheless, this was a positive day for our Under-19s, who start Group H
with three goals and three points on the board ahead of a trip to Juventus
later in the month.


== What's next? ==


Weekend action starts with an Under-18 Premier League Cup tie for our
youth team at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday morning. After that,
our development squad are at Stamford Bridge on Sunday lunchtime for a
London derby against Arsenal in Premier League 2.


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https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/09/15/
uyl-reaction--myers-on-experience-gained-and-difference-made-in-

UYL reaction: Myers on experience gained and difference made in key areas

15 Sep 2021


After 21 months of waiting, the UEFA Youth League was back at Cobham this
week as Chelsea Under-19s started the new campaign with a 3-1 victory over
their counterparts from Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday afternoon.


https://i.imgur.com/bNvQ6wh.jpg


Goals from Charlie Webster, Harvey Vale and Jude Soonsup-Bell did the
damage to seal a come-from-behind win, with the young Blues moving ahead
in the early Group H standings following a 2-2 draw in the other game
between Zenit and Juventus.


That left Myers and his staff understandably positive, not least because
only two of the starters had previous experience in the competition
following the cancellation of last term's edition.


'For most of the boys it was their debut so it was good for them to get
that experience,' he told us after the final whistle.


https://i.imgur.com/x6th0OZ.jpg
Nine of the Blues starters were making their debut in the UEFA Youth League


'Maybe there were some nerves at the start but we grew into it and a win
is always important in the first game of any competition. There were some
good bits and some indifferent bits but it's a young group and I think
we're going to improve as we go on.


'It was also good being able to get three subs on later in the game who
haven't played before either, like Leo Castledine and Billy Gee with an
opportunity because Bashir Humphreys had to come off injured. It's nice
for them to get a taste of it and now hopefully the next game should be a
little easier.'


The hosts controlled the contest but struggled to turn that advantage into
clear-cut opportunities in the first half before succumbing to a
sucker-punch against the run of play. Zenit's lead at the break was
perhaps unjust but Myers felt his players needed to be better


'There was some good play to get us into the final third but then it's
just that cutting edge and end product that we need to get right,' he
explained.


'We had opportunities where we didn't work the goalkeeper enough when we
got in behind in the final third and you have to be clinical because teams
can punish you in this competition.


https://i.imgur.com/6rGD5gB.jpg
Myers and his assistants Jon Harley and Jack Mesure after a job well done
at Cobham


'At 1-0 down, you're always up against it because they were good at
sitting back. We changed it around a bit and went with two up top with
Ronnie [Stutter] and Jude, which seemed to put them on the back foot a bit
more.


'I felt Silko Thomas also had a very good game. He was a threat with
Harvey on the left-hand side and that's where the goals came from, with
some very good combination play between them.'


With two forwards and a creative midfielder among the goals, Myers was
also pleased to see his offensive players contributing, though he provided
some insight into the tweaks made at the break to get his centre-forward
into more dangerous goalscoring positions.


'It's nice to get goals from the players you want your goals from,' he
added. 'We did say to Jude that, for all his good play in the first half,
at times he wasn't in those areas to score so we asked him to get into the
six-yard box a bit more.


'He did that for the first goal, had a shot saved before Charlie finished
it off, and then got his reward by getting in there for his goal as well.
That's where I want my centre-forward trying to get goals and that's what
happened.'


https://i.imgur.com/rbXU7Ju.jpg
Webster fired the equaliser high into the net from close range


In other Academy news, there have been changes to the dates, kick-off
times and venues for three upcoming matches in Premier League 2. Our
encounter with Blackburn Rovers, originally slated to be held away on
Friday 1 October, will now be reversed and played at Cobham on Sunday 3
October, kick-off midday.


The visit to Leicester City on Saturday 23 October is now a 5pm kick-off,
while our meeting with Blackburn on Monday 2 May will now be an away
fixture.


Elsewhere, Richard Olise has signed his first professional contract at the
club following his 17th birthday, the earliest a player can put pen to
paper.


Chelsea (3-4-3):
Teddy Sharman-Lowe

Brodi Hughes Sam McClelland (c) Bashir Humphreys
(Billy Gee 57)

Dion Rankine Charlie Webster Lewis Hall Silko Thomas
(Ben Elliott 77) (Joe Haigh 60) (Leo Castledine 77)

Ronnie Stutter Jude Soonsup-Bell Harvey Vale
(Bryan Fiabema 77)


Unused subs - Teddy Curd, Jayden Wareham
Scorers - Webster 52; Vale (pen) 69; Soonsup-Bell 72
Booked - Hall 20; Soonsup-Bell 27


Zenit (4-3-3):
Daniil Odoevski

Elisei Emelianov Artem Kasimov Arseniy Zigangirov (c) Aleksandr Sanrdachuk
(Matvey Troshchenkov 56) (Valerii Murzakov 67)

Evgeny Kim Ruslan Khailoev Ilia Rodionov
(Roni Mikhailovskii 75) (Vladislav Saus 56)

Andrey Maryanov Akim Belokhonov Daniil Kuznetsov
(Savva Kotov 75)


Unused subs - Georgii Korolev, Aleksandr Emilianov
Scorer - Kim 33
Sent off - Kasimov 68
Booked - Emelianov 12


Referee Rob Hennessy from Ireland


-In other Academy news, Bradley Ryan has signed for the club following a
successful trial from Welling United and Silko Thomas has signed his first
professional contract with the Blues.

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以伊露維塔的名為證發誓 — 若有誰敢奪取屬於我們的藍色之心，不論對方是天使
、惡魔、男人或女人，包括尚未出生者，若有任何的生靈，不論偉大或渺小，是善
還是惡，我們都將懷著復仇與憎恨之心直追到天涯海角，直追到世界結束之日。


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