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As we wade through the soulless mire that is the international break, we at least have the promise of scintillating performances by Chelsea players to keep us going towards the light.
Oscar and Co. produced just one such performance earlier today as they easily defeated Japan in a friendly. David Luiz, Ramires, and Oscar all started and racked up a combined 3 assists and 1 disallowed goal by the time the final whistle blew on Brazil's 4-0 victory. Feel free to mix and match the assists and the disallowed goal among the three players - I did not see the match personally, but most reports are attributing 2 to Oscar, 1 to Sideshow, and the disallowed goal to Ramires.
Plenty more Chelsea players will get the chance to match the Brazilians' display; check out Stephen's guide from last week for all the details.
Ashley Cole does get the nod from Hodgson and wins his 99th cap. Congrats to him. His reward will be to face the dynamic right side of the Polish attack.