Chelsea Women 1-1 Ajax Women (agg 4-1): Emma Hayes' side reach Champions League semis after Mayra Ramirez goal
Emma Hayes says that Chelsea team is prepared to face any opponent in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They had a comfortable victory over Ajax and are now potentially lining up a match against Barcelona.
Chelsea tied 1-1 at their home stadium, Stamford Bridge, but still managed to advance with a total score of 4-1.
In the world of soccer, Chelsea, led by Hayes, had an advantage of three goals from the previous match against Ajax in Amsterdam. In the second match, Chelsea's team was altered significantly but added one more goal to their tally before half-time, boosting their lead to four goals. This happened in front of a large audience of more than 11,000 fans in west London. Mayra Ramirez made her Champions League debut for the club and scored the opening goal.
Chelsea had a bit of trouble in the first half of the game before Ramirez scored their first goal. However, they were equalized by Chasity Grant's goal, which went under the goalkeeper, Zecira Musovic. Unfortunately, the draw prevents Chelsea from matching their previous record of consecutive victories in European competitions.
However, what's even more crucial is that they've made it to the top four of the Champions League. The Women's Super League leaders will face either Brann or Barcelona, who defeated Hayes' Blues in the semi-finals of this competition last year. The semi-finals have been planned for the weekends of April 20/21 and April 27/28.
"Our performance in the Champions League has been consistent, as we qualified for the group stage every year except one, and made it to the later stages each time," stated Manager Hayes after the game ended.
We ought to have reached this stage, the semi-finals should have been our destination. Presently, we possess a greater level of capacity to make substitutions and achieve what we accomplished this evening.
"We haven't achieved victory yet, and the identity of our adversary remains unknown. Nevertheless, we are fully prepared for any challenge that comes our way."
Chelsea continues to pursue a quadruple, aiming to snatch one of the four trophies up for grabs. This coming Sunday, they will be playing against Arsenal in the Continental Cup final at Molineux with hopes of securing yet another victory.
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Chelsea's Successful Job Accomplishment
Chelsea didn't have an easy time as Ajax began with a strong performance.
Captain Sherida Spitse went up to the roof of the net. After holding Kadeisha Buchanan off the ball, Romee Leuchter fired but missed from inside the box. Although Erin Cuthbert attempted to score at the opposite end, she missed Aggie Beever-Jones' cross near the post. Ajax continued their offensive efforts.
During a recent match, Musovic, the goalkeeper for Chelsea, made a few mistakes at the beginning of the game. One of these mistakes nearly caused her embarrassment when she collided with a back-pass from Cuthbert, sending the ball towards Tiny Hoekstra and the goal line. Fortunately, luck was on her side and the ball missed the post by a hair's breadth.
By missing a chance to score, Chelsea got a reminder to stay alert and focused. Beever-Jones made some great plays to set up Reiten, but unfortunately, Reiten missed the target. Beever-Jones herself had two great opportunities to score, but Spitse and de Sanders made some impressive defensive plays to prevent her from scoring.
Chelsea finally scored their first goal when Ajax carelessly gave the ball away to Reiten. She then quickly passed it to Ramirez, who scored it easily past Ajax goalkeeper Regina van Eijk.
The football player from Colombia had the opportunity to score another goal when she received a fantastic cross from Beever-Jones. Unfortunately, she didn't touch the ball enough to tap it into the net from a short distance.
Mayra Ramirez has managed to both score and assist for Chelsea in every single competition, despite having been a part of the club for a mere 62 days.
Possibly considering the upcoming match against Arsenal on Sunday, Chelsea appeared to be less tense after halftime.
This enabled Ajax to get back into the game during the second half. Hoekstra passed the ball to Grant who had a face-off with Musovic and scored, which tied the game for the Dutch team.
Ajax had a chance to go ahead and cause Chelsea to lose, but Musovic was exceptional. Leuchter made a great move to cut inside from the left and aimed for the top corner, but Musovic made an amazing reflex save to prevent her from scoring.
The goalkeeper for Chelsea did it again by making a great save against a similar move from substitute Danique Tolhoek. Once more, the impressive save was able to stop a difficult shot.
Catarina Macario joined the game as a substitute and came close to scoring the winning goal towards the end, but unfortunately her attempt was blocked by Van Eijk.
Chelsea successfully completed their task without any concerns or injuries, putting them in good stead for the upcoming season with many challenges ahead.
Ramirez Creates Headache For Squad In Cup Final, Says Hayes
Emma Hayes, who is in charge of the Chelsea football team, stated that she is pleased with her squad's current form. In a recent interview, Hayes expressed her satisfaction with the team's performance, stating that they are playing with confidence and determination. She also emphasized the importance of team spirit, stating that the players are all supporting each other and working together towards a common goal. Hayes believes that this mentality will help the team to continue their success in the upcoming season.
I am pleased for Mayra as it was her first performance. She was thrilled about tonight's game and satisfied with the goal she scored. Her skills create a dilemma for me in selecting the team for the upcoming weekend!
We have a passion for victory. It brings me great joy to express this sentiment to my athletes, regardless of who manages to put points on the board. We must rely on each individual team member for the majority of the season.
I have confidence in both the team and the individuals on it. Certain individuals required recuperation tonight, and I am thoroughly pleased for the entire lineup.
There is now a wider range of players in our team, with greater options for attacking strategies and greater variety in our gameplay. This is likely the primary reason for our success. Additionally, there is also a greater wealth of experience amongst our players.
"We've reached the final stages on numerous occasions. We're aware of the level we need to play at in order to compete in those types of matches."
Champions League Semis: When?
On April 20/21, the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals took place.
On the 27th and 28th of April, there will be the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
On May 25th, the highly anticipated final match of the Champions League will take place at San Mames in Bilbao. This is sure to be an exciting event for all soccer fans.
What's Chelsea's Next Move?
The amount of games that Hayes can participate in as the manager of Chelsea is now limited to 11. The team is currently pursuing a quadruple, which is an unprecedented feat, with the final day set for May 25th.
Coming up next, they'll be competing against Arsenal in the Continental Cup final this Sunday at Molineux Stadium, with the match starting at 3pm. Their objective is to win the trophy.
