Our 2-0 win over AC Milan will be remembered fondly by Andre Schurrle after the German international scored his first Chelsea goal in New Jersey.
The 22-year-old made his first appearance of the US trip, playing the last 25 minutes of our Guinness International Champions Cup semi-final against the Serie A outfit after replacing Eden Hazard.
Kevin De Bruyne had given us the lead in the first half, and Schurrle secured a final date with Real Madrid by volleying home from a Romelu Lukaku cross with virtually the last kick of the game.
‘It’s a really nice feeling and it was important for me,’ he tells the official Chelsea website.
‘I’m really happy to have scored my first goal, it’s pre-season but it always feels good to score. It was my first for Chelsea so it was a really nice day for me.
‘The team played very well, we were concentrated from the first minute and it was a good match. It wasn’t easy because AC Milan are a quality side.
‘It was a bad pitch, but we were really pleased to get the win, and now we’ll play in the final on Wednesday.’
The game against Real Madrid in Miami is one that will capture the imagination, with both Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti facing their former clubs.
For Schurrle, though, it will provide an opportunity to link up with a couple of friends from his native Germany.
‘Two of my friends from the national team, [Sami] Khedira and [Mezut] Ozil, play for Madrid which is good,’ he says.
‘We know each other and we can make fun of each other, they are both cool guys, I know them very well so it will be nice to play against them.
‘It will obviously be a tough match in Miami. It will be special for the manager playing against his former club, so it will be a good match and I’m looking forward to it.’
The win, which followed a 2-0 victory over Inter on Thursday, maintained our 100 per cent record during pre-season, and Schurrle believes the squad is in good shape with only two weeks until the start of the new season.
‘It’s gone very well, we’ve played five games and won five games,’ says the attacker. ‘Of course, nothing is perfect, but we’ve played well in every match.
‘There are two weeks until the start of the season, and we will be away with our national teams for some of that time, but the team is looking good. It’s always good to win for the confidence and team spirit.’