No wonder Jose Mourinho values trophies above popularity contests.
As Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman bundled home Chelsea's Carling Cup final
winners amid a dramatic extra-time finale, their manager was not even there to
watch.
For the Chelsea boss's halo, if one ever existed, had slipped another notch
after he was sent from the touchline in disgrace following another unseemly
brush with officialdom.
Chelsea fans will not care a jot. After all, in his first season, Mourinho had
just brought the club their first trophy in five years and only the 10th major
success in their entire history.
However, just days after refusing to speak publicly after his defeat to
Barcelona, amid complaints at Anders Frisk's conduct in the Nou Camp, he again
courted controversy in the Millennium Stadium.
This time around, Mourinho, who was earlier warned for berating Liverpool
players, was censured for seemingly inciting their fans by putting a finger to
his lips after their late equaliser.
That came 12 minutes from time when Steven Gerrard, the one player Mourinho
had failed to sign last summer, inadvertently headed the Blues back into
contention with an own goal to equalise John Arne Riise's early strike.
Mourinho was immediately sent off and let himself and his club down in the
process. What is more, he missed a fantastic finale.
For with Drogba and Kezman on target from close range, Chelsea completed a
remarkable recovery and not even a late goal by Antonio Nunez was enough to halt
them.
The 'blip', following consecutive defeats by Newcastle and Barcelona had been
laid to rest, even if a whole new can of worms over Mourinho's behaviour had
been opened.
Then again, he had shown one side of character before kick-off when Carlo
Cudicini, who was denied a promised start by suspension, was allowed to lead the
Chelsea team out.
However, his first-choice goalkeeper, Petr Cech, found himself picking the
ball out of the back of his net with just 45 seconds gone inside the Millennium
Stadium.
Chelsea's defence may have been the cornerstone of their progress this season
but they remained uncharacteristically rooted to the spot as Fernando Morientes
arced over a searching deep cross.
Riise was unmarked at the far post, although the Norwegian still needed to
produce a thunderous first-time volley to leave Cech rooted to the spot.
Gerrard responded by setting the example in winning his first full-blooded
50-50 tackle with Frank Lampard.
And with Luis Garcia in behind Morientes, Liverpool were able to pressurise
Chelsea's three-man central midfield, with Lampard's influence curtailed.
It was left to Joe Cole to provide Chelsea's impetus but there was precious
little of that as Jerzy Dudek did well to divert Drogba's shot around the post
from the midfielder's through-ball.
Jamie Carragher was otherwise in commanding form, even if central defensive
colleague Sami Hyypia came close to being sent off just after the break.
Hyypia, who had already been booked, brought down Cole and referee Steve
Bennett looked set to issue another yellow card before realising what this would
entail.
Hyypia instead escaped and Mourinho started to lose his temper as he berated
both Luis Garcia and Carragher from the touchline as the match grew in
intensity.
The Chelsea boss had nevertheless already influenced the outcome with his
introduction of Eidur Gudjohnsen at half-time, replacing the ineffective Jiri
Jarosik.
Gudjohnsen re-energised his team as Chelsea laid siege to the Liverpool goal,
even if Steve Finnan denied Drogba and Dudek conjured up a fantastic double save
from first Gudjohnsen and then William Gallas.
Liverpool were sitting deep and defending hard, although Cech still needed to
foil Dietmar Hamann on a rare counter-attack.
Benitez increased the pressure by bringing on Milan Baros and, just moments
later, Gerrard came agonisingly close to putting his side 2-0 up only to divert
Nunez's cross inches wide.
Terry also just denied Baros, but it was Chelsea who broke away next and,
after Hamann had brought down Lampard in full flight, the Blues duly equalised.
Gerrard jumped highest to meet Paulo Ferreira's flighted delivery but
succeeded only in diverting the ball past Dudek.
Mourinho could not contain his celebrations and was dismissed from the
touchline. Still Chelsea pressed, however, and Dudek needed to performed further
miracles to keep Duff at bay.
The Poland international was injured in the process and, with his side's three
substitutes already on, it was a nervous wait for Benitez before he carried on.
Lampard shot wide, but so too did Baros, as the match was taken into
extra-time.
Both sides continued to trade blows thereafter, with Drogba striking the post
with a header, while Biscan nodded an effort just over the top.
Just a minute into the second period of extra-time, Hyypia failed to cut out
substitute Glen Johnson's long throw and Drogba bundled the ball over the
goal-line from close range.
Tensions threatened to boil over as Hamann and Claude Makelele were warned
after a shoving match, but Chelsea struck again.
Dudek failed to hold Gudjohnsen's fierce cross and Kezman succeeded in
prodding the ball just over the line before the keeper could react in time.
Liverpool rallied immediately, with Nunez just beating Cech to a header as he
flicked the ball into the net.
However, Chelsea held out - and Mourinho was guaranteed a hero's reception
from the Chelsea fans when he finally reappeared after the final whistle.
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