Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Mourinho's excuse after Red Bull's 'B' team shocks Chelsea

July 23, 2015 13:47 IST

Mourinho claims Begovic was 'tired' after conceding four goals

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho

Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho reacts. Photograph: Elsa/Getty Images

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sprung to the defence of new goalkeeper Asmir Begovic after the Bosnian conceded four goals against the New York Red Bulls after coming on as a halftime substitute in a friendly on Wednesday.

Begovic, signed from StokeCity this month for eight million pounds ($12.48 million) as competition for first-choice keeper Thibaut Courtois, was introduced with the English champions 1-0 ahead in New Jersey but Chelsea ended up losing 4-2.

"He was very tired, the same as Courtois. When the goalkeepers are very tired the coordination is low, the agility doesn't exist and the speed of reaction doesn't exist," Mourinho told reporters.

"Courtois made a mistake in the first half with the ball at his feet. Begovic in the second half was not sharp in his reactions but it's a consequence of being tired from training.

"I'm so happy to have him and in the next game against PSG (Paris St Germain) he will start. He will play the first half.

"There's no problem, it's just a process."

Sean Davis of New York Red Bulls is congratulated by teammates

New York Red Bulls’ Sean Davis is congratulated by teammates. Photograph: Elsa/Getty Images

Loic Remy had given Chelsea the lead but Franklin Castellanos equalised before 16-year-old Tyler Adams put the hosts ahead and Sean Davis scored twice.

Eden Hazard was also on target for Chelsea in the first game of the club's three-match tour of North America.

"I was surprised by our fragilities," Mourinho added. "I was surprised that we were not good enough in the second half to cope with that."

The Premier League season begins on August 8.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.