8/16/2008
Venue : Stadium of light
Result : 0-1
Verdict : Relieved
Best opposition player: El Hadji Diouf
Best Liverpool player : Torres, Alonso, Benayoun in that order
The first premier league game of the season. Rafa breaks his proven 4-2-3-1 formation to justify the new signing that is keane. Kuyt is still out on the right hand side with benayoun on the left. Clearly Liverpool are no top class team yet without the choice of a specialist in that role. With Gerrard playing in central midfield supporting Keane and Torres, Plessis was brought in, instead of Alonso. I was wondering if Alonso had fallen out of favor. Only later did I realize why Plessis was probably on. Plessis never went forward…never. Playing Sunderland in the first half turned out to be almost like playing Standard Liege except that now we commanded more respect because stevie was starting. Sunderland started the fitter side, out-running the full backs and throwing in testing crosses. Most of Sunderland’s counters were broken because we had 5 men at the back. Dossena rarely went up to the goal line. Diouf was constantly breathing down the necks of Hyypia and Dossena. All we could see of Liverpool were long balls either from Reina, Carra or Dossena. Plessis did well in passing to his back 4. Hyypia almost shocked with a terrible back header that was almost latched on to by Diouf. He then showed his mettle by coming back into the game strongly. Besides a few good runs from benny, there was nothing to be seen from keane, stevie or torres. Kuyt tried to impress his manager on the right side with a few good crosses and some rampant collisions with the opposition. As the commentators pointed out, we didn’t have the width to confuse the opposition. Robbie keane manufactured a chance out of nothing and shot a bit wide of the goal at about 40 minutes. By this time Liverpool were showing some signs of attacking flair.
Liverpool continued from where they left, with a first half substitution of Alonso for Plessis. This seemed like an attacking move and an unprecedented 45 minute change from Rafa. But it was later learned that Plessis had suffered a thigh strain. Alonso made a difference to the game, firstly he was more tenacious defensively. He made Kuyt run after long balls. He was bending it like beckham. And he almost scored from 70 yards…again. Stevie played better with Alonso. Benny was sharper and we saw dominant action from Liverpool as they were asking questions at the sunderland goal every now and then. A rebound from a Kuyt shot on goal was squandered by Keane and Torres, who didn’t quite look like strike partners. Rafa was brave in introducing El Zhar again as Keane was subbed at 72 minutes. The game was heading for a draw eventhough Liverpool played better and Sunderland were showing signs of fatigue. Roy keane was not shy in introducing Michael Chopra, clearly he wanted 3 points. It looked set for a draw, when Torres got space at about 25 yards from goal, which was enough for him to put a powerful strike past the outstretched Craig Gordon’s hands at the near post. It was one of those games in which one and only one goal was enough to decide the match. Liverpool did well to hold on for the remaining 5-6 minutes. Clearly Torres is proving time and again why he’s world class, by single handedly bagging the points for Liverpool. Liverpool need a better team effort vs better opposition and definitely need to sign a winger.
