Luckily my Sundays off have started again in time for the new EPL season. I hope they continue that way. I set my alarm this morning to be up in time to make some coffee and catch the Fulham versus Blackburn match live on Fox Soccer. I love watching and tweeting about matches on my DVR, but nothing compares to being able to watch and interact live.
Usually we get one of the big four on a Sunday match. Not this week though. On the surface, Fulham v Blackburn isn't that attractive a match up. Both teams came into the match winless in the new season in the EPL, Blackburn with no points at all after three losses. Fulham has the fire power, and you would have considered them favorites to pick up the three points at Craven Cottage. Blackburn had other ideas though.
Ideas weren't something that abounded in this match. Fulham got off to a pretty bright start. They held the ball for a good portion of the first 10 minutes or so, but were unable to fashion any real chances except for a shot in the 8th minute that Sidwell sent just wide.
After the initial period of Fulham possession, things really evened out. Blackburn finally got their feet under them and pushed the ball up the pitch. Goodwillie had nice acrobatic volley in the 15th minute that just barely went wide and should have served to wake Fulham up a bit.
Blackburn finally opened the scoring in the in the 32nd minute. Ruben Rochina took the ball on a slight angle near the top of the area and roped it in past Schwarzer. The ball hit the crossbar first, then bounced around and in, giving Blackburn the 0-1 lead.
The lead didn't last long however. About 6 minutes later Bobby Zamora put Craven Cottage on his back and absolutely blasted home an equalizer from an acute angle. Great shot. It too hit the post, but there was no doubt where it was going to end up and we went to the interval tied at 1-1.
Unfortunately the second half resembled most of the play in the first half, not the wide open 6 minutes that produced both gorgeous goals. All the drama in the second half took place in stoppage time. Clint Dempsey looked to have a sure winner in the 91st, only to be denied by a gorgeous save from Paul Robinson. Then a couple of minutes later Mark Schwarzer and Junior Holiett collided at the top of the Fulham 18. Both men went down in a heap. Schwarzer was given a yellow card, but play was stopped for about seven minutes while medical attended to Holiett. There was no malice involved, just two guys going hard for the ball. Rovers reported after the match that he likely has a concussion and took some stitches in the side of his head.
The Rovers looked for a winner on the ensuing free kick, but it was to no avail. It went into and through Fulham's wall and trickled right to Schwarzer. The full time score was 1-1. Luckily for Blackburn there wasn't too much time added after the injury. They had already used all three subs, and with Holiett off, they were down a man.
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