You'll Never Walk Alone, The Spirit of the Club, Kopites, Scouser

Why Reds? There are so many clubs out there. So, why Reds? Their history perhaps? They are one of the most successful football clubs in England and Europe afterall. Or the crest? Well, the crest is ‘attractive’. Elaborated Shankly’s gate, liverbird, the wisely chosen motto and the spirited flame of the torches. Or maybe their star players?! Torres and Gerrard. Who’s to blame? Both of them are not only amongst the best in their position in the footballing world, but also the vital member of the world-renowned national set-ups – Spain and England. Yes, this football club does have everything. Well, pretty much everything. The supporters are fabulous and beautiful. The stadium is one of the best. Structurally, old but majestic, just like a medieval fortress, if you know what I mean. The manager is one of the best, if not the best. Don’t blame me, Real Madrid tried to lure him. What do you think? Okay, they offered Carlos Queroz the job too. And now the run of 7 defeats in 8 games. Maybe I’m just thinking too much. Yeah, maybe.

So, why Reds? Of all the great clubs in the world, why Reds? What so special being a kopites? Simple. It’s the spirit of the club. The Kop Spirit. More interestingly, it was well summed up in the club’s anthem – You’ll Never Walk Alone. So many occasions and yet the club, the players and the supporters never failed to show this spirit. Being the victor or even in defeat and sorrow.

The great Bill Shankly used to say, “it’s (football) more important than that (a matter of life or death). Why did he said this? Again, it’s the spirit of the club. From the birth of this wonderful club, to the Heysel and Hillsborough Tragedy, or the greatest comeback at Istanbul, or even for all the most wonderful Kopites, such as Liam and Michael to name a few. The spirit of the club never fails. So, for the spirit of this club, I am a Reds. I’m glad to be a Reds. For I know I’ll never walk alone, even in defeat and sorrow.

Yes, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this club is suffering its worst run of form in recent years, but, lest we forget, we are Liverpool FC, we are Kopites, and we are the supporters, even in defeat and sorrow. We must support each other till the moment they denounce their association with our club. Having said so, I’d say Rafael Benitez is included.

“Any defeat hurts someone with ambition and someone who is hungry for titles. But it doesn’t matter how many times you fall down – what matters is how many times you get up and keep trying to be the best.”

“That’s what we have to do now. We have to go back to our principles, sort out the problems we’re having and go back to being the Liverpool everyone wants.” That is what Pepe said and I am in full agreement with him.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Kopites, The Spirit of the Club, You'll Never Walk Alone

What you missed while hanging out on an air conditioning duct…naked…

• Ryan Giggs wants to manage the Welsh national team.
• Nine red cards were issued this weekend in the Premier League, which Fox Soccer says is a record (I’m not sure what the previous record was).
• Liverpool have serious injury concerns about Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Alberto Aquilani, Glen Johnson, Albert Riera, David Ngog, Fabio Aurelio, Nabil El Zhar, Martin Skrtel, and Daniel Agger. In other news, the “Season’s End Party” has been moved to next Thursday; in spite of all that, Pepe Reina’s planning on signing a contract extension.
• Tottenham have lost Sebastian Bassong for five weeks to a hamstring injury, while Arsenal have lost Nicklas Bendtner for four weeks to a groin injury.
• Birmingham City 0 – 0 Manchester City; that’s Manchester City’s fourth straight draw.
• CSKA Sofia have suspended nine players for an undisclosed offense that was probably going out drinking the night before a match.
• Ajax beat archrivals Feyenoord 5-1 after Feyenoord was reduced to nine men.
• Benni McCarthy wants out of Blackburn in January.
• Johann Cruyff has been appointed as the new manager of the Catalonia national team.
• Daniel Alves will be fit in time for Barcelona’s midweek Champions League meeting with Rubin Kazan.
• Phil Brown has received the “full support” of new Hull City chairman Alan Pearson.
• Wayne Rooney’s wife is due to have their baby any day now, which is disrupting Rooney’s training schedule a bit.

Gestern abend stand eines der traditionellen Premier-League-Duelle auf dem Spielplan: FC Liverpool gegen Manchester United. Ich habe mir im «Shamrock Irish Pub» einen netten Nachmittag gemacht, englischer Fußball und Cappuccino sei dank. Während des Spiels entstand in meinem Notizbuch ein kleiner Liveticker, den ich eigentlich schon gestern abend veröffentlichen wollte – allein, es fehlte die Zeit.

[Vor dem Spiel] Steven Gerrard fehlt bei den «Reds», der Kapitän nur auf der Tribüne; dafür kann Fernando Torres spielen. Bei Manchester ist Wayne Rooney überraschenderweise rechtzeitig fit geworden.
Das Duell des Tages wird wohl im Sturm stattfinden: Rooney und Berbatov gegen Torres.

3′ Steilpass auf Rooney. Tor! Aber Abseits.

5′ Manchesters Defensive formiert sich sehr zentral, bei Liverpools Angriffen gibt es auf den Außen immer eine Anspielstation. Sollte auf diesem Niveau eigentlich nicht passieren. (Interessanterweise verfügen Manchesters Flügelspieler bei Ballbesitz über ein sehr gutes Stellungsspiel, aber die Außenverteidiger ziehen sich bei Ballverlust beide in die Mitte zurück.)
Schon jetzt zu beobachten: Beide Teams bemühen sich um eine konzentrierte Spieleröffnung mit flachen und direkten Pässen. Bloß nicht zu früh den Ball verlieren!

10′ ManUtd besetzt die defensiven Außenpositionen wieder nicht. Taktik?

12′ United kontert nach einem Liverpool-Freistoß. Zwar mit wenigen Spielern, aber trotzdem entsteht Druck für die gegnerische Abwehr. Rooney als Anspielstation prägt das Bild der «Red Devils».

16′ Freistoß für Liverpool, van der Saar rettet, Nachschuss Torres, van der Saar ist erneut da. Manchesters Abwehr schwimmt. Aber Liverpool kann im Nachsetzen kein Tor erzwingen. Die Chance war da, Manchesters Zuordnung stimmte nicht. Drei freie Spieler von der Merseyside im Strafraum sind entscheidend zu viel.

18′ Liverpool kontert über Dirk Kuyt, scheitert aber erneut an van der Saar. Ist das der vermeintliche Krisenklub Liverpool? Nur im Tabellenmittelfeld? Nein, das ist ein ebenbürtiger Gegner.

21′ Der erste konzentrierte Angriff von Fergusons Elf. Berbatov, Rooney, dann ist der Ball weg. Vor allem in der folgenden Rückwärtsbewegung zeigen sich im defensiven Mittelfeld von Manchester riesige Lücken – ist das eine Meistermannschaft? Noch einmal: Löcher im Mittelfeld und de facto sechs Innenverteidiger am eigenen Strafraum, aber keine Außenverteidigung.

25′ Nun wird Torres gezielter gefoult. Willkommen in England.

34′ ManUtd inzwischen mit «Kick and Rush», das hart am Liverpool-Strafraum beendet wird. Die Wiederholung zeigt: Eigentlich wäre ein Strafstoß fällig gewesen.

36′ Die letzten Minuten gehörten eindeutig Manchester, die Statistik spricht von 77% Ballbesitz. Nun ein Lebenszeichen von Liverpool, Kopfball von Fabio Aurelio aus kurzer Distanz, aber van der Saar ist schnell unten.

40′ Nun ist auch die Abwehr der «Reds» nicht bei der Sache – aber Berbatov schießt Reina an.

46′ Berbatov hält Kuyt im Strafraum, aber auch Liverpool wird der Strafstoß verweigert. Eigentlich zwei klare Szenen.

Halbzeitfazit Liverpool dominierte 20 Minuten lang und schläft dann plötzlich ein, während Manchester allmählich ins Spiel kommt, aber vor allem von Rooneys Gefährlichkeit lebt. Unmittelbar vor der Halbzeit ist der von ManUtd aufgebaute Druck am größten, Liverpool fällt mehr und mehr ab. Besonders dem anfangs sehr agilen Fernando Torres scheint in den letzten Minuten die Kraft ausgegangen zu sein.

53′ Liverpool kommt besser aus der Kabine, hatte schon zwei, drei gute Angriffe. Gelingt mit neuer Konzentration endlich ein Tor?

56′ Angriff über Berbatov und Rooney, der von Lucas gelbwürdig gestoppt wird, aber mit einer Verwarnung davonkommt. Ryan Giggs zieht den folgenden Freistoß scharf auf Berbatov, aber Torres ist zuvor am Ball.

60′ Mascherano und Agger bedrängen Valencia. Giggs zieht den Freistoß wieder gefährlich in den Strafraum, aber Michael Carrick köpft Johnson an.
Wirkliche Gefahr strahlt ManUtd in der zweiten Hälfte vor allem über Standards aus.

65′ Tor! Liverpool überbrückt schnell das Mittelfeld. Steilpass, Querpass, Steilpass – und dann lässt Fernando Torres Rio Ferdinand stehen und hebt den Ball über Edwin van der Saar. Großartiger Spielzug! Torres ist mit neun Treffern nun auch wieder alleiniger Anführer der Premier-League-Torschützenliste.

68′ Freistoß für Manchester 25 Meter zentral vor dem Tor – aber Rooney hämmert den Ball in die Mauer. Liverpool zieht sich weit zurück, will sich jetzt kein dummes Gegentor einfangen.

70′ Neill Lucas stößt in Manchesters Abwehrlücken und geht auf das zweite Tor – aber er scheitert.

71′ Distanzschuss Mascherano.

72′ Wieder Lucas, diesmal nach einer Ecke. Jetzt drückt Liverpool!
Kurz darauf Gelb für Mascherano. Insgesamt eine gute Leistung von Liverpool, in der Abwehr konzentriert und im Sturm spritzig. Sieht gut aus!

74′ Doppelwechsel bei United: Michael Owen für Berbatov, Nani für den unauffälligen Paul Scholes.

75′ Gelb für Nemanja Vidic, der den auf rechts startenden Fernando Torres im Mittelfeld foult. Liverpool zieht sich jetzt weiter zurück als vor der Führung und spekuliert auf Konter.

77′ Nani zieht aus 11 Metern ab, Reina hält.

78′ Guter Angriff der «Reds», aber Torres will am Strafraum zu lässig den Ball durchstecken und bleibt hängen.

81′ Wechsel Liverpool: David N’Gog für Torres.

82′ ManUtd wirkt verzweifelt, probiert es erneut mit «Kick and rush».

84′ Valencia hämmert vom Eck des Fünfmeterraums den Ball an die Latte – knappe Sache.

87′ Gelb für Carragher. Nur gelb.

89′ Gelb-Rot Vidic. Dirk Kuyt ist an der Mittellinie durch, Vidic reißt ihn um. Klare Sache.

90′ Liverpool hat verständlicherweise Zeit ohne Ende, Manchester kann es nicht schnell genug gehen.

91′ Großartig: Johnson läuft Rooney den Ball ab.

92′ Wechsel Liverpool: Martin Skrtel für Benayoun.

94′ Gelb-Rot Mascherano. Der Liverpooler geht den herausstürmenden Edwin van der Saar hart an. Eine klare Entscheidung.
Liverpool zieht sich jetzt komplett zurück. Nur kein dummes Gegentor!

96′ Inzwischen ist das Spiel ein wildes Gebolze, Manchester versucht aus dem Chaos Chancen zu kreieren. Im Gegenzug ein feiner Angriff von Liverpool über Dirk Kuyt und David N’Gog, die locker die United-Abwehr aushebeln – und N’Gog erzielt das Tor! Das war’s, damit machen die «Reds» den Sack zu und sichern sich die drei Punkte.

97′ Abpfiff. Eine turbulente Nachspielzeit endet. Der FC Liverpool besiegt Manchester United. Spielerisch war Liverpool tatsächlich etwas besser, größtenteils sah man aber ein Duell auf Augenhöhe. Mit den drei Punkten könnte Liverpool einen ersten Schritt unternommen haben, um die zwischenzeitliche Krise zu beenden.

Mann des Tages war für mich Neill Lucas (Liverpool), der mit einer konsequenten Defensivleistung und gefährlichen Vorstößen viel Aufsehen erregte.

La historia de hoy es sorprendente lo nunca visto, un balón de playa cayo en el terreno de juego y casualmente el balón verdadero rebotó en este y lo metió a la portería. El árbitro dio el gol por válido. Su sanción ha sido ejemplar por anular el gol del Sunderland, ha sido descendido a segunda.

El vídeo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAyacBwooEg

Más detalles…

Sunderland, Inglaterra – Un globo arrojado desde la tribuna fue el autor del gol con el que Sunderland se impuso al Liverpool por 1 a 0, en uno de los episodios más extraños de los últimos tiempos en la Liga inglesa de fútbol.

Apenas habían transcurrido cinco minutos de juego cuando la pelota le llegó a Darren Bent dentro del área. El delantero local remató de primera, pero la pelota rebotó en un gran globo rojo, confundió al arquero Pepe Reina y terminó en la red de arco de Liverpool.

El árbitro Michael Jones dio el gol por válido, pese a que el globo, arrojado por el público ubicado detrás del arco visitante, llevaba en el área de Reina varios segundos.

Pictured: Made-up Sandwich facts.

Rubin Kazan 2-1 Barcelona – Rubin Kazan. Champions of Russia. The team so good they named a sandwich after them. Kinda. Okay, I admit it. I have no idea who Rubin are besides the fact that they’re Russian and they’re apparently good because they’ve just beaten Barcelona at the Camp Nou. That’s right, the mighty Barcelona, Champions of Europe, defeated in what will be an historic victory for the Tatarstan side. Rubin went ahead very early in the match as Alexander Ryazantsev beat Valdes from range with a mighty strike on 2′, but a bit of Ibracadabra magic from Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it all level just after the half. Barca, however, could not seem to get ahead and it would be Rubin who would emerge victors in Catalonia; with Gökdeniz Karadeniz sealing victory for his side on 72′. Expect shockwaves to rattle the Spanish press in the next couple of days – this one’s a doozy. Oh, and the year of the Underdog continueeesss!

Inter 2-2 Dynamo Kiev – I think there might be some sort of gene defect in the blue half of Milan that prevents them from succeeding in the Champions League. Despite putting in the most impressive performance of their Serie A campaign so far on Saturday against Genoa (though I’m sure their 4-0 victory over AC Milan is held dearer to their hearts), the Italian giants simply could not get ahead of Andriy Shevchenko & Co. Like their Russian cousins, Dynamo would go ahead early, with Tarras Mikhalik giving his side on 4′. It would take Inter just over half an hour to pull one back, with Dejan Stankovic equalizing for i Nerazzurri. However, a dreadful own-goal from Lucio (who otherwise put in a rock-solid performance tonight) saw the visiting Ukrainians go into the half with a 1-goal advantage. Inter would start the second half on the right foot though, with Walter Samuel equalizing swiftly on 47′. From that point on it was anybody’s game, with the strike pair of Shevchenko and Artem Milevsky causing Inter’s backline all sorts of trouble; Wesley Sneijder and Estebian Cambiasso linked up in the the centre for Inter to provide creative and often-dangerous play. The best chance of the night came to substitute David Suazo, who had the goal at his mercy from about 5 yards but somehow managed to fire wide. He put the ball into the back of the net in added time, but was flagged for offside. A disappointing performance from the Honduran, who seems likely to be shown the door in January, but also a disappointing performance from Inter as a whole. Jose Mourinho’s side has extended its winless streak in Champions League to 8 games – not a record that Moratti & Co. will be too happy about.

Olympique Lyonnais 2-1 Liverpool - Oh, the scousers. I have a feeling that when Liverpool supporters look back in June this week is going to seem like the one that simply undid all of their dreams. First they lost to Sunderland this weekend when Darren Bent’s strike was deflected by a LFC beachball (a fact which the referee failed to note) and now they have been undone by a last-ditch Lyon. Yossi Benayoun, who has been one of the few bright points in the Reds’ season so far, put his side ahead just before the halftime break. However, Liverpool also suffered a demoralizing loss before the break, as captain Steven Gerrard limped out (again) with injury. The ‘Pool held their lead at Anfield until the 72nd minute, when Maxime Gonalons headed a rebounded shot past Pepe Reina. At that point the momentum of the game started to switch, and César Fabián Delgado would strike in stoppage upset the Reds and seriously damage their Champions League hopes with a second straight loss.

Fiorentina 4-3 Debrecen – Peter Czvitkovics scores – 2′. Debrecen take an early lead. Adrian Mutu equalizes – 6′. Alberto Gilardino scores -10′. Fiorentina up 2-1. Mutu scores again – 20′. 3-1. Gergely Rudolf pulls one back for the home side – 28′. Mario Alberto Santana responds for la Viola - 37′. Fiorentina would hold their two goal lead until 88′ – when Adamo Coulibaly would pull one back to make the final score 4-3. And so ended a fantastic match in Budapest this evening – one that sees Fiorentina continue their blistering run of form in European competition. So far la Viola are the only Italian side holding their weight in the Champions League, with both Milan sides and Juventus so grossly underachieving at the moment. If Fiorentina continue to rack up victories in this style, they may outlast all of Calcio’s big three in this year’s European Competition.

BOOM! Viola!

Arsenal 1-1 AZ Alkmaar – Liverpool were not the only English side to be undone by late goals tonight. Arsene Wenger’s men took a first-half lead over the reigning Dutch Champions via a 36th minute Cesc Fàbregas strike. The Gooners held on to that precious lead for the remainder of the 90 minutes, and looked to be on course to take 3 points home from their trip to DSB Stadion, but were forced to settle for a single point when David Mendes Da Silva found the back of the Londoners’ net. A result that gives the Dutch side only their second point of the group stage, while preventing Arsenal from taking a commanding lead at the top of Group H.

And so, it would appear that the year of the Underdog is alive and well. Rubin beat Barcelona, Lyon beat Liverpool, AZ Alkmaar tied Arsenal and Fiorentina, arguably outsiders in Serie A and certainly not Scudetto favourites this year, continue to light up the European Competition. More Champions League tomorrow – but it will be hard-pressed to live up to today’s excitement.

What a weekend to get swamped with essays. Is it just me, or did it seem like nearly every big match this weekend was decided by some flukey instance – some strange twist of fate? Let me first and foremost talk about Liverpool. The Koppites must have left Sunderland with their heads in their hands after a red beachball, thrown onto the pitch by a Reds supporter, deflected Darren Bent’s low shot, causing Pepe Reina to lose sight of the ball and allowing the Black Cats to secure perhaps one of the most dubious 1-0 victories in Premiership history. You almost feel bad for the Reds fans, until you remember that it’s largely their own fault (the goal should have been disallowed, but the referee and linesmen did not see it properly) and that if they hadn’t been such gobshites in the first place the result may have been different. Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea also suffered a loss in the EPL this weekend, but that was largely due to their inability to defend set pieces as they were put to bed in a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

So, onto the Bundesliga. League leaders Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg played out to a goalless draw, to remain joint league leaders, this weekend so nothing interesting there. Meanwhile, Bayern Münich were happy to discover that SC Freiburg does in fact have one of the worst defenses in the Bundesliga, and (following a Thomas Müller strike) took a 2-0 lead over the home side when Du-Ri Cha poked the ball into the back of his own net. Freiburg would pull one back before the match was over, but with that own goal the damage had been done, and Die Roten took home a much-needed three points.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Inter spent Saturday evening tearing apart Genoa CFC at the Stadio Marassi, strolling to a commanding 5-0 lead. In the theme of flukes, though, was Dejan Stankovic’s wonder strike from 45 yards out that left Genoa keeper Marco Amelia looking more than a little stupid.

AS Roma got off on the right foot on Sunday at the San Siro, with Jérémy Menez capitalizing on a mistake from Milan centreback Thiago Silva to put i Giallorossi ahead in the 2nd minute of play. However, Roma lacked killer instinct and were unable to add to their lead in the first half – a fact that would come back to haunt them. On 56′, AC Milan was award a dubious penalty kick by referee Roberto Rosetti (with whom Roma have quite a history) on a needless but nevertheless clean tackle from Nicola Burdisso. Ronaldinho buried the spot kick to draw his side level, and Roma were ultimately undone by Alexandre Pato, who beat an out-of-position John-Arne Riise and sealed a much-needed home victory for i Rossoneri.

Well, fuck. Bring on next weekend – I need to forget about this one.

The world’s top poker players will rarely shy away from a challenge.

So it comes as no surprise that Daniel Negreanu, top of the all-time poker money list, has challenged Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina to a penalty shoot-out.

Negreanu, who supposedly met Reina in London during last month’s World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), will take five penalties against the Spanish international. If he scores just one, Reina will pay him £12,000.

The money is mere pocket-change for Negreanu, who recently scooped just under £500,000 for his performance at the WSOPE, but the Canadian is not a foolish man.

Daniel Negreanu on the TV show 'High Stakes Poker'

He is well aware that he stands to benefit even if he loses the bet. The £12,000 sum may well be used to buy Reina into next year’s WSOPE at the glamorous Empire Casino, bringing poker to an entirely new audience.

The Moneymaker Effect

The most recent ‘poker boom’ came when Chris Moneymaker, an accountant from Tennessee, became world champion in 2003.

Moneymaker’s win showed that anyone could play against – and beat – the best in the world, and encouraged plenty of ‘average joes’ like him to deposit money on online poker sites.

Many lost their money, but to this day they keep coming back to chase the dream that Moneymaker had made seem viable.

But why stop at the general public when celebrities have far more money and are often willing to spend it more lavishly.

Poker’s new hall of fame

Bear in mind that one of the biggest ‘donators’ in poker’s largest cash games is Guy Laliberté, the billionaire founder of Cirque du Soleil who has recently spent around £20 million to go into space.

Many Americans have already relished the opportunity to take on their heroes from the world of sport and film, with LA Lakers player Jordan Farmar increasing the profile of poker within basketball circles.

And what fan would pass up the opportunity to sit across from one of their heroes like Reina, Teddy Sheringham, or one of the many other footballers to have been bitten by the poker bug.

Basketball player Jordan Farmar at this year's World Series of Poker in Las Vegas

Add into the mix the relatively untapped market of the players themselves, who have the enviable combination of disposable income and a competitive nature, and it is clear to see that Negreanu’s decision smacks of marketing nous above all else.

So, what odds on Daniel firing the penalties wide and instigating another poker boom?

Vizionam aseara optimea de finala a Campionatului Mondial de fotbal sub 20 ani si ma intrebam de ce nu e prezenta si Romania acolo. Intrebarea si-au adresat-o si comentatorii partidei transmise pe Eurosport. Intr-o oarecare masura si datorita unui fapt remarcat si subliniat de un invitat al emisiunii “Legile Jocului” de luni seara, la TEN, si anume ca baza materiala in suferinta a fotbalului romanesc nu inlesneste deprinderea corecta a lovirii si “imblanzirii” balonului de catre copii, la invatarea abecedarului jocului. Intr-adevar…

Pe terenuri desfundate sau denivelate, jucatorii de maine ai “tricolorilor” deprind cu metehne manevrarea mingii. La halal gospodari ai jocului in tara noastra, asemenea rezultate… Si acum, tineti-va bine!

Romania eliminata cu 0-12

Caci Romania a capotat lamentabil in grupa preliminara de calificare ce avea drept finalitate accederea la turneul final in plina desfasurare din Egipt. Patrulaterul s-a disputat in nordul Angliei, unde junii “tricolori” erau spulberati cu 6-0 de Albion, cu 4-0 de Belgia si cu 2-0 de Islanda. Da, 0-12, in conditiile in care in grupa s-au aflat si pescarii islandezi, buni amici ai lui Dinamo.

Acum imaginati-va ce-ar fi fost ca Romania sa onoreze cu prezenta in Egipt… Nu de alta dar Anglia, invingatoare la scor impotriva “tricolorilor”, a fost surclasata la randul ei in Tara Faraonilor, 0-4 cu Ghana. S-ar fi facut de ras ca Tahiti, ce a luat-o constant pe coaja nucii de cocos, cu opt la zero.

Vizionam asadar aseara optimea de finala opunandu-le pe Cehia si Ungaria, selectionate de care aminteam saptamana trecuta, pe aceeasi tema a impotentei federatiei noastre, in blogul “Cehia + Ungaria < Romania. Dar vizionati Mondialul?”, si am inteles de ce “tricolorii” nu s-au aflat intre cele 24 reprezentative calificate.

In primul rand, Cehia si Ungaria ajunsesera in Egipt gratie calificarii in semifinalele Campionatului European la aceeasi categorie de varsta, performanta intangibila pentru “tricolori”, spulberati in grupa preliminara a continentului nostru. Din nou, daca am face diferenta intre rezultatele unora si ale altora, ne-ar lua cu ameteala.

Cehii si maghiarii au dovedit deprinderea corecta a lovirii balonului iar Mate Kiss, in special, cu un mondogol de la 30 metri, o ghiulea a la Hagi ce a pulverizat particulele de aer intr-o miscare lipsita de rotatie a mingii. 1-0 in minutul 15. Echilibrul valoric a fost reliefat de egalarea survenita repede, gratie loviturii de cap a lui Jan Vosahlik: 1-1 in minutul 26. Asa s-a si terminat.

Ungaria, dupa prelungiri si penaltyuri contra vecinilor, in sferturi

In prelungiri, imediat, o alta centrare de pe dreapta a adus Republica Ceha in avantaj, in minutul 92, prin Michael Rabusic. Ca un facut, peste sapte minute, Ungaria a egalat si ea, prin capitanul ei, Vladimir Koman. Ce naste din pisica soareci mananca iar Vladimir e fiu de ex-fotbalist profesionist.

2-2 si lovituri de departajare. Unde Peter Gulacsi, salvand suturile lui Marecek, Moravek si Reznik, ultimul la moartea subita, a dovedit ca este o laudabila rezerva a lui Pepe Reina, la Liverpool. Cu numarul 42. Baietii lui Sandor Egervari, triumfatori cu 4-3 si asteptand sfertul de finala de vineri, contra Italiei, la Suez, desi tocmai nouarul Krisztian Nemeth, vedeta achizitionata tot de Liverpool, si-a vazut a cincea lovitura a maghiarilor salvata de Vaclik. Asadar macar o selectionata europeana in semifinala, daca nu chiar doua, depinzand de traiectoria Germaniei, fata in fata in optimi cu dezinvoltii ghanezi.

Iata-i pe invingatori, cu cluburile de provenienta… Gulacsi (Liverpool) – Kiss (Gyori), Szekeres (MTK), Presinger (Videoton), Szabo (Paksi) – Gosztonyi (MTK), Futacs (Werder Bremen), Koman (Bari), Simon (Szombathelyi) – Dudas (Gyori), Nemeth (Liverpool). Au mai intrat Andras Simon (Liverpool; imprumutat Cordobei), Zambo (Gyori) si Balajti (Diosgyori).

Ungaria, cu trei baieti inhatati de Liverpool, in sferturi de finala. Anglia, eliminata din grupe. 0-4 cu Ghana, 0-1 cu Uruguay si 1-1, tras de par, cu Uzbekistan. A se citi egaland-o in minutul 88, prin Alex Nimely, de la Manchester City. Un punct, un gol cand calificarea se disipase si o intoarcere in insula. Explicatia ar putea veni si tocmai din aceste importuri de tineri jucatori din toate zarile. De cand cu sosirea lui Arsene Wenger in Albion, insula n-a mai avut tarmuri. S-a facut una cu continentul, s-a globalizat. Fabregas a luat calea Arsenalului la 16 ani, de la detinatoarea la zi a Champions League, CF Barcelona. Cati altii n-au luat calea Albionului, de la grupari inzecit mai mici!?

Anglia: prea multe importuri, neconvocari, terenuri desfundate si antrenori depasiti

O alta problema a Albionului ar putea ramane acea deprindere defectuoasa a lovirii mingii, de care aminteam in privinta Romaniei. Cu atatea ploi, destule terenuri desfundate, innamolite. Circumstante atenuante. Caci altfel, bani ar fi din belsug in insula, pentru intretinerea unor gazoane de Doamne Ajuta. Cum ti-i cresti, asa ii ai…

Si ar mai fi antrenorul. Nimic rau cu Brian Eastick, dar ma indoiesc ca dumnealui are in maneca bagajul tehnico-tactic deosebit de variat, cu artificiile de rigoare aplicabile la turnee finale, posedat de selectionerii unor reprezentative ce tind sa se impuna si la alte categorii de varsta. Deja de la sub 20 de ani, Anglia invata lectia amara a inclinarii steagului. Cu o deprindere perfecta a esecului, eliminarile la seniori nu mai sunt de mirare. Eastick e de scoala veche, cea cu mingi lungi si “focul la ei”, practicata pana mai ieri in Albion. Un tehnician care a activat intre aceste limite nu se poate schimba in preajma retragerii, doar prin sosirea in insula a unora ca Wenger sau Mourinho. O fi activat el la academiile lui Birmingham City, in perioada cu Trevor Francis manager, si la Newcastle United, pe vremea lui Sir Bobby Robson, plus ca secund la tineretul Republicii Irlanda, in umbra lui Don Givens, dar n-avea experienta de turneu final. Caci, in calitate de secund al lui Brian Hamilton la reprezentativa Irlandei de Nord, n-a avut parte de bucuria calificarii…

Faceti o combinatie a acestor factori, plus a faptului ca marile cluburi n-au cedat reprezentativei jucatorii de lot, ca Gibbs si Wilshere, de la Arsenal, Stanislas si Sears, de la West Ham, Welbeck, de la Man United, Scott Sinclair, de la Wigan, Sturridge, de la Chelsea, ori Carroll, varful lui Newcastle, si aveti explicatia eliminarii rusinoase a uneia dintre cele 6 reprezentante ale Europei. Unica necalificata din grupe. 1-6 ca la tenis. Dar Romania, cu 0-12?

De fapt, dintre neconvocatii citati mai sus, unii au fost deja imprumutati ori pasaportati, semn ca primele indicii ale nu foarte bunei lor acomodari intre profesionistii seniori le-a dat de gandit antrenorilor. Zola l-a trimis pe Sears la Palace iar Chelsea pe Sinclair, la Wigan. E drept, si Beckham era trimis de Sir Alex Ferguson la Preston North End, scotianul avand poate o premonitie ca se va folosi candva chiar de un bocanc pentru a-l trimite pe David in Victoria lui.

Dar de ce n-au fost unii deplasati in Egipt, tocmai ne-am lamurit. Nationala de tineret sub 21 ani, antrenata de Stuart Pearce, tocmai a jucat in preliminariile C.E. 2011, vineri seara, pe Ricoh Arena din Coventry, in fata a putin peste 20.000 spectatori, cu cativa dintre jucatorii tocmai amintiti in teren. Gibbs si Wilshere au inceput jocul, la fel ca Theo Walcott, un alt “Tunar”, insa inlocuit la pauza. A mai fost si numitul Carroll, chiar marcator, iar Welbeck a intrat pe final. Anglia s-a impus, cu 6-3 in fata Macedoniei, dupa 2-0 in 30 de minute si 3-3 dupa o ora de joc, desprinderea cu o “dubla” reusind-o in ultimele 5 minute Zavon Hines, descoperirea lui Zola la West Ham. Cu un 2-1 in deplasare in aceeasi Macedonie si un recent 1-1 in Grecia, Albionul poate aborda increzator in noiembrie jocurile cu celelalte adversare din grupa, Portugalia (acasa) si Lituania (in deplasare).

La sub 19 ani, Albionul a ajuns macar in finala Europei

Ca o completare, Eastick gestiona in vara si prezenta Angliei la turneul final al C.E. sub 19 ani, unde beneficia de cateva nume strecurandu-se ici colea in formulele de start din Albion. Un Dan Gosling la Everton, de exemplu. 1-1 cu Elvetia, apoi 2-2 cu Ucraina, unde s-a desfasurat turneul reunind 8 selectionate, fiind egalata de ambele, si-apoi un 7-1 cu Slovenia. In semifinala cu Franta, acelasi Nathan Delfouneso de la Aston  Villa a reusit o “dubla” in prima repriza de prelungire, devenind golgeter al turneului, cu patru reusite, si calificandu-i pe insulari in finala contra gazdelor, ce-i invinsesera tot cu 3-1 pe sarbi.

In ultimul act, cu Welbeck de la Manchester United in formula de start, Anglia a cedat cu 2-0, Ucraina devenind campioana europeana la categoria sub 19 ani. Dar roata morii se invarte si zilele urmatoare, intr-un patrulater in Slovenia, Anglia se va alinia in grupa preliminara de calificare a editiei de anul viitor, din Franta. Insularii vor da piept cu Slovenia, Finlanda si Slovacia. Interesant insa de vazut cate cluburi vor fi dispuse, ca si in cazul turneului egiptean, sa le dea “verde” junilor. M-as mira ca Jack Rodwell de exemplu, de la Everton, sa figureze in lotul lui Noel Blake…

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has insisted that Reds striker Fernando Torres is the best striker in the Premier League, and ahead of rival Didier Drogba of Chelsea who he will face at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.

The Merseysiders travel to west London for Sunday’s showdown with Reina tipping compatriot Torres to be the match-winner.

“For me, Fernando Torres is the best striker,” he told the Daily Mirror.

“I am very confident in my team mate. This could be a very special game because I know that Torres sees these games as very special.

“Drogba has made an excellent start to the season but we can’t fear him. We know we will have to be better in defence than at Fiorentina otherwise he will score. But we can do that.”

The Spaniard also admitted that tomorrow’s game was a big challenge for Rafael Benitez’s men and that a win will prove they have what it takes to finally claim the Premier League trophy.

“This is a test for us but if we want to show we can win the title – and I believe we can – then we have to win in big stadiums like Stamford Bridge,” he added.

“I think a victory will show that we can win the title and move up the table. For me, I have no doubt that Liverpool can be better than Chelsea this season. But we have to show that on the pitch and I have faith we can do that.

“At Stamford Bridge, it’s a battle each year because of the rivalry and the great atmosphere. We know we’ll have to play well from the start to get a result.”

Goal

Liverpool are now back on track after another 3-2 win at Upton Park, the same score as when they went to the Reebok. Fernando Torres opened the scoring after Carlton Cole had hit the post following a mistake from Jamie Carragher. Jamie Carragher later conceded a penalty, which West Ham converted. That score though wasn’t to last, as Steven Gerrard’s header touched Kuyt and went into the bottom corner of the net. In stoppage time of the first half, Carlton Cole headed in from a corner kick, which meant both teams went off the pitch at half time with the score of 2-2.

The second half began with both teams pushing for a second goal. Fernando Torres eventually got the winning goal with a header assisted by substitute Ryan Babel. West Ham were piling the pressure, but they couldn’t find the goal, so it’s Liverpool who took the 3 points at Upton Park, and next it’s trip to Ellen Road to face Leeds United.

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This is yet another strange match report and is as much a description of my attempts to watch the match as it is about the match itself.  With no ESPN, I’d be relying on internet streams and, as I decided to start typing this while the match was in progress, you’ll have to forgive me if I get the tense wrong from time to time.

Twenty minutes in to the match, I missed Torres’ opener.  I was struggling to get a working stream despite trying a recommendation from a mate which was working fine for him.  On the plus side, I also missed the stress of West Ham hitting the post early in the match.   I was still relatively calm at this point as at least things were going to plan.   Then, just to annoy me, my laptop started making a plonking noise while it tried to connect to a stream.  Fortunately, it didn’t last long.  Unfortunately, the stream didn’t connect either, and West Ham equalised from a penalty, scored by Alessandro Diamanti, on 29 minutes.  I don’t know what was making me angrier at this point, the fact that they conceded a goal or that I couldn’t watch them concede it.

Liverpool re-took the lead on 41 minutes with a goal from Kuyt, turning in a Gerrard header.  At least that’s what Sky Sports News said, I still couldn’t see the game.  Then, just to make the first half utterly miserable, Carlton Cole made it 2-2 on 45 minutes.  It was a struggle not to smash my laptop to bits and go to bed in a huff.

Still struggling during half time, I thought I’d have a quick look at what was going on in some internet forums.  Jamie Carragher was getting a shocking amount of abuse, and, while he might be having a few off games as he gets older, some people have very short memories.

By quarter to seven I’d given up on the streams and decided to listen to it on Five Live.  Listening on the radio keeps you up to date with the facts, but it’s hard to get a feeling for the game.  From what I could tell, it was a fairly balanced match at that point.

In an unusual move, Kuyt came off, on the hour, to be replaced by Ryan Babel, presumably to add a bit of pace to the attack.  It’s not very often that Dirk is substituted and it’s less often that Babel plays well.

Having been lulled close to sleep by the relaxing commentary, I barely realised that Torres had scored on 75 minutes.  Could the Reds do enough to stay in front this time?  The answer was almost immediately no, as Cole forced a save from Reina straight from the kick off.

Something shocking happens on 84 minutes when a pundit talked sense.  Mark Bright said that ANY team would struggle if they lost their best two players.  This is something that people with brains have been saying for years, but many pundits believe it only applies to Liverpool.

Then, before I knew it, the match was over and Liverpool had picked up the win.  From what I could tell, West Ham were excellent in the first half but faded a little in the second.  From a Liverpool point of view, it’s another three points in the bag.  Now I just need to watch the highlights later to see if anything that I have written makes sense.

Have you ever looked at the lyrics to that song? They’re mildly retarded:

Ce sont les meilleures équipes

(Those are the best teams)

Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften

(Those are the best teams)

The main event

Die Meister

(The Champions)

Die Besten

(The best)

Les Grandes Équipes

(The biggest teams)

The Champions

Une grande réunion

(A big gathering)

Eine große sportliche Veranstaltung

(A big sports event)

The main event

Ils sont les meilleurs

(They are the best)

Sie sind die Besten

(They are the best)

These are the champions

These are th- Well, you get the point.

Anyways – as promised, here’s what happened in this week’s Champions League group matches. All of them. Even the boring ones. Sorta. You’re welcome:

Juventus 1-1 Bordeaux – Where was the Juventus who has been playing well enough to top the Serie A tables these past few weeks? Where is the exciting football they have been peddling since August? I will tell you where – sitting on the bench with a knock to the thigh. Juventus badly missed their trequartista yesterday, and struggled to get into the game, drawing against a French club at home for only the second time in European Competition - their record against French sides now stands at 9-1-2 on Italian soil. Sebastian Giovinco, who replaced Diego in the lineup, was unable to replicate the attacking danger that the Brazilian affords to his side – not for any lack of skill, of course, but the small-statured Formica Atomica simply does not possess the power in his slight frame to muscle aside defenses as does the Brazilian. Juventus struggled to gain any ground against a Bordeaux side that looked determined to get ahead – they settled for making fast breaks between large intervals of Bordeaux possession for the first half an hour or so. It was only a precision strike from right boot of Vincenzo Iaquinta that finally separated the Bianconeri from the visitors on 62′. However, the Girondins would not say die, and not twelve minutes later equalized via a Jaroslav Plašil tap-in. Though Juve pressed for the win in the last quarter-hour (with Claudio Marchisio smashing the crossbar before Poulsen volleyed the rebound over), Plašil’s timely goal ensured that Bordeaux went home with a well-deserved point.

AC Milan 2-1 Marseilles – What is it about Champions League that can bring the best out in a team that has struggled so much lately? Perhaps SuperPippo knows, as it was the veteran striker’s brace, scoring on both sides of halftime, that lifted the Rossoneri clear of Didier Deschamps squad. Milan took the lead on 27 minutes, with Gabriel Heinze equalizing for the home side on 49′ – but Pippo was not done yet. Milan seemed artless at times, and for much of the game appeared to be simply content to weather the storms of Marseilles (figuratively and literally; both teams were battered by heavy rain). However, there were moments of true genius, especially from Clarence Seedorf, who twice supplied Filippo Inzaghi with picture-perfect crosses – which the experienced poacher unhesitatingly redirected into the back of the net. I find it very ironic that in a time when Milan is much maligned for their aged squad and lack of youth, they have managed to bounce back and win their first Champions League match – carried on the back of two old veterans who’ve still got what it takes.

For those of you who missed the joke.

Real Madrid 5-2 FC Zurich – The scoreline would suggest that Madrid strolled their way to a comfortable victory in Zurich – but numbers do not tell the whole story. In truth, Madrid’s defense is still closer in substance to the local cheese than a solid back line, and Los Merengues had to fight through a second half scare that saw Zurich score two goals in as many minutes and reduce the Men in White’s lead to a lonely goal. Madrid would have left the pitch after the first half very confident – and rightfully so. A laser beam free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring (thanks to a poor effort by Zurich keeper Johnny Leoni), with Higuan and Raul making it 3-0 before the half. The tide began to turn when Xabi Alonso limped off on 55′, and soon after Iker Casillas conceded a penalty on 63′, bringing down Alexandre Alphonse – Xavier Magairez stepped up to the spot and duly buried it. Not two minutes later, on a corner kick for the home side, Ronaldo failed to mark Sylan Aegerter, who saw his header into the goal and halved his side’s deficit. However, CR9 would have his revenge on 89 minutes, as Johnny Leoni again failed to stop his ferocious right boot, though this time the keeper truly should have caught it. Adding insult to injury was Guti, who scored three minutes into injury time to give his side a three-goal lead and bring the final tally up to a deceptively lopsided 5-2 win. Zurich put up a fight to be proud of, though the score doesn’t necessarily represent it. Real Madrid will be happy with their attack force, but as for the rest of the squad – Actually, who am I kidding, it’s all an attack force. Crazy Galacticos.

Chelsea 1-0 Porto – Injuries and Suspensions. If you asked Carlo Ancelotti why he chose the squad he did yesterday, you would get those two words as an answer. Three of his seven substitutes were players fresh from the academy – though oddly, Gael Kakuta didn’t make his UEFA debut. Too soon? I hope not. Other than that, there’s really not too much to say about this one, though let me say this: Chelsea were clearly superior. The Dragões fought with a lot of heart against the EPL-leading side, but a strike from Nicolas Anelka early in the second half and a late-game send off for Fernando saw the Blues take all three points from their visitors at Stamford Bridge. Anelka did well in scoring to for his side to fill the shoes of the on-fire Didier Drogba, who, missing the match through suspension, provided Chelsea with their biggest question mark. Who would score if not Didier? So quickly forgotten are Anelka’s 19 goals in 2008/09 – the highest tally in the EPL last year. Luckily for Blues fans, Anelka was quick to remind them, and Chelsea can look ahead with 3 points under their belt.

Manchester Utd 1-0 Besiktas JK – No team is a weak team with the full force of their home support behind them. That’s what the first 60 minutes of last night’s game in Istanbul taught Six Alex Ferguson & Co – though I’m sure it’s a tune they’ve heard before. The Red Devils squeaked by a lively Besiktas side on a one-goal margin, finding the Turks to be more than a handful in the process – it is notoriously difficult to win an away match in Turkey due to the fervour of their fan support. Granted, United had their fair share of botched chances, and were for all purposes in control for the majority of the game; their difficulty was in finding the extra push to put them ahead on the scoresheet as well. It took United 77 minutes to wear down the Kara Kartallar, and their chance came when a shot from Nani forced the Turkish side’s keeper to parry, though he was unable to hold on to the ball and Paul Scholes dutifully nodded in the rebound. It is a result that I think both sides can come away from relatively happy.

Eins, Zwei, Drei... Grafite learns German the only way he knows how.

VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 CSKA Moscow – A result the German Champions, and in particular star man Grafite, can be proud of. Their first Champions League match went off without a hitch, and though Juande Ramos’ Russian side was able to take control of possession for much of the game, they failed to capitalize on their efforts as Wolfsburg – er, Grafite – did. Netting twice in the first half before making it three on 87′ the Brazilian was all the difference for the German side, who now sit at the top of their group, above Manchester United on goal differential. Party while you can, Wolves – the Red Devils are next.

Bayern Münich 3-0 Maccabi Haifa – An unsurprising result. Bayern have gotten their easiest fixture out of the way, dismissing the Israeli side with, well, ease. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that Bayern youngster Thomas Müller has grabbed his second brace in as many games – Daniel Van Buyten opened up the scoring with a goal of his own. Next up is what should be a far more challenging fixture against Juventus – like their counterparts Wolfsburg, Die Roten have their toughest challenges yet ahead of them.

Atletico Madrid 0-0 APOEL FC – Like Bayern, Atletico have their easiest match behind them. Unfortunately, unlike Bayern, Los Colchoneros failed to make the best out of said match and came away with a single point against Cyprus’ APOEL FC at home in the Estadio Vincente Calderón. It was a frustrating evening for the Spanish side, as their often-lethal strike team of Diego Forlan and Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero failed to create goalscoring opportunities. However, Los Colchoneros can consider themselves somewhat lucky in that the visitors blew two clear-cut chances to take the lead. Silver lining, right? More like bronze, I suppose.

Inter 0-0 Barcelona – Here it is, the match we’ve all been waiting for, and – what? They drew? Bollocks! Inter and Barcelona played a well-matched game in which neither side looked dominant over the other, despite Barca’s inevitable control of possession. The chances went both ways, and Inter had as good and as many as the Catalans. The UEFA Champions did not look all that comfortable in the San Siro, although they could have gone ahead several times in the opening minutes at the Nerazzurri struggled to find their rhythm. Though Barca looked the aggressors in the first half (and should have gone ahead had Keita not missed an absolute sitter) their play had an edge of impatience in the second half, and their attacks, while often dangerous, could not crack Inter’s defense. Lionel Messi was well-covered by the Inter back line – it seemed as though every time he touched the ball he was instantly surrounded with a wall of black & blue. Ibrahimovic, roundly jeered by Inter fans, continued his practice of performing impressions of The Invisible Man during big matches, and failed to make an impact on the scoreline against his former side. Of course his counterpart Samuel Eto’o was also present – putting in a hardworking game against his former side but ultimately coming up empty-handed. However, Barca was not the only side to waste clear-cut chances. Diego Milito stumbling over his own feet alone in front of Victor Valdes and David Santon, who was brought on late to replace Wesley Sneijder, doing a fairly good job of covering the position – he nearly would have given his side the lead in a one-on-one on 82′ but for being brought down by Yaya Toure, who received a yellow card for his efforts. Inter were perhaps saved by some last-ditch defending, though given each team’s performance, a 0-0 draw is the most apt result.

Arsenal 3-2 Standard Liege – Hats off to the Gunners, who pulled off an impressive comeback to bring three points home from Belgium after going down 2-0 in the games first five minutes. Eliaquim Mangala netted on 2′ and Milan Jovanović, after being tackled clumsily by William Gallas in the box, converted a spot kick on 5′ to stun Arsenal with a devastating early lead. Arsenal would struggle throughout the next 45 minutes, to wake up just before the half as Nick Bendtner ran onto an Abou Diaby throughball in the corner of the box and slotted home to halve the Belgian’s lead. Standard Liege would fight hard throughout the second have, posing a constant danger up the flanks, though Arsenal would finally equalize in the 78th minute thanks to Thomas Vermaelen – only three minutes before Eduardo would score the goal that, ultimately, would be enough to win the game. The dramatic comeback of Arsene Wenger’s side made this probably the most exciting match played in this year’s competition thus far.

Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen – Liverpool, the fourth and final English team in European competition, was also the fourth English team to beat their opponents by a single-goal margin. The Merseyside squad hosted Hungarian Champions Debrecen at Anfield, and played a strong defensive game, content to absorb the pressure heaped on them and wait patiently for their chances. Despite missing key players Jozef Varga, Tibor Dombi, Gergely Rudolf through suspensions and injury, respectively, the Hungarians put up a good fight, gaining confidence throughout each half and forcing some last-ditch saves from Pepe Reina. However, it would be a Dirk Kuyt goal in first-half injury time that would be the final difference between the teams, as the Hungarians were unable to equalize in the second half – seeing the Scousers take three points from their first group match.

"I swear Ref, his face hit me!"

Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Fiorentina – Lyon became the only French side to take three points away from their first game after beating 10-man Fiorentina by a one-goal margin at home in the Stade Gerland. The first half of the match was rather uneventful, and despite a few scattered chances, the game didn’t start in earnest until Alberto Gilardino was sent off in first half added time after Jérémy Toulalan had the nerve to hit Gila’s elbow with his face. After the half, the Viola decided the best course of action was to cut their losses and ‘park the bus,’ but their plan was foiled on 76′, when Miralam Pjanic found the back of the net on a strong rebounded shot. Cesare Prandelli hasalready spoken out against Gilardino being given his marching orders, calling the elbow to the face unintentional and claiming the judgement was harsh. However way you see it, the Viola will surely be frustrated as they return to Italy empty-handed, and Lyon will surely celebrate winning their first group stage match.

GIDCEATWO (Games I Don’t Care Enough About To Write On):

Olympiakos 1-0 AZ Alkmaar

Sevilla 2-0 Unirea Urziceni

Dynamo Kiev 3-1 Rubin

VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Rangers

Nummer 2: Liverpool FC: There’s always next season…

Stiftet: 1892

Stadion: Anfield Road (Kapacitet: 45.362)

Kælenavn: Reds

Seneste tre ligaplaceringer (07/08/09): 3/4/2

Første fem kampe: 15/8 Tottenham (U), 19/8 Stoke (H), 22/8 Aston Villa (H), 29/8 Bolton (U), 12/8 Burnley (H)

Manager: Rafael Benitez (siden juni 2004)

Det er efterhånden fem år siden at den spanske træner gennemførte the rafalution på Merseyside. I Benitez’ første sæson på Anfield Road blev det til et Champions League trofæ, og pludselig lugtede man tiltrængte nye tider i storklubben. Den ultimative succes er imidlertid udeblevet, og denne sæson markerer tyve-året for Liverpools sidste engelske mesterskab. At ærkerivalerne fra Manchester United så i denne periode har indhentet og udlignet Liverpools placering på toppen af mesterskabsrekordlisten gør ikke panderynkerne mindre blandt de højt besugne fans på the Kop.

Benitez havde i sine første år i klubben ofte svært ved både at spille med i ligaen og i diverse cup-turneringer, og Liverpool sæson i mesterskabskampen sluttede ofte skuffende tidligt, alt imens holdet nærmest har været fast bestanddel i de afsluttende runder af Champions League under spanieren. At holdet i samme periode også har været udsat for et turbulent ejerskifte til de amerikanske rigmænd Hicks og Gillette har ikke gjort det lettere for Benitez at få sammensat et hold med den nødvendige slagkraft til for alvor at slås om mesterskabet. Spanieren har flere gange været i mere eller mindre åben krig med ejerne om transferbudgetter og spillersalg, og flere gange har der været rygter om at andre trænere skulle være kørt i stilling til jobbet i Liverpool. Benitez er der dog endnu, og i sidste sæson så holdet ud til at være tættere på mesterskabsudfordringen end meget længe, og holdet sluttede på en andenplads. Den bedste ligaplacering under Benitez.

Truppen generelt: Stærkt, men med væsentlige mangler

På kassen står spanieren Pepe Reina, og det gør han sikkert og glimrende. Vikaren hedder Diego Cavalieri, og har kun optrådt fire gange på førsteholdet.

I forsvaret er Emiliano Insua og Fabio Aurelio to gode alternativer til venstrebacken, og særligt førstnævnte kan spille sig op i den absolutte elite på pladsen. Her prøver også middelmådigheden Andrea Dossena at gøre sig gældende. I centerforsvaret er den næsten legendariske (kun et skifte til Manchester United over Everton kan vel ændre på dette?) Jamie Carragher vanvittig populær, ganske kompetent og desuden velsignet med en konstant straffesparkfri zone omkring sig. I mine øjne er Martin Skrtel og Daniel Agger dog begge mere kvalificerede til pladsen i det lange løb. Sidstnævnte skal dog først overvinde sine obligatoriske 28 skader per sæson. På den anden back råder Liverpool blandt andet over schweizeren Phillip Degen som fik sit første år i klubben totalt smadret af skader.

Venstre midt besættes af spanske Albert Riera som alt i alt fik en rigtig god debutsæson i engelsk fodbold. Det skal blive spændende om at han i denne sæson kan hæve sit spil yderligere. På den anden kant er Premier Leagues måske allergrimmeste spiller Dirk Kuijt altid garant for en 100 % arbejdsindsats, og selvom hollænderen ikke har lavet så mange mål i Liverpool, som man måske havde håbet da man hentede ham, så er han en vigtig og undervurderet del af Liverpools hold. Kanterne kan alternativt besættes med den generelt skuffende Ryan Babel og den stærkt spillende Yossi Benayoun som fik sit Liverpool-gennembrud sidste år.

På den centrale midtbane behøver Steven Gerrard ingen videre introduktion. Manden er Mr Liverpool. Han kan det meste med en fodbold, giver aldrig op, og er vanvittig vigtig for holdet. Til at tage sig af det mere beskidte arbejde på midtbanen (ikke at Gerrard selv er nogen kostforagter i den henseende) råder Benitez over en af de bedste i verden til netop den opgave: Javier Mascerano. Også den vanvittigt upopulære Lucas Leiva kan bruges her.

Helt fremme er Fernando Torres stjernen, og den sikre starter. Det er også altsammen meget godt, idet der ikke findes mange angribere i verden på hans niveau. Hverken den returnerede lejesvend Andriy Voronin eller det formodede stortalent David N’gog har vist noget der berettiger at Torres skal føle sig utryg ved konkurrencen.

Væsentlige transfere: Et skridt frem og to tilbage

Netop nævnte Andriy Voronin er vendt tilbage efter et særdeles succesfuldt ophold på lån i Hertha Berlin. Den tidligere fiasko i Liverpool hænger dog stadig i en tåge over ukraineren. Ind er ligeledes kommet højrebacken Glen Johnson fra Portsmouth. Den engelske landsholdsspiller anslås at koste omkring 18 millioner pund, og kommer til at bidrage med rigtig meget i offensiven for Liverpool, men måske for lidt i defensiven. Ud er til gengæld røget det normale førstevalg på højrebackpladsen i form af Alvaro Arbeola som er taget tilbage til Real Madrid der i sin tid fandt ham for let efter at have givet ham sin fodboldopdragelse. Med sig har Arbeola taget en af de seneste års bedste og vigtigste spillere på Liverpools hold; midtbanestyrmanden Xabi Alonso. Sidstnævnte menes at have indbragt i omegnen af £ 30 millioner, mens førstnævnte nok har kostet kongeklubben cirka en tiendedel. Som direkte afløser for Alonso har Benitez været et smut i Italien og hentet Roma-spilleren Alberto Aquilani for cirka £ 20 millioner.

Ind er også kommet den græske forsvarsspiller Sotirios Kyrgiakos der mest af alt skal agere backup efter at veteranen Sami Hyppiaa besluttede sig for at afslutte karrieren hos Bayer Leverkusen i Tyskland. Ud af bagdøren er også smuttet Jermaine Pennant som fortsætter karrieren i Real Zaragoza

Forventninger: Close but no cigar…

Da Liverpool solgte Xabi Alonso til Real Madrid var der mange som mente at de lige havde sendt det engelske mesterskab med fly sydpå for ussel mammon. Dette udsagn er selvfølgelig problematisk. Liverpool havde under alle omstændigheder fået kam til deres hår, men faktum er at Alonso bliver svær at erstatte. Hans evne til at holde på bolden, altid finde en medspiller når han er presset og altid være spilbar har reddet mangt en storm af for Liverpool, og bevaret mangt et pres mod hidsigt kæmpende modstandere. Aquilani kan meget vel blive en stor succes på Anfield Road. Guderne må vide han har de nødvendige kvaliteter, men om han udfylde Alonsos rolle hurtigt og effektivt nok til at det ikke kommer til at koste en del point i sidste ende er usikkert. Først og fremmest skal han i det hele taget være kampklar.

Derudover råder Liverpool over et generelt set utrolig stærkt hold. Der kan stadig stilles spørgsmåltegn om bredden på enkelte pladser; navnlig helt fremme, hvor ingen af de spillere som pt er i truppen har vist klassen til at kunne erstatte en skadet eller karantæneramt Torres. Retfærdigvis vil meget få spillere kunne gøre dette, men Liverpools alternativer er fra langt fra Torres’ niveau. Ryan Babel har på mange måder højden og drøjden, men har til gengæld ikke overbevist når han har fået chancen. Alt i mens viste Voronin at han kan lave mål på samlebånd i Bundesligaen i sidste sæson, men det er langt fra sikkert at han kan gentage bedriften i England.

Hvis Liverpool imidlertid undgår skader til stamspillere, og får mulighed for at trække på den samme centrale akse gennem hele sæsonen kan de spille med mod de bedste. Salget af Alonso og den manglende backup for Torres udskyder dog det forløsende 19. mesterskab med endnu et år.

Tip: Forventet placering: Nummer 2 Supersæson: Nummer 1.

Liverpool kalecisi Reina‘nın hafta içi yaptığı “Şampiyonluk şansı” açıklamalarını okumuşsunuzdur. Uzatmaya gerek yok, Reina daha sezonun başında 2 maç kaybeden bir takım için şampiyonluğun pek gerçekçi bir hedef olmadığını belirtmiş, Man Utd gibi sıkışan-kötü giden oyunları çevirecek bireysellikte bir kadroları olmadığından yakınmıştı. Bunlarla da sınırlı kalmayan Reina kulübün Amerikalı sahiplerine de seslenip takımı kuvvetlendirmek için para harcamaları gerektiğini söylemişti.

Şimdi bu sözlere birçok açıdan yaklaşılabilir. Öncelikle söyledikleri doğru olsun olmasın kendi düşünceleri, tabiki bunları söylemeye hakkı var ama artık takımın en eskisi konumundaki bir oyuncu neden bu olumsuz düşüncelerini kamuoyu ile paylaşır? Bu sözler küçük bir umut peşinde koşan taraftarı takımı takip etme konusunda düşünceye sevk eder. Ya takım arkadaşlarına ne demeli? Utd‘ın bireysel olarak çok daha üstün olduğunu söylemesi takım arkadaşlarının kendilerini yetersiz görmesine neden olur. Takımın birliğini bozar. Kulübün sahipleri “Reina para harcayın dedi, hemen harcayalım” demeyeceğine ve ona bakış açıları da değişeceğine göre bu sözlerin kime yararı oldu Allah aşkına?

Ben bu açıklamaları çok duydum, olumlu sonuç getirdiğini de görmedim. Henry Arsenal‘de son zamanlarında sürekli kaliteli transfer isteyip, başarı için harika oyunculara ihtiyaçları olduğunu söyleyip durdu. Henry artık takımda değil. Owen 2 yıl boyunca kulübün sahibine para harcamasını söyledi. Owen takımda değil. Büyük takımlarda da küçük takımlarda da bu tip çıkışlar olmuştur ama sonuçları hep benzerdir. Takımın ahengi bozulur, takım içinde o oyuncuya karşı bir tavır olur, bunları söyleyen oyuncu takımdan ayrılır… Kadrodaki İspanyol üstünlüğü Arbeloa ve Alonso‘nun satılmasıyla bitince ayrılmayı kafasına koymuş olabilir diye yorumluyorum Reina’nın bu çıkışını. Yakında kokusu çıkar zaten.

İddialarına ise hiçbir şekilde katılmıyorum. Herkes bu kötü başlangıca rağmen Liverpool‘un sezon sonunda en kötü 2. olacağı yönünde tahminlerini bildiriyor. Tarafsız kaynaklar bile bu yönde düşünürken takımın içinden birinin böyle konuşması düşündürücü.

What you missed while stealing £500,000 worth of pencils from an art exhibit…

• FIFA has denied that they’ve received a complaint from Le Havre AC over Manchester United’s 2006 signing of Paul Pogba; the situation sounds relatively similar to Chelsea’s signing of Gaël Kakuta, which ended up in a two-window transfer ban for Chelsea.
• Pepe Reina thinks that Liverpool needs to be “braver” if they want to take the Premier League title; presumably, he means braver when it comes to tapping up youth players in France.
• Houston born Arturo Alvarez will join Giuseppe Rossi in the “Soccer Traitors Hall of Shame” when he suits up for El Salvador against the U.S.
• Samuel Eto’o is Serie A’s highest paid player.
• Usain Bolt is taking the credit for Manchester United’s 5-0 win over Wigan.
• Marcos Senna is fit and will rejoin Spain for their weekend World Cup Qualifiers.

Brezilya hafiften ünlenmiş, isim yapmış futbolcuların fidye için kaçırılması, soyulması, bıçaklanmasıyla ünlenmişti. Hatta bu haklı ün, ülkede parlayan tüm oyuncuların yurtdışına kaçmasına sebep olmuştu. Genç yaşta ülkesini terkeden birçok Brezilyalı oyuncu kendini gösteremeden yok oluyordu. En son hatırladığım Robinho bu tip bir olaya maruz kalmış ve ülkesini erkenden terketmişti.

Şimdi benzeri olaylar İngiltere‘de çok büyük bir moda haline geldi. Henüz adam kaçırma olayları başlamadı ama gidişat bu yönde. Özellikle ekonomik krizden sonra yine özellikle ülkenin kuzeyinde yaşanan olaylar korkutucu boyutlara ulaştı. Liverpool kaptanı Gerrard‘ın evine üstelik de karısı evdeyken giren hırsızlar, Reina‘yi, Crouch‘u, Pennant‘ı, Arbeloa‘yı maç sırasında soyan çeteler derken Blackburn ve Manchester bölgesinde de futbolcuya yönelik suç oranı artmaya başladı. Santa Cruz ve Fletcher‘ın ardından dün de Blackburn‘un Avustralyalı oyuncusu Vince Grella‘nın evi soyulmuş. Londra‘da geçen hafta yaşanan Davenport‘un bıçaklanma olayı gibi bir yaralama durumu sözkonusu değil ama Grella‘nın evine giren 4 maskeli hırsız daha sonra terkedilmiş bir şekilde bulunan X5‘in anahtarı, mücevherler ve paraları alarak kaçmışlar. Olaydan sonra, karısı ve kızlarının evde olmadığı için şükrettiğini söyleyen Grella, korkudan titrer bir vaziyette bulunmuş.

Saadece bu tip olaylara bakarak bile İngiltere‘de krizin ne boyutlarda olduğunu görmek mümkün. Güvenlik önlemleri alınmazsa bu hırsızlık olayları adam yaralama, öldürme, kaçırma boyutlarına ulaşabilir. Kimbilir belki de İngiliz oyuncular da Brezilyalı meslektaşları gibi ülkelerini terketmeye başlarlar.

Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa
0-1 Lucas (og), 34′
0-2 Davies, 45′
1-2 Torres, 72′
1-3 Young (pen), 75′

I don’t have time to write much, but I had to get a word in on this one. This makes two heartily satisfying failures for disliked opponents in the opening weeks of the season. Not much can compete with Manchester United’s stumble against Burnley, but at least they were on the road. Liverpool, on the other hand, were playing at home, where they didn’t lose a single game last season, and they couldn’t get the job done. In their defense, they were playing a staunch Aston Villa side that was typically well prepared by coach Martin O’Neill, and they were rather unlucky not to have gone ahead inside of ten minutes. All that aside, though, the game was theirs to take by the neck in the early going and they failed to do so, allowing O’Neill’s men to sneak in and steal it away from them.

Both teams had been under fire after disappointing starts to the season, and I think many expected Liverpool to fully bounce back in this one after romping all over Stoke City last week. And they had their chances to grab the lead right away, but a surprising lack of composure in the box left them goalless after three quick attempts. They still looked threatening for a long while after that, until an Ashley Young cross ricocheted off Lucas Leiva and past Reina into the back of the Liverpool net. Then, with the allotted minute of extra time already expired, Villa scored on a corner (which was disputed as well in its awarding as well) courtesy of Curtis Davies’ skyward scalp. Benitez was furious that time hadn’t already been called, but them’s the breaks and Liverpool defended it poorly.

The Merseysiders took a while to warm up in the second half, but when they did, they brought the pressure on full tilt and finally (and inevitably) scored on a volley by Torres into the top of the net. With their domination of the ball in the Villa half of the pitch, it seemed only a matter of time before they tied the game up. But Villa held firm, stepping in at all the right moments to knock balls away and alleviate the pressure, and the pushed Liverpool on the counterattack when they could. Only three minutes after Torres got them back in the game, Gerrard made a silly challenge on Nigel Reo-Coker, who probably wouldn’t have gotten to the ball anyway, and set up the penalty that sealed the game. Ashley Young calmly put it past Reina, and Liverpool visibly deflated. That was the most surprising part – watching the feisty Liverpool team seemingly concede defeat with so much time left on the clock and a recent history of miraculous comebacks to draw on. It was like they didn’t have the confidence to keep going or the belief to push for the difference-making goal. It doesn’t all come down to this, but I still think Xabi Alonso is going to be too big of a miss for them this season and will prevent them from achieving the same heights they did last year, when they still finished second. They may still make it to the silver medal spot, but it will be on many fewer points and to much greater disappointment from fans who expected this year to be an improvement on the last. My thoughts? Oh well. =)

p.s. Props to Brad Friedel for an excellent game between the pipes. He continues to amaze.

p.p.s. And also to ESPN for the good broadcast. It was the first I’ve gotten to watch of their Premier League coverage, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Liverpool will play Aston Villa on their 3rd game of the season today. Last time they met, it was Steven Gerrard who stood out with his first Premier League hat-trick.

but all eyes will be mainly on Glen Johnson. He migt aswell be nominated for the team of the season right now. Skrtel is a doubt, while other signing Alberto Aquilani is still out injured. Apart from that, Rafa Benitez has a fresh squad to choose from, including suprise player Lucas. The Brazilian shown he can play well, and also got  call up from Brazil.

Likely line up: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Ayala, Insua, Lucas, Mashcerano, Kuyt, Benayoun, Gerrard, Torres

Score last season: Liverpool 5-0 Villa

Likely Score: Liverpool 3-0 Villa

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Ya está aquí. Ya ha llegado la Premier: la mejor liga de fútbol del mundo.

• El partido de la jornada: Manchester United – Birmingham

A priori, el partido más atractivo de la jornada inaugural de la Premier 2009-10 era el Tottenham-Liverpool. De hecho, era el partido al que había decidido asignarle ese privilegio, pero finalmente me he decidido por el estreno del actual campeón: el Manchester United. Principalmente, por lo complejo de su situación esta temporada -aunque el partido en sí también ha sido muy entretenido.

Hemos podido ver en los reds la que será la ruta a seguir en la enésima reinvención de sir Alex Ferguson: Rooney y Nani tirarán del carro para intentar revalidar título. El inglés formado en el Everton tiene ante sí la gran oportunidad de convertirse en el gran jugador que siempre ha apuntado. Este año vuelve a su posición natural, la de segundo delantero, tras el destierro en la banda izquierda a la que se veía sometido por la libertad que tenía Cristiano Ronaldo en las últimas temporadas. Y ha empezado asumiendo su nuevo rol de jefe del ataque de los red devils. Fue el autor del único gol del partido y por sus botas pasaron casi todas las jugadas de ataque, entre lanzamientos y pases de gol que no encontraron rematador (día para olvidar de Berbatov). Mientras, el portugués, sustituto natural de su compatriota Cristiano en el United, debe ser el encargado de aportar algo diferente entrando desde la banda. Sorprendió en un principio que Ferguson lo alinease por la izquierda, poniendo en la derecha a Antonio Valencia, uno de los tres fichajes de este verano y al que aún le falta mucha confianza y aclimatación al ambiente que se vive en un club de máxima exigencia.

Y la conexión funcionó: centro medido de Nani y golazo de Rooney ajustando el balón con la cabeza lejos del alcance de Hart.

Pero Nani arrastraba problemas en el hombro desde la Community Shield y fue substituido por Ryan Giggs. Y el United empezó a sufrir. Faltos de ideas en ataque, a pesar de dominar la posesión, los red devils se veían sorprendidos en numerosas ocasiones a la contra por falta de intensidad defensiva. La más clara la firmó el Chucho Benítez, que en una magnífica acción individual dejó tirado a Jonny Evans y fusiló en el área a Foster, que sacó una mano milagrosa que salvó el empate. El partido estuvo muy abierto en los últimos minutos. No obstante, el mayor nivel de los jugadores del Manchester les permitió seguir teniendo ocasiones para marcar, que casi le permite estrenarse a Michael Owen. Pero este ManU no es el del año pasado, no asusta como antes y parece más batible que el equipo que dominó la Premier durante los últimos años. Las bajas de Ronaldo y Tévez -no siempre valorado suficientemente- no parecen haber sido cubiertas correctamente y ésto ayudará a que los perseguidores se acerquen y mucho. Malas noticias para Old Trafford; buenas para el espectáculo.

• Resto de partidos

Del resto de la jornada, cabe destacar la espectacular victoria del Arsenal en su visita a uno de los campos más duros de la liga, Goodison Park. 1-6 con dos goles de Cesc, que permiten ver una luz al fondo del túnel en el que el Arsenal parecía sumido tras el saldo tan negativo que ha dejado el mercado de fichajes en los del norte de Londres. Liderato por sorpresa. Tampoco fallaron Chelsea y Manchester City, que parece que basarán sus candidaturas al título en abonarse a las individualidades. En el juego gris de ambos equipos aparecieron Drogba -que se bastó para remontarle al Hull con dos golazos de crack- y Adebayor y Ireland -en el City, que ganó en su visita al Blackburn-, respectivamente, para solucionar la papeleta. El único favorito en caer fue el Liverpool, que hizo un partido muy malo en White Hart Lane y dónde sólo Pepe Reina evitó que hubiese un marcador de escándalo. Finalmente, el Tottenham ganó 2-1 sin gol de Robbie Keane, que se desesperó por marcarle un gol a Rafa Benítez -más que al Liverpool-.

Pero requiere una mención especial el que ha sido el debut de Roberto Martínez en el banquillo del Wigan. Partidazo en el campo de uno de los cocos de la Premier, el Aston Villa, al que dominó en todo momento con un juego brillante, al estilo del que vimos en el Swansea del año pasado. 0-2 en su primer partido en la Premier. Realmente increíble lo rápido que está avanzando Martínez como entrenador en Inglaterra; aquí podemos tener a un futuro técnico de prestigio.

Chelsea 2 – 1 Hull

Aston Villa 0 – 2 Wigan

Blackburn Rovers 0 – 2 Manchester City

Bolton Wanderers 0 – 1 Sunderland

Portsmouth 0 – 1 Fulham

Stoke 2 – 0 Burnley

Wolverhampton 0 – 2 West Ham

Everton 1 – 6 Arsenal

Tottenham 2 – 1 Liverpool

• Clasificación

Por muy efímera que sea, aquí queda la clasificación tras la primera jornada de la Premier.

• El mejor gol

Showtime! Ha habido un excepcional número de grandes goles en esta primera jornada, por lo que se me ha hecho imposible elegir un sólo gol y dejo los dos más significativos.

El primero, precioso lanzamiento de Denílson tras una gran jugada de Bendtner (hasta él estuvo bien el sábado) y Cesc Fábregas. Era el gol que abría la goleada gunner.

El segundo, espectacular volea del colombiano Hugo Rodallega desde fuera del área que significaba el 0-1 para el Wigan de Roberto Martínez. Estreno feliz para el de Balaguer.