Careless Chelsea pay heavy price in Japan

LOSING one trophy could be regarded as misfortune but frittering away four in as many months is starting to look like carelessness of the highest order by Chelsea.

Beaten in the Community Shield and Super Cup before becoming the first holders to be eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage, Chelsea were ambushed 1-0 by Corinthians in Sunday's Club World Cup final in Yokohama.

Losing in Japan stung.

The London club is also 13 points off the pace in the Premier League.

"It's a long way to come to lose," Frank Lampard said after a final Chelsea dominated for the first hour before tiring. "We didn't take our chances and we gave them a goal. This tournament was meaningful for us from the minute we got here. It is a big disappointment."

A fortuitous winner, headed home by Paolo Guerrero in the 69th minute after the ball had looped up off Gary Cahill's boot, gave Corinthians the title. Chelsea's players slumped to the turf at the final whistle, Brazilian defender David Luiz in tears.

The resurgence of striker Fernando Torres, who had scored five goals against Nordsjaelland, Sunderland and Monterrey, was put into sharp perspective.

"You have to try to find positives," said interim coach Rafael Benitez, whose side plays at Leeds United in the League Cup tomorrow after a flight of more than a 9000km back to London.

"Fernando had the chances. He scored a goal that was disallowed. He has to take these chances in a final because it's not easy to create too many in games like this.

"If you have two or three, you have to score. But at least he was winning a lot of balls in the air, he was fresh, and you could see that physically he is improving."

By the time Cahill was sent off in the 90th minute after kicking out at Emerson in retaliation for an elbow in the face, Chelsea's players looked dead on their feet.

An estimated 20000 Corinthians fans made the trip to the Far East, creating a carnival atmosphere in the final watched by 68000 at Nissan stadium.

Chelsea have to pick themselves up quickly to keep alive their fading hopes of catching Manchester United in the Premier League and preventing any more early cup exits.

Benitez, an unpopular appointment among Chelsea fans because of the Spaniard's time as Liverpool manager, made no excuses.

"At the end of the day you can create but you have to score," said Benitez, who will be hoping for reinforcements in attack in the January transfer window.

Benitez can expect another hostile reception when Chelsea take on Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge this weekend, but for the Corinthians a ticker-tape parade in Sao Paulo awaits.