Chelsea 4 Cardiff City 1: Blues Advance to FA Cup Quarterfinals

Too tired to listen (TV feed blocked).  Awoke briefly just as Cardiff City was scoring equalizer, which is the second time in two games I have joined a broadcast just as the Blues were shipping the tying goal.  Hoping that same result (2-1 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday) is not in store. Back to bed at the halftime whistle by Andre Marriner.

Wake up an hour later (still tired!) to what I expected would be the result: after the Bluebirds gave the Blues a case of the blues in the first half, a flurry of Chelsea goals in the second half (Ballack, Sturridge and Kalou all find, in Tommy Smith's quaint phrase, the "back of the old onion bag") to send most of the lunchtime crowd (except for the 6,000 Cardiff City fans from Wales) home happy.

It's on to the FA Cup quarter-finals.  With Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool all gone, Chelsea remain favorite to defend cup at Wembley.  In South Coast derby, Portsmouth beats Southampton by identical 4-1 score.  Good news for Pompey for a change in a season on the edge of both administration and relegation.

Let's see: Chelsea into the knockout stage of Champions League, with a juicy tie on 24 February at the San Siro against in form Inter Milan, eight points clear at the top of the table in Serie A (old pal Jose Marinho may want back to the EPL, but he can't be unhappy about Inter's performance so far this year); the Blues are ahead by one point in EPL, and into the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

But for the shocking loss away to Blackburn on penalty kicks in Carling Cup, it's been a good campaign so far, but a long way to go and injuries continue to be a concern.  The squad does seems deeper and more resilient this year under Carlos Ancelotti.  His steady hand as manager has been reflected in the general steadiness of the team over the course of the season.  A bit of a lull in December after thumping the Gunners 3 - 0 at the Emirates, but an unbeaten January (despite the loss of four players, including scoring machine Didier Drogba, to the African Cup of Nations).  It seems that every time a player goes down or unavailable because of national team duty, another player either returns from injury or steps in and performs.  If that continues, the game at Old Trafford on April 3rd may decide the EPL.

Hang on Blues fans. It's going to be quite a ride to the finish.

And then it's on to South Africa. An embarrassment of riches for world football fans in 2010.