Romance in Naranja

Chelsea WFC v Real Madrid Femenino in Group B of the UEFA Champions League at Stamford Bridge

The Blues are back in Champions League action with the first of their group games being Real Madrid at home. On paper it looks easy for the Blues as they have beaten Real Madrid at the group stage for the last 2 years. Also in the group are Celtic and FC Twente who are both on their first group stage adventure. Hope they have fun but are eventually unsuccessful. Chelsea have started the season well and have maximum points after a narrow win against Villa and then putting 7 past Palace at GGL. Their sold out WSL game against Man Utd was postponed at a weeks' notice on the grounds of player welfare. The biggest change is that Emma has gone to manage USA, oh yeh, and she won the Olympics with them this summer. Emma just being Emma. The Blues now have Sonia Bompastor who we last saw as Lyon manager in Bilbao. This is an easy banana skin for the Blues tonight. Las Blancas, seen here in a very Dutch  Orange , still have Linda Caicedo, Caroline Wier, who has escaped the ACL gang, and signed Melanie Leupolz from the Blues in the summer. There are a few new faces for the Blues.  French winger, Sandie Baltimore has signed from PSG. Sandie is at left back and on the right is familiar face, Lucy Bronze , fresh from winning the Champions League with Barcemoana. In the centre of defence are Millie and Natalie. Hannah is behind them in goal. Joining Nusken in the middle is new signing Wieke Kaptein who arrives at Chelsea after signing from Twente a year ago and spending the season there on loan. LJ is the 10 so will be drifting everywhere or no-where and taking the place of Fran who has gone to Brighton along with Cankovic👍🏼. Up front are JRK, Guru and Mayra. Las Blancas have lost Hayley Raso to Spurs so no ribbon to watch for tonight. Linda C is on the bench thankfully. Let's get on with it.   

The Liquidator starts up and the crowd are on their feet ready to go. Only the players don't come out and the music stops. A couple of minutes go by and were off again. This time the players come out and line up. It's Zecira in green and not Hannah who must have had an issue in the warm up.  After the false start, it finally underway. JRK is full of beans and wins a corner in the first minute. It's not cleared and JRK's cross ends up in the back of the net. There scorer is not announced so it must be an O.G ⚽.  Goal is a goal. Need some more beforetMadrid find their feet. The high energy press lasts for about 5 more minutes. Wieke Kaptein has a nasty clash with the pitch side advertising. She seems OK after a while. The visitors get a chance on 16 but Maria Mendes heads over from the corner. The rain starts to gets bit heavier. A orange shirt shot is easily caught by Zecira. The rain gets even heavier. Chelsea get a corner on 30. Nusken is fouled in the box and the ref gives a pen. Gura does her thing ⚽. 2-0. A double save from Zecira on 32 keeps the lead but the pressure on the hosts is building in the pouring rain. There is a scramble in the Blues box on 39 and Redeondo blasts home. I think the Blues are happy when the break comes. 2-1.

Chelsea are back up to speed and starting to apply pressure again. Weike's shot is deflected and saved as the Blues dominate. Some good wing play leads to LJ ghosting into the box and her cross finds the head of Mayra. It goes high and looks like it over the bar but it drops just under and into the net⚽. 3-1. The Whites respond by bringing on Lida Caicedo. She might be a handful, depending on where she plays. LJ is fouled by Teresa Abelleria. It's not a booking but she then reacts and gets booked for opening her mouth. Big cheers from the crowd. Guru and Mayra both have good chances from LJ crosses. Sonia makes some changes on 66 with Lawrence replacing Baltimore and Hermano replacing Kaptein. Into the last 15 and the important 5th goal could go either way. Feller comes on for Castillo and is an immediate threat. JRK is replaced by OJF for the Blues. It's been a great shift from the Swedish winger. It's the Spaniards applying the pressure now. A cross into the Blues box is not dealt with and Caicedo prods it home on 83. 3-2. Oops. A tough last ten minutes ahead. The Blues soak up the pressure though and see out the win. Aaannnd breath. Glad those Madrid subs came on so late. Phew.😰

A first Champions League win for Sonia but it was far from convincing. The early energy faded quickly but the side has been depleted by a sickness bug in the week so not all are at their peak. It turns out that Erin, who is just back from injury, got a knock in training. Cat Macario and Megan Fox were also unwell. With no keeper on the bench, it was apparently decided which outfield player would go in goal. We don't know who it was and probably never will . If we had to guess, and we can't resist, it would be Natalie Bjorn. She looks a bit like a keeper. The Blues performance was lacklustre on the whole but there were a few moments of brilliance. They sat back too much and it became difficult to get down the wings with any success. The penalty looked a bit soft but we'll take it, or rather Guru took it and she doesn't miss those. The weather was awful for parts of the game and there was some slipping and sliding. We were over on the far side so couldn't hear Sonia instructions. She's not Emma 📣.  Saying that, no-one could hear much over the Madrid keepers constant screaming. We like a shouty keeper but it was a bit too screechy. There was some good noise from the Stamford Bridge crowd, mostly at the back led by Basil but there were other small pockets of fans giving the girls support from the stands. It's a good start and 3 points on the board. FC Twente top the group after match day 1 as they beat Celtic 2-0. Their first time in the group stage but they could be tough opposition for the Blues when they head there next Wednesday. Sure Chelsea will get a warm Dutch welcome. And any tea drinkers need take their own milk as they drink it with lemon over there. Or just drink coffee like normal people. That's it for us in London this week.

POTM: Goes to JRK 🏅 for her ridiculous level of energy. Blew the Spaniards away from the first whistle.

Ref: All the officials had a good game especially considering the conditions. They intervened only where necessary and didn't fall for any of the Spaniard's theatrics.

Basil watch: Met him at the main entrance and heard him for most of the game.

Bottle top news: All bottle tops were left intact.

See you on Saturday

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

West stand rules

Two little ducks, Lucy Bronze

Stamford and Bridget

We're only here for the Basil

Enjoying the train to London

A Paler Shade Of White

Chelsea WFC v Real Madrid Femenino in Group D of the UEFA Champions League at Stamford Bridge

The Blues face Les Blancas in the match day 5 in group D. These two met in Madrid on match day 1 and played out a draw thanks to the ref robbing Chelsea of the 3 well deserved points. The Spaniards penalty from a foul that was clearly outside the box for the equalizer and again when Niamh was about 5 yards on-side when her goal was disallowed for offside. Madrid sit bottom of the group (good) with just the 1 point from that draw and can't qualify (Bye). Chelsea are top of the group but are no means clear yet thanks to the draws away to Madrid and at home to Hacken. Blue's striker Sam Kerr has joined Madrid's Caroline Wier on the ACL list. Lauren James has scored back to back hattricks in WSL games at the Bridge but is on the bench tonight. Fran is in the 10 with Mia Fishel is the 9. The rest of the squad looks quite settled now with Jess and Kadeisha at the heart of defence and Niamh and Ashley out wide. Erin and Melanie are in the middle with Guru and Kaneryd out wide. It's a UWCL debut for Lionesses no.2 keeper, Hannah Hampton. Congratulations Hannah. Hope she has a good game. There are 2 world Cup heros in White tonight and they are ribbon wearing Australian Hayley Raso and Columbia's exciting young winger, Linda Caicedo.

The Chels get lots of possession early on and are finding space on the wings but the defending of crosses is good enough to stop any real threats. The shots they do get never really threatened to go in. We all jumped up when we thought Mia headed it home but it goes just wide. None of the shots seem to be caught quite right and are easily saved or blocked. Down the other end, Hannah isn't tested at all and it's no-score at the break.

Linda Caicedo came off at the break but she had been down for a while in the first half so it may have been an injury concern.  It definitely wasn't that she has school in the morning🏫. Lauren James came on at half time in place of Mia Fishal and went straight up front in the no.9 roll.  False 9?, total imposter mate, she's wearing no 10.  She makes some good runs but doesn't get much of the ball but she is floating around deep and wide and making some good passes. Niamh is having some good battles defending on the left but keeps forcing them to turn infield were Erin eats them alive. She makes some good forward runs herself and + are some good interchanges with Guru but if the cross wasn’t blocked, it was cleared out of the box. Niamh gets ploughed down (agricultural 🚜tackle) in the box and Guru takes great penalty to put the Blues in the lead on 62⚽. The whites equaliser comes from a quick break and a shot from wide that Hannah saves but falls to a white shirt.  The ball is smashed in to the roof of the net on 69, right in front of a suddenly silent Shed.  All level again with 20 to go.  The Blues waste no time in recovering and Erin Cuthbert shoots but it deflects off a defender into the net and the Chels are back in the lead on 70⚽. If only we could remember who hit the winner against the Madrid at Kingsmeadow last year🤔 22 .   Aggie Aggie Aggie comes on and goes to the right leaving Lauren up front. Didn't expect that. Nusken comes on for Fran who had run her legs off.  There is some good defending by the Blues as they try to see the game out. In particular Jess who has had a great game but so have all the back 4 with Captain Millie. It finishes 2-1 to the Chels who stay top of the group and have now qualified for the Quarter Finals whatever happens in Paris next Tuesday.

That's job done for Emma and the girls who deserved the win. Should have had double points after the farce in Madrid. It wasn't the best watch as the goals were down the other end but the atmosphere was good and it was nice to be back in the Shed. They weren't clinical enough in the first half but stepped it up in the second. LJ showedd a little bit of quality but the defending was very good. It was a great team performance from the Blues again against a side that was well organised defensively even if they were a little shot of attacking talent. Speaking of which, Caicedo was fantastic on the wing for Columbia but seems ineffective here in the 10 roll. Shame!🤣!. It only been a few months but we have got used to the clock running on after 90 but, this was UEFA and things are a little difference so we had to follow our own watches. Some good singing form the Chelsea fans but what is that "10 men went to mow" thing about🤷‍♂️. Anything that get the crowd going though is a good thing. Got them over the line. Five down and one to go.

The ref didn't have much to do but she did ok as did the lines people. Both sides playing the game and not the ref helps it flow and allows the officials to pick up what needs dealing with.

POTM: Jess Carter, 🏅, she is much more assured and composed than a year ago. She has played across the back but was a great presence at centreback today. Top defender.🛑

Basil watch: He was camped out by the wall behind the Shed. He later appeared in the East Stand making lot of noise and getting the crowd going.

Raso ribbon watch: It was white today.

Scranometer is on a diet so stayed sulking at home.

We are taking the Chels with us back to Crawley for the Brighton game on Saturday. See you there.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Back in the Shed

Baz

Home of the Blues

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

Chelsea WFC v Real Madrid Femenino in Group A of the UEFA Champions League at Kingsmeadow

The Blues face Les Blancas in the home leg on a cold night in Kingston.

This is a new ground for us, bit like a league 2 ground, nice and cosy. We are swerving the Pizza Cup and the World Cup by taking in a game in the UWCL group stage. It's game day 3 and Chelsea have won the first two and top the group. Not going to be an easy game though as tonights opponents knocked Man City out in the qualifying rounds.

Lots of very talented footballers on the pitch including favourites Fran and Millie. Also playing are Sam Kerr, Guru Reiten, Magda Erikson and Caroline Wier. No sign of our France favourite, Eve Perisset. Have another new favourite in Canadian defender Kadeisha Buchanan.

The sides battled it out in the first half. Some great football but not the finishing. The only real chance coming from Fran. No score at the break.

The breakthrough came from a set piece when Millie flicked on for Sophie Ingle to head home at the far post on 67 ⚽. We will never know about the second goal. Was it a shot or a cross? A simple throw down the line to Erin Cuthbert whose cross/shot curled into the top corner on 75 ⚽. 2-0 to the Blues and it stayed that way.

Still top of the group and looking good. Loving the silver ball. Looked like a ball bearing pinging around.

POTM: Millie. Part woman, part brick wall 🧱👩.

Scranometer registered a 9.5 for the Hero Plant BBQ bacon burger but it came from too far from the ground so was disqualified. Shame as it was love and if you are ever in Eden Walk in Kingston give Hero burgers a try even if he is West ham fan.

See you soon

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

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