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On Mondays, we are all Sophia Smith looking at the Portland Thorns trying to take a team photo without her. I’m Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan, Steph Yang and Melanie Anzidei — welcome to Full Time!
Champions League Chat
The duality of pressure
Pressure is a funny thing.
After a while, and under the right conditions, it can create diamonds like Emma Hayes‘ six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cup triumphs, two Leagues Cup wins and a previous runner-up finish in the Champions League as Chelsea manager.
Other times it causes cracks, like the one Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí found in Chelsea’s defense on Saturday. Surrounded by four defenders just outside the penalty area, the Ballon d’Or winner sent a shot bouncing into the back of the net to level the series 1-1 on aggregate.
AITANAAAAAAAA pic.twitter.com/lrweS50wz4
— FCBSeny (@FCBseny) April 27, 2024
We can’t say for certain that the pressure of taking a 1-0 lead home to a sold-out Stamford Bridge for the second leg of the Champions League semifinal got to Chelsea. The talent of Barcelona played its part, as did the rain and some questionable refereeing,…
