[Liverweb] Sao Paulo Match Report

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Liverweb World Club Championship Match Report

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Liverpool 0 Sau Paulo 1

Liverpool : Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock, Kewell,
Gerrard(C), Alonso, Sissoko, Garcia, Morientes

Subs Used : Pongolle for Sissoko (77), Riise for Warnock (77),
Crouch for Morientes (84)

Subs Unused : Dudek, Carson, Hamann, Josemi, Cisse, Traore

Att : 66,821

Ref : B Achundia Tellez (Mex)

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The Reds fell at the final hurdle to Sao Paulo in Japan. The only
goal of the game in the first half, the first the Reds had conceded
in over 17 hours settled the game. The Reds poured forward and threw
everything at it in the second half but even though they had the
ball in the net three times just couldn't find a way to equalise.
They might have had the lions share of the chances but there was no
way through as the Brazilian side defended deeper and deeper.

On a cold night in Yokohama the Reds came out wearing black armbands
for Rafa Benitez's late father. Sao Paulo elected to kick off the
match and after the first whistle both sets of players paused for
time to remember Benitez's father. It wasn't exactly silence though
as the stadium announcer seemed to talk through it all. The second
whistle got the game underway.

The Reds had a chance within the first two minutes as Gerrard
crossed for Morientes but his header went wide. Then we had to wait
an age after some idiot had jumped in to the net and got himself
tangled up completely. How it could take so long was a joke and all
the players were left to retrieve practice balls to train with
whilst new stanchion poles were put up.

The early exchanges of the game for me were all about Sao Paulo and
their quality. The Reds seemed happy to push the ball forward
quickly towards Morientes or at least in to that general direction.
On the flip side the Brazilians were more calm and assured in their
passing. It was midway through the half though before they had a
decent chance to score. Carragher and Hyypia were reduced to chasing
shadows but thankfully the shot on goal was straight at Reina. Sao
Paulo though were starting to come right in to the game and show
some quality.

When the Reds brought the ball down and passed it to feet they were
making in roads to their defence. Kewell was looking to beat his man
when he could. The all important goal came on twenty seven minutes
though through Mineiro. He made a run between Carragher and Hyypia
which sprung the offside trap before calmly slotting the ball past
Reina.

The Reds looked to hit straight back and inside a minute Garcia
headed a free kick on to the bar. They looked decidedly iffy in the
air that's for sure and there was hope there for the Reds. Garcia
went close again three minutes later with another header after again
Alonso found him free in the box. The Reds started to pass the ball
around now and on thirty four minutes Kewell did well to beat his
man down the left and crossed in. It was nicked off Nando's head but
fell invitingly to Gerrard who could only fire wide. Garcia then got
another header on goal but this time a full strength save from Ceni
stopped this one from going in.

After five extra minutes were added the half time whistle was blown
and the Reds went in with some positives to build on. The sides then
came out unchanged for the second half. Sao Paulo had as huddle on
the pitch before Gerrard and Garcia got the game underway again.

Six minutes in to the half and the Reds went really close. Kewell
went on a purposeful run at them and just as he passed the ball on
was taken down. A free kick was awarded some thirty yards out and
Gerrard picked out the top corner of the net but with not enough
pace on it Ceni managed to get across and tip the ball away for a
corner. On fifty six minutes Sissoko put in a challenge in his own
box which for a second had me thinking a penalty could come. The
Reds broke very fast though and as Gerrard tore down the right hand
side he was met by a knee high challenge from Lugano. He was duly
yellow carded for the challenge which had he missed would have seen
Gerrard break into the area with Reds players having broke with him.

On sixty one minutes Garcia had the ball in to the net but this was
adjudge offside and probably correctly so in this case. Morientes
went close a minute later with an overhead kick. The Reds were
starting to camp out in the Sao Paulo half now and mount attack
after attack. On sixty five minutes Garcia was played in and after
getting the ball sorted in his feet shot on goal but Ceni tipped it
away for yet another corner. This one was tipped away for another
corner. That corner - the Reds' eleventh of the game was played in
but adjudged to have gone out before coming back in which was a
shame as Hyypia volleyed home at the back post.

With eleven minutes to go the Reds made a double change as Riise and
Pongolle replaced Warnock and Sissoko respectively. Five minutes
later they were followed on to the pitch by Crouch for Morientes.
The Reds just couldn't create that clear opening though against a
side now camped in their own half and sinking backwards. They ran
the clock down when they could and basically didn't even try to
attack the Reds. On eighty eight minutes came the closest of the
disallowed goals as Garcia was adjudged offside before crossing to
Pongolle to slot home. This was a marginal decision but one given as
players ran in opposite directions. It cold have gone either way but
went against us and it ultimately cost us. The Reds went close again
in injury time but it was simply not going to be our day.

Overall it's very disappointing to have travelled all that way and
not won the trophy but the Reds certainly threw everything at it.
From the time they scored it was always going to be difficult to get
back in to it and as time wore on they sank backwards but they had
the goal to defend. It's not through a lack of trying that we return
home as the second best club side in the world. We'll just have to
give it another go next year by winning the Champions League again.
Back to the premiership now and we must show steel now to keep out
league form at the level it has been at.

MotM : Harry Kewell - played well and looked a threat all game for
the Reds. Steven Gerrard also looked good throughout and really
tried to drive the team on.

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Match Stats
Sao Paulo Liverpool
38% Possession 62%
3 Shots On Target 6
2 Shots Off Target 15
0 Blocked 0
0 Corners 17
15 Fouls 17
2 Offsides 7
2 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0

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