Chelsea to face All-Stars: Can MLS snap its losing streak?

FOX Soccer got the scoop earlier today, confirming what had been rumored: Chelsea is coming over for this year’s Major League Soccer All-Star game (Jul. 25, PPL Park in Philadelphia).

This will be the second time the Abramovites will participate in the event, having also appeared in 2006. On that night, MLS came away 1-0 winners at Toyota Park, with then-Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario scoring in the 70th minute.

The coach from MLS that day? Philadelphia’s own Peter Nowak, who could be selected to again this time out, given Red Bulls’ boss Hans Backe was chosen last year (when the game was in New York).

To give you an idea of how long ago 2006 was in soccer years, players take saw action that day for Chelsea include Geremi, Shaun Wright-Philips, Andriy Shevchenko, Arjen Robben, and Lassana Diarra.

While the results of these exhibitions don’t mean anything, you can’t help but wonder if MLS is hoping for something more competitive than the last two years. Two easy Manchester United wins (by a combined scoreline of 9-2) left some wondering if the format’s really worth it. It’s nice to get a big, prestigious opponent in for a marque event, but if it’s going to turn into an annual hammering for MLS’s best, the showcase’s novelty will be usurped by trepidation.

There are a few reasons to think this year will be different. First, if Thierry Henry continues to be THIERRY HENRY, he’ll be the most dangerous attacker MLS has had since the league went to this format in 2005.  As Titi showed this winter, he’s still capable of grabbing a goal again Premier League competition.

There’s also Euro 2012 to consider, the last day of which is July 1. Chelsea’s squad is dominated by players who can be expected to take part in UEFA’s championship: goalkeeper Petr Cech (Czech Republic); defenders Ashley Cole, John Terry, and Gary Cahill (England); midfielders Frank Lampard (England), Florent Malouda (France) and Raul Miereles (Portugal); and attackers Daniel Sturridge (England), Fernando Torres and Juan Mata (Spain).

Some of those players will appear in Philadelphia, especially if their nations don’t get out of group. Others won’t even make the trip to the States.

But let’s have some fun. Let’s assume every player that goes to Euro 2012 doesn’t play at PPL Park. What kind of team might we see from Chelsea?

How about …

G:  Ross Turnbull
LB: Ryan Bertrand
CB: David Luiz
CB: Jeffrey Bruma
RB: Branislav Ivanovic
M: Oriol Romeu
M: Ramires
M: Michael Essien
LF: Lucas Piazón
CF: Romelu Lukaku
RF: Gael Kakuta

Mostly kids mixed in with some regulars, and of course, that won’t be the team. Even if it is, MLS’s side will still have their hands full.

Arsenal close in on Dempsey as scouts say £10m Fulham man will be smash hit in north London

Arsenal are determined to land Fulham forward Clint Dempsey this summer after regular scouting reports since the turn of the year convinced Arsene Wenger he would fit perfectly into their system.

The £10million-rated USA striker has scored 22 goals this season, including Monday night’s late equaliser against Chelsea. Wenger, who also wants to add a new wide player to his squad in the summer, has told chief scout Steve Rowley to draw up a list of targets and Dempsey is high on it.

Arsenal’s interest in Dempsey, 29, underlines his growing status as one of the Premier League’s top performers. The former New England Revolution forward’s contract expires in the summer of 2013 and he is currently stalling over fresh terms with Fulham, with Newcastle and Liverpool also understood to be interested.

On target: Clint Dempsey nets Fulham's eqauliser against Chelsea

Meanwhile, Arsenal are facing a mini-defensive crisis ahead of tonight’s visit to Wolves.

Laurent Koscielny is suspended while Kieran Gibbs (groin) and Bacary Sagna (knock) are both doubts.

Johan Djourou should replace Koscielny in central defence, while Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson are on stand-by to replace Gibbs and Sagna.  Victory at Molineux will put Arsenal five points ahead of Tottenham in the race for third spot.

But Wenger said: ‘Let’s not anticipate, that is something else that is important. When it gets to the last sprint, focusing on the next game becomes the most important part because you are always tempted to anticipate. We have the experience to know just to deal with the next game and that is the only important thing.’ 

Top target: Dempsey (left)

And Yossi Benayoun will leave Arsenal when his loan from Chelsea expires in the summer and start the search for his fourth club in as many years. Benayoun impressed against Manchester City on Sunday but it was only his fifth Premier League start for the Gunners.

Frank Lampard: Don’t blow it now

Frank Lampard has warned his Chelsea team-mates that the club will end the season with nothing if they don’t raise their game for the final six weeks of the season.

Chelsea wasted a great opportunity to move level with fourth-placed Tottenham, who lost 2-1 at home to Norwich yesterday, by conceding a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Fulham last night.

It means they are two points behind Spurs and Newcastle in the table with just five matches to go.

Chelsea now face a run of six games in 18 days, starting with their FA Cup semi-final against Spurs at Wembley on Sunday.

They also have a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, with the first leg at Stamford Bridge on April 18, plus a key match in the race for the top four against Arsenal on April 21.

Lampard said: “It is very exciting because after the first leg in the Champions League against Napoli we looked in a bad way.

“We could have been going out of the Champions League and, who knows, the FA Cup and Premier League [top four]. Now all of a sudden we have turned it around so that we’re fighting on a few fronts.

“We need to really focus on every single game. It’s fatiguing but we really need to get through it.”

       

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RVP: I’ll score when I want…except if…

Robin van Persie insists he’s not worried about not finding the back of the net, despite not scoring in nearly a month.

The Dutchman, who has been nothing short of prolific for nearly 15 months, last scored against Newcastle United on March 12th but has since seen a combination of great goalkeeping, poor (in relative terms) finishing and the woodwork deny him the chance to add to his 26 Premier League goal tally.

Speaking to the Arsenal official matchday programme ahead of Sunday’s win over Manchester City, Van Persie spoke about the importance of having an all-round game.

“I’ve always said that I don’t have to be scoring goals to be pleased with my form.

“Of course it’s always nice if you can score too, but for me football is not about just scoring goals.

“I want to play well and help the team, and I’m just happy with that little pass to Theo before the goal against QPR for example.

“I want to be decisive and helpful to the team, whether that’s making a pass or scoring a goal.

“Of course I do want to score as well, but against Everton I hit the post, against Villa there was an unbelievable clearance off the line, and against QPR the keeper made a really good save.

“Normally out of those three chances, at least one would go in.”

Having seen Thomas Vermaelen somehow deflect his first half header off the City line, and having watched a second effort hit the post, let’s hope that seeds of doubt are not starting to germinate in RVP’s mind.

Thankfully, having spent months of the season fending off suggestions that Arsenal are a one man team, the rest of the squad have really stepped up in recent months to prove that they can make the difference during squeaky bum time.

      

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