Peter Anderson ⚽ The first trophy of the season was decided on Sunday and what a treat it was.

Liverpool came out victorious after extra time and penalties. For the neutral supporter it was an absolute treat, a game of the highest quality. How it ended 0-0 is beyond me. For the true supporter it must have been nerve wracking as both teams missed a host of sitters and VAR ruled out 2 seemingly good goals. Both keepers excelled in front of goal. Mendy's double save from Mané was amazing, while young Kelleher was flawless in the Liverpool goal. Klopp must be so proud of the young Irishman. 

The game was pretty much end-to-end until both teams started to tire during extra time. Mason Mount and Havertz were sensational upfront for the Blues but failed to take any of their chances. Mount was the guiltiest of the two with his second half miss when he was clean through, no-one near him and he beat Kelleher but not the post.

The pivotal moment in the tie came when Tuchel subbed Mendy for Arrizabalaga, his reserve keeper, in the final minute of extra time. The Spaniard has a better record in penalty saves so was put on the pitch to be the keeper during the shootout. I don't think I have ever seen a better penalty shootout. All 10 outfield players scored. Some, like the inexperienced Elliot or the out of form Werner, scored under immense pressure. Then the keepers stepped up and when Kelleher scored his, it seemed absolutely inevitable that Arrizabalaga would miss his. And so it came to pass! The Liverpool boys ran victorious to their jubilant fans.

This was Klopp's first domestic cup trophy and was certainly hard won. Liverpool were the better team on the day, dominating the midfield. It was strange to see Kanté being run off the ball and Jorginho unable to get his foot on the ball for practically the whole game. But while Liverpool were better, it was Chelsea who crafted the better chances, with Mount, Havertz, Lukaku and Werner all guilty of misses. Last season Chelsea played in 4 finals, losing the FA cup and winning the UCL, Super Cup and Club World Cup so I had them as favourites for this one but it really was too close to call.

The quality of the football was stunning, the pace unrelenting for over 100 minutes and with 38,000 of each club's supporters in the stadium it was an excellent advert for English football. Well done to both teams.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

Stunning Soccer

Peter Anderson ⚽ The first trophy of the season was decided on Sunday and what a treat it was.

Liverpool came out victorious after extra time and penalties. For the neutral supporter it was an absolute treat, a game of the highest quality. How it ended 0-0 is beyond me. For the true supporter it must have been nerve wracking as both teams missed a host of sitters and VAR ruled out 2 seemingly good goals. Both keepers excelled in front of goal. Mendy's double save from Mané was amazing, while young Kelleher was flawless in the Liverpool goal. Klopp must be so proud of the young Irishman. 

The game was pretty much end-to-end until both teams started to tire during extra time. Mason Mount and Havertz were sensational upfront for the Blues but failed to take any of their chances. Mount was the guiltiest of the two with his second half miss when he was clean through, no-one near him and he beat Kelleher but not the post.

The pivotal moment in the tie came when Tuchel subbed Mendy for Arrizabalaga, his reserve keeper, in the final minute of extra time. The Spaniard has a better record in penalty saves so was put on the pitch to be the keeper during the shootout. I don't think I have ever seen a better penalty shootout. All 10 outfield players scored. Some, like the inexperienced Elliot or the out of form Werner, scored under immense pressure. Then the keepers stepped up and when Kelleher scored his, it seemed absolutely inevitable that Arrizabalaga would miss his. And so it came to pass! The Liverpool boys ran victorious to their jubilant fans.

This was Klopp's first domestic cup trophy and was certainly hard won. Liverpool were the better team on the day, dominating the midfield. It was strange to see Kanté being run off the ball and Jorginho unable to get his foot on the ball for practically the whole game. But while Liverpool were better, it was Chelsea who crafted the better chances, with Mount, Havertz, Lukaku and Werner all guilty of misses. Last season Chelsea played in 4 finals, losing the FA cup and winning the UCL, Super Cup and Club World Cup so I had them as favourites for this one but it really was too close to call.

The quality of the football was stunning, the pace unrelenting for over 100 minutes and with 38,000 of each club's supporters in the stadium it was an excellent advert for English football. Well done to both teams.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

13 comments:

  1. Great game - lubricated with Tequila.
    The exchanges bewteen both sides this season have been top drawer.
    Poor judgement by Tuchel. Penalties are a lottery. Stick with what you have.
    Mendy demonstrated what he was capable of with that double save. Tuchel was never going to improve on that. He brought on a keeper who saved no penalties and missed one. Says it all, really.

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  2. Mike Reilly has apologised for Everton not getting a peno on saturday , City should of dropped two points # Pivotal

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    Replies
    1. How the hell VAR didn't give it is beyond me.

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  3. Replies
    1. which both teams strove so hard to win

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    2. I couldn't even be bovvered to watch it. I know they get paid ridiculous amounts of money but I just think it's unnecessary to play the League cup anymore.

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  4. Those of us who support success starved clubs would be glad if they had the chance to support "Mickey Mouse" trophies like the League Cup. Will the FA Cup become a Micky Mouse competition as well.

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    Replies
    1. FA cup is " Mickey Mouse " , post Utd skipping it in 1999 .

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  5. Steve R

    Dismissing domestic cup competitions as "Micky Mouse" from a supporter of a club whose successes have been bankrolled by dirty, war crime stained money comes across as very arrogant.

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    Replies
    1. Calm down Bazza you appear to be falling into the trap of thinking we won nothing before Roman took us over. We had FA cups, UEFA CWC and Super cups in the bag with the likes of Guilit, Zola, Vialli, Desailly, Weah all keen to play for us BEFORE Abramovich took us over.

      And it looks like he's set to flog us so cool your boots.

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  6. Yes but you won PL and CL titles with his dirty money, Steve.

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    Replies
    1. I've looked everywhere, even checked down the back of the sofa and behind the fridge, and I don't seem to care.

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  7. The FA Cup has been downgraded by the wankers who run what was once football. Man Utd did the competition no favours in 99, I'm ashamed to say, but the financiers of big business who now manage what is left of the game were in the process of undermining the FA Cup, wrongly and disgustingly, long before this incident. People are looking to blame something simple, which requires little thought, and blaming United is easy. Plus, by not attacking the real problem, the people in UEFA and domestic FAs on behalf of the money men, are not seen as trouble makers. Once the European Cup Winners Cup was abolished, in favour of this shit called European competition now, the fate of the FA Cup, and other countries equivallent, was to a large extent sealed.

    As for the League Cup, it always was the lowest ranked of the domestic competitions but nevertheless worth winning. I have had great nights at Old Trafford and away in this competition. Bests goal v Chelsea back in the early seventies, away games took us to different grounds, like Port Vale one Wednesday night, it pissed down as we huddled on an open aired terrace, freezing. These games sorted the hard core fans, the walk "a million miles, for one of your goals" Reds, from the part timers.

    As for Abramovich, the money he bought Chelsea with in the first place belonged to the working-class of the former Soviet Union.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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