CHELSEA ACADEMY 5 JAVANON 0
Chelsea Academy won the Under 17 championship at Disney's Soccer Showcase with a performance that was fitting of a world-class football academy programme.
In a game that the Blues side, made up of a mixture of schoolboys and our younger full-time scholars, controlled from start to finish, Chelsea defeated Javanon from Louisville, Kentucky, by five goals without reply.
The match, held in Orlando, Florida, was highly anticipated by those in attendance as Javanon had looked strong in their previous three games and had in goal the tournament's all-star keeper Taylor Hafling.
The Chelsea team's manager Paul Clement changed his formation from the start of the previous game and began with a diamond midfield featuring Josh McEachran at the top of it, Anton Rodgers at the back with Rohan Ince and Conor Clifford the wider players.
Clement paired Frank Nouble and Jhon Pirez as strikers who gave Javanon plenty of problems.
However when the scoring began in the 16th minute, it came from a midfielder as Clifford half-volleyed home a corner.
As Chelsea kept the Javanon defence on the move by switching play, the Americans attempted to succeed with long balls over the top, hoping to spring a breakaway.
Chelsea's defence held firm with central defenders Tom Hayden and Nathaniel Chalobah controlling the middle and Billy Clifford and Aziz Deen-Conteh moving the ball quickly up the wings from their full-back positions.
Chelsea scored their second goal in the 34th as a one-two combination between Rodgers and Conor Clifford found Nouble on the right wing. The big striker then fed Pirez who slid in to beat Halfing and double the lead.
Javanon appeared a little discouraged as the second half opened and Chelsea continued the assault with the majority of play taking place at the Javanon end.
Chelsea scored again in the 65th as Hayden sent a through-ball Nouble's way down the left flank. Nouble calmly collected the ball between two defenders and beat Halfing for the Blues' third goal.
It would continue to get worse in the 80th minute for Javanon as Keenan Sparks cleared a ball off the line with his hand, earning him a red card.
Substitute George Saville took the penalty but unfortunately his attempt was easy stopped by Halfing.
Chelsea added the fourth goal in the 85th minute as Ince, dominant all match in midfield, played a nice ball into the box to Billy Clifford who beat Halfing again. Nouble ended the scoring three minutes later with his second goal of the match after taking a good pass from Conor Clifford and firing home.
The victorious Chelsea squad headed back to England straight after the game.
Learn more about Chelsea's young players on Chelsea TV's Inside the Academy every Friday.


























