ICC Cup – Milan vs. Chelsea: The Legend of Urby Emanuelson

We are no strangers to this foe. Last year, about a week earlier in the summer, we faced Chelsea in Miami. It was a match we won, too. And at that time, they were the reigning Champions League champions. It wasn’t our best effort, as many summer friendlies go. But we won.  Thanks to the superhero efforts and singular goal of one Urby Emanuelson. Legend.

Legendary.

Chelsea might be disappointed to know that last year’s summer superhero is back. That’s right. Urby was loaned out to their fellow EPL club Fulham for the second half of this past season. You see, after his amazing string of appearances in summer friendlies last year, and some good performances at the beginning of the season, Allegri dropped him like a hot iron and then sent him packing in January. But now our summer superhero is back with a vengeance. And Allegri is even playing him at his natural position. Chelsea should be scared.

While Chelsea have their ‘special one’ or whatever it is that Mourinho calls himself these days, they don’t have Urby. And just because they dispatched with the ugly half of Milan on Thursday night 2-0 to earn the privilege of facing off with the beautiful half of Milan tomorrow doesn’t mean they’ll repeat their performance. Because even with Injury Armageddon™ rolling in early and taking half of our defenders and more, we are still AC Milan. A team with seven Champions League trophies to their one.

Not sure if scared or scheming

But who am I kidding? This is Chelsea, Mourinho 2.0 version. And we are an incredibly young side, weakened by injuries, still reeling from the effects of the exodus of so many players just a year ago. I for one would not be ashamed if they managed to avenge their loss of last year, particularly since our boys will likely still be jet-lagged from flying in Friday night after celebrating wildly their prestigious third place Audi Cup victory. And their performance vs. Inter seemed pretty solid compared to our friendly form so far, even with a lot of their bench players on the pitch.

However, Urby Emanuelson may have something else to say about that. Something tells me that he wants to stay at Milan this season, and there’s only one way to make that happen: kick some Chelsea butt. And if Allegri allows him to continue at left back, who knows what he is capable of? Versatility is his strength during the season, but in the summer, he kicks it up a few notches and becomes Super Urby. Able to run up and down the side with superhero pace. Put in sweet crosses and assists with a single bound. He defends. He attacks. He’s unselfish. He’s Super Urby!

We're like a freaking legion of Superheroes

Maybe Mourinho has seen the tape from last year’s humiliating friendly in Miami. Maybe he’s planning some kryptonite for our little Dutch hero. Who knows? But with Super Mario, Zapata, and Loki, God of Playmaking, coming back, our newly acquired Silvestre traveling with the team, and Saponara rumored to be fit, Allegri has some fresh kryptonite of his own. Certainly, if we play as well as we did vs. Sao Paulo in the Audi Cup runner-up match, then we could become the stuff of Urban Legend. Or make that Urby Legend. That’s right, Mourinho. Prepare yourself to face the Legend of Urby Emanuelson.

This post inspired by the music of Prodigy

Our next match is the

International Champions Cup Second Round

Milan vs. Chelsea

Sunday, August 4 • 6:30pm EDT (0:30 CEST)

This match will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel in the U.S.

Check here for stream links prior to the match