[Liverweb] Match Reports

First report is from Chelsea on Sunday and the second one os from
the U18s against Blackburn on Saturday morning

Liverweb Match Report

Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0

Liverpool : Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock, Alonso,
Sissoko, Gerrard(C), Riise, Kewell, Crouch

Subs Used : Garcia for Riise (60), Cisse for Sissoko (73), Dudek for
Garcia (82)

Subs Unused : Traore, Morientes

Att : 42,316

Ref : A.Wiley

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The Reds slumped to a two goal loss at Stamford Bridge and also had
Jose Reina sent off in the final ten minutes. The sending off turned
the game and what you remember of it as Reina raised his hands to
Robben who then fell as if hit by some sniper in the crowd. That
such a cheat got away scot free only annoys you even more. However
Reina needs to learn to ignore the jibes. Ignoring the final ten
minutes though the real difference between the two sides was class
at the front end. The Reds had none despite dominating large periods
of the game whilst Chelsea were clinical when their chances
presented themselves.

The first thing you picked up on in this game was the woeful excuse
for a pitch. They spend millions on players and then have a pitch
they can't play football on. Michael Essien made a shock return for
Chelsea having gained special dispensation to play despite having
pulled out of the African Nations through injury. Chelsea it was who
got the game underway.

The game was slow to start and devoid of anything happening near the
goal. On eight minutes the Reds had their first real chance but
Carvalho was back to concede a corner. From that corner Carragher
just didn't get enough purchase on his header to score. Crouch was
giving Chelsea some problems at the back and Cech was certainly not
liking the physical presence.

On fifteen minutes the Reds had a corner which Gerrard went over to
take. Just as he went to take it the ref stopped play to talk to
Carvalho and Kewell. Needless to say the Portugese defender was
using his arms to ensure one less man was available to score. The
Reds were certainly in control of the game and looking good but
lacked punch up at the strikers end. Crouch had a few headed
opportunities but he failed to make anything of them despite winning
them with ease.

Pressure though is nothing without goals and on thirty four minutes
the Reds paid for the lack of killer instinct. Chelsea won a corner
on their right which was whipped in. All the Reds floated out for
the ball and left three Chelsea players on the six yard box. When
Chelsea won the header Gallas was all alone to score from six yards.
It was a real kick in the teeth but the Reds had plenty time to come
back in to the game.

Joe Cole then had two efforts on goal but missed with both as
Chelsea gained confidence. They did have the ball in the back of the
net in first half stoppage time but it was rightly flagged offside.
The one worry in the move was how Reina fumbled the ball on the line
which allowed the offside Crespo to score.

No changes were made at half time on either side and the Reds were
out earlier than the home side. Within a minute of the re-start
Essien was booked for what appeared persistent fouling more than
anything else. The Reds again started to control the game but their
quality on the final third was poor. Sissoko was set up for a shot
on forty nine minutes but blazed the ball way over the bar.

At the other end Chelsea just seemed to force the keeper to work
harder when they looked to create anything. On fifty three minutes
Robben twisted and turned before firing just past the far post. On
the hour mark the Reds made their first change of the day when Riise
was changed for Garcia. Ultimately this made the Reds worse if
anything. Garcia was booked within two minutes of coming on when he
launched himself at the ball. He got nothing other than Gallas.

Just five minutes later and Chelsea were two up and it was a superb
finish by Crespo. The Argentine had been pushing his luck all
afternoon with the offside track. If at first you don't succeed then
try again and eventually it worked for him and having beat the trap
he then hit a great shot past Reina.

The Reds finally brought Cisse on for Sissoko as they tried to push
harder but all it ended up doing was make the Reds lose all kind of
shape. Damien Duff lasted five minutes on the pitch as a sub before
limping off. Then on eighty one minutes came the sending off. Reina
charged out of his area as Gudjohsen got in around the back of the
Reds. Reina then flung himself around the Chelsea striker to poke
the ball out for a corner. It was a poor challenge and the ref was
rightly ready to book the Reds' keeper. In calling the keeper over
Robben had a go at Pepe who then touched the player in full view of
the ref. Robben then dived to the floor as if shot which made the
whole incident look even worse and referee Alan Wiley then had no
choice but to send Pepe off. A disgraceful part of football by
Robben changed the temper of the game and I can only hope h gets a
reprimand from the FA for cheating.

Suddenly Jerzy Dudek was called into the action for the first time
since Istanbul and it was Garcia who made way for him. Chelsea went
close on two occasions in the final minutes but failed to score
although with a two goal cushion it didn't really bother them. Xabi
Alonso got himself booked just before the end for moaning too much
at Wiley but as the final whistle went anger was the first thing on
your mind.

If you really sit down and watch this match again on a video you
will see a major problem for the Reds. We simply didn't look like
scoring and that very same problem has been around for some time
now. At Chelsea however even when things aren't going well they can
grind things out.

MotM : Jamie Carragher - played as solidly as ever and was back to
make more than one last ditch tackle for the Reds on the day.

Match Stats
Chelsea - Liverpool
51% Possession 49%
6 Shots On Target 2
6 Shots Off Target 10
1 Blocked Shots 2
6 Corners 5
16 Fouls 17
8 Offsides 2
1 Yellow Cards 2
0 Red Cards 1

Liverweb Academy Match Report

Liverpool 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

Liverpool : Roberts, Holmes, Woods(C), Threlfall, Darby, Ryan,
Barratt, Wignall, Burns, Frayne, Platt

Subs Used : Nardiello for Frayne(71), Linfield for Platt(71),
Barnett for Burns (76)

Subs Unused : Lancaster, Smith

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The Reds slumped to a one goal defeat in what turned out to be a
game of two penalties. The Reds missed one in the first half and
then saw Blackburn score one that they were awarded. The Reds
bypassed the midfield for much of the time in this game as they went
long towards Platt and Frayne all too often. It made them look very
ordinary and they rarely looked like scoring.

Rovers got the game underway attacking the Academy end in the first
half and straight away went on the attack. The first and most
obvious thing for the Reds was the quality of Barratt on the right
side of midfield. He beat his man first time and then did it time
and again. It turned out he was up against ex-Red Mark King who was
returning from injury. The downside for the Reds was that once they
had the beating of Kind they stopped playing the ball out there.

On nine minutes Platt should have opened the scoring for the Reds
but side footed just the wrong side of the post. Midway through the
half came the first of a penalty each. Michael burns beta his man
down the left hand side and crossed deep to the back post. The
referee adjudged that there was a hand ball in the box as Rovers
tried to clear it and a penalty was given. Frayne and Platt both
argued over the taking of the kick but it was Frayne who won the
battle. He shot right and the keeper went that way to push the ball
clear.

Blackburn pushed forward and were themselves awarded a penalty on
the half hour mark. Robbie Threlfall put his hands up to protect
himself as he threw his body in the way of a cross. The ball hit his
hands and the ref pointed to the spot. Rovers tucked the ball away
well and it proved the only goal of the game.

The two teams came out for the second half and again failed to serve
up much incident. The Reds were going long and saw most things moped
up with ease by Rovers at the back. Meanwhile Rovers tried to create
stuff but time and again came up against Calum Woods who was in
outstanding form on the day. Captaining the side from centre back
Woods let nothing get past him. Even on the one occasion his passing
let him down he was the one back to mop up the danger.

The Reds tried hard early in the second half but only had a Ryan
Wignall shot wide of the goal to show for their efforts really. On
the hour mark Dave Roberts was called in to action as he did
superbly to smother a shot at the back post.

The Reds clearly needed to make a change and for me it had to be in
the midfield. The central two had to brought in to the game ore and
with Barnett on the bench the Reds had a player who could change the
game. On seventy one minutes the first change was made but it was
merely to change the front two. Lindfield and Nardiello came on for
Frayne and Platt. The move didn't really change the Reds much and as
it happens five minutes later Barnett came on to replace Burns.

The game ticked on with neither side creating any goal mouth
incident. On eighty minutes Roberts dropped a cross at the back post
and King who was their to pounce side footed the ball wide of the
goal when he really should have scored.

The Reds had a couple of chance in the final minutes but first
Nardiello volleyed over the bar and then having got behind his man
Ryan shot straight at the Rovers keeper. It simply wasn't going to
happen for the Reds and the final whistle went at the end of a
disappointing game.

MotM : Calum Woods - played superbly at the back and nothing at all
got past him all game. He should really be a reserve regular now and
on this form it's hard to see why he isn't.

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