History Lesson: 2007 Carling Cup Final

 SUN 25 FEB 2007    LEAGUE CUP FINAL  

   Chelsea   2   1   Arsenal  

Drogba (20', 84')                Walcott (12')

 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 

April 2020. One month into the global pandemic. The world was in the midst of life… without live sports.

Desperate fans watched professional footballers play FIFA 20, visited Australian betting sites to wager on the next character to die during season 3 of HBO's "Westworld", and (most forlorn of all) recorded a podcast about such pedestrian topics -- episode 7 of the Behold Football Podcast coming soon! eventually.

The discerning supporter found solace in old, familiar matches (e.g. The Battle of the Bridge, May 2016) and drama in watching even older matches for the very first time. Welcome to the The 2007 EFL Carling Cup Final, as witnessed by the members of the "Footie" chat in Facebook Messenger.

[chat]  Leeds4Ever

[ pod]  Dave in Costa Rica (no longer in Costa Rica)

[chat]  ArsenalByBirth

[ pod]  Producer Ken (doesn't do much production)

[chat]  Euro Snob

[ pod]  Mark "not a Timbers fan" in Portland

Note: timestamps correspond to chat messages, which correspond to Euro Snob's online (and oft-paused) match viewing on 17 & 18 April, 2020.

 

Apr 17, 2020 3:35pm

I'm watching the 2007 Carling (i.e. League) Cup final contested by Chelsea and Arsenal. Full match on chelseafc site.

Cup Kings: Chelsea v Arsenal | Carling Cup Final 2007

3:36pm

Never watched this before, since it is pre-Dray, i.e. before my introduction to the EPL.

3:41pm

Fábregas is a baby-faced 19-year-old (for Arsenal). Still quality at that young age. Wow.

3:43pm 

Young Drogba could almost pass for Kawhi Leonard. Same hair style too.

4:03pm

Theo Walcott (who is now on Everton) is 17 years old in this match. Scores his first ever goal for Arsenal at 12'.

4:12pm

Was it a tasty affair?

4:21pm

Indeed it was 🌮

4:22pm

I’m slowly making my way through the match. Lots of pauses. But high quality stuff. Arsenal in the ascendancy early. Their youthful exuberance is getting the better of the Chelsea veterans.

Apr 18, 2020 3:55pm

This happened in the 2007 Carling/League Cup final (especially during multiple Arsenal corners that were taken by Fabregas), which I'm still in the midst of, so I had to Google some background info on it: CELERY banned from Europa League match at Sparta Prague

3:59pm

Good photos of 19-year-old Fábregas' encounters with celery projectiles.

6:32pm

Fábregas took a needless, frustrated swipe (leg) at Lampard. Commentators, "He's got a nasty side to him, Fábregas".

6:35pm 

Lampard is the stand-in captain because Terry got a nasty head injury early in the second half. He lunged to head the ball at about waist level inside the Arsenal box and an Arsenal player ended up kicking him flush in the face when clearing the ball. Terry looked out cold for a while. Brave and brutal. Lots of stoppage time coming at the end. Terry went off on a stretcher after having his head and neck immobilized.

6:53pm

No one is reacting to my 2007 Carling Cup play by play?!!!!

👍Leeds4Ever

6:56pm

Drogba scores… again. First the equalizer in the first half. Now a (maybe) winner around 84'. Beautiful header from an Arjen Robben cross. Commentator, "What neck muscles on that." since it was a powerful header from a looping cross. This match is from late February during the 06'/'07 season and Drogba has 28 goals in all competitions. Unbelievable production.

😮Leeds4Ever

6:58pm

I'm reading about the coming great depression, and Mark is droning on about some match from 13 years ago and whining that we're rapt in our responses.

8:14pm

3 red cards and 2 yellow cards in one fracas in the middle of the 7 minutes stoppage. Wild scenes.

This match has it all!

👍Leeds4Ever