What Happened:
The season opened off with a decent half of play for the Reds. Liverpool opened with the best of the chances, Divock Origi's driven shot being perhaps the best of them, but the best real chance of the game came from Chester man Jordan Archer in the ninth who forced a gem of a save from Loris Karius. Liverpool nearly found the net twice again after the water break as a corner kick forced a huge outfielder reflex "save" to avoid an own goal for Chester, and then just two minutes later Fabinho drilled the post from long range. But the score would not stay level for long. In the 37th minute, Alberto Moreno went for goal himself on the left wing and saw his shot saved, but he found Harry Wilson to delicately finish it into the net for the first goal of the preseason. He would double his side's lead before the half in the 45th after a brilliant ball from Curtis Jones found him for the easy one-on-one finish, sending the Reds into the half up 2-0.
If the first half was pedestrian, the second half was the opposite and it was all about goals. With a new eleven, Liverpool poured on the goals with the first happening just minutes into the match as Daniel Sturridge fed Sheyi Ojo through who was taken down by the keeper for a penalty, which James Milner coolly converted. Minutes later, Naby Keita's close-down skills were on full display as he won the ball in the attacking third finding Sturridge's feet who converted a lovely finish. Then, just two minutes following that, Ryan Kent struck a brilliant ball off his right foot outside the box and past the keeper for goal number five. From there, things settled back down, but in the 79th James Milner slotted Danny Ings a back heel for goal number six, and in the 88th Sturridge had a brilliant precise outside-the-box finish of his own to put the scoreline at 7-0 where it stayed until the finish.
How Did This Happen:
In terms of the first eleven, there were things to like and things to be improved upon, as you would expect for the first match of preseason. Harry Wilson scored both goals and showed off some great finshing, but also gave the ball away rather cheaply to allow the ninth minute Chester chance. Likewise, you saw Ben Woodburn play some nice passes around the pitch, but he too lost possession in a dangerous spot. Of course, while the young lads did make their share of mistakes, you do not want to be too critical about them especially in the first match of the preseason. The two young Welshmen have plenty of reasons to smile about their performances today and will hope to carry them into the games to come. Also of note was Woodburn's physical change as it seemed he grew a bit height-wise and definitely increased muscle mass presumably to aid in playing more centrally.
Another player that impressed me greatly was Curtis Jones. On several occasions he played some brilliant balls, including a sparkling assist on the second goal but also an outstanding to start a break to Alberto Moreno with his left foot while both men were moving. Moreno, too, played well while wearing the captain's armband with some tricky skill like the double nutmeg he showcased. He was a bit selfish on the first goal and likely could have laid the ball off to Jones, and perhaps played a bit too loosely, but he was a terror on the left for Chester and they had no real answer for him. You also had the stellar play Nathaniel Clyne who made some great runs on the wing,, and some good runs by Divock Origi in spite of his still showing occasional lapses of concentration with running offside but the first half really belonged to Jones who was magnificent.
The second half, though, was where things really shined. While the defense really did not have much to judge them on, the midfield and attack really stood out. Daniel Sturridge's two goals and key pass leading to a penalty certainly will put him in the headlines about this match. He was my personal man of the entire match as both his goals were also stunning efforts. Sheyi Ojo also impressed as the young winger has the speed and physicality seemingly to be able to play a part in the remainder of the preseason matches and hopefully in the regular season. Also of note was Naby Keita's ability to press the opposition and win balls in the midfield. Just these 45 minutes will surely be enough to get Liverpool fans excited for more from the man they've been waiting a year to see in Liverpool's kit.
Of course, there were plenty of other strong performances this half as well. Danny Ings got a goal under his belt off a back heel from James Milner, who also looked plenty capable. Young Rafa Camacho held his own at the right-back position and I personally am excited for more out of him. And I would be amiss to not mention the brilliant strike from Ryan Kent off his right foot, one that Liverpool fans are used to seeing from now-Barca man Phil Coutinho. Kent played centrally as opposed to his favored wing and, in truth, did not do a ton in that role, but we will certainly remember his brilliant strike.
Final Thoughts and What's Next:
Overall, for a first match, things went as well as you can possibly hope. A 7-0 win even with the team not at full strength and not yet even firing on all cylinders is nothing to scoff at no matter whom it is against. I will continue to watch out for Sheyi Ojo and Curtis Jones to build off their strong performances in terms of young players while expecting more of the same from Daniel Sturridge. I will also hope for more out of Harry Wilson in all facets of his game despite the two nice goals and personally cannot wait to see Naby Keita and Fabinho playing together.
Liverpool next play against Tranmere Rovers of Tuesday July 10th at 2:30 PM EST. Gini Wijnaldum and Virgil van Dijk both report back tomorrow, so there is the chance that they will take part in the match, but if not then more game time for the youngsters is always nice to see. For now, Liverpool fans, especially English ones, will be celebrating this day as the return of the Reds to action, and also the English national side's advancing to the World Cup's semi-finals.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more LFC coverage, including live-Tweeting of the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
The season opened off with a decent half of play for the Reds. Liverpool opened with the best of the chances, Divock Origi's driven shot being perhaps the best of them, but the best real chance of the game came from Chester man Jordan Archer in the ninth who forced a gem of a save from Loris Karius. Liverpool nearly found the net twice again after the water break as a corner kick forced a huge outfielder reflex "save" to avoid an own goal for Chester, and then just two minutes later Fabinho drilled the post from long range. But the score would not stay level for long. In the 37th minute, Alberto Moreno went for goal himself on the left wing and saw his shot saved, but he found Harry Wilson to delicately finish it into the net for the first goal of the preseason. He would double his side's lead before the half in the 45th after a brilliant ball from Curtis Jones found him for the easy one-on-one finish, sending the Reds into the half up 2-0.
If the first half was pedestrian, the second half was the opposite and it was all about goals. With a new eleven, Liverpool poured on the goals with the first happening just minutes into the match as Daniel Sturridge fed Sheyi Ojo through who was taken down by the keeper for a penalty, which James Milner coolly converted. Minutes later, Naby Keita's close-down skills were on full display as he won the ball in the attacking third finding Sturridge's feet who converted a lovely finish. Then, just two minutes following that, Ryan Kent struck a brilliant ball off his right foot outside the box and past the keeper for goal number five. From there, things settled back down, but in the 79th James Milner slotted Danny Ings a back heel for goal number six, and in the 88th Sturridge had a brilliant precise outside-the-box finish of his own to put the scoreline at 7-0 where it stayed until the finish.
How Did This Happen:
In terms of the first eleven, there were things to like and things to be improved upon, as you would expect for the first match of preseason. Harry Wilson scored both goals and showed off some great finshing, but also gave the ball away rather cheaply to allow the ninth minute Chester chance. Likewise, you saw Ben Woodburn play some nice passes around the pitch, but he too lost possession in a dangerous spot. Of course, while the young lads did make their share of mistakes, you do not want to be too critical about them especially in the first match of the preseason. The two young Welshmen have plenty of reasons to smile about their performances today and will hope to carry them into the games to come. Also of note was Woodburn's physical change as it seemed he grew a bit height-wise and definitely increased muscle mass presumably to aid in playing more centrally.
Another player that impressed me greatly was Curtis Jones. On several occasions he played some brilliant balls, including a sparkling assist on the second goal but also an outstanding to start a break to Alberto Moreno with his left foot while both men were moving. Moreno, too, played well while wearing the captain's armband with some tricky skill like the double nutmeg he showcased. He was a bit selfish on the first goal and likely could have laid the ball off to Jones, and perhaps played a bit too loosely, but he was a terror on the left for Chester and they had no real answer for him. You also had the stellar play Nathaniel Clyne who made some great runs on the wing,, and some good runs by Divock Origi in spite of his still showing occasional lapses of concentration with running offside but the first half really belonged to Jones who was magnificent.
The second half, though, was where things really shined. While the defense really did not have much to judge them on, the midfield and attack really stood out. Daniel Sturridge's two goals and key pass leading to a penalty certainly will put him in the headlines about this match. He was my personal man of the entire match as both his goals were also stunning efforts. Sheyi Ojo also impressed as the young winger has the speed and physicality seemingly to be able to play a part in the remainder of the preseason matches and hopefully in the regular season. Also of note was Naby Keita's ability to press the opposition and win balls in the midfield. Just these 45 minutes will surely be enough to get Liverpool fans excited for more from the man they've been waiting a year to see in Liverpool's kit.
Of course, there were plenty of other strong performances this half as well. Danny Ings got a goal under his belt off a back heel from James Milner, who also looked plenty capable. Young Rafa Camacho held his own at the right-back position and I personally am excited for more out of him. And I would be amiss to not mention the brilliant strike from Ryan Kent off his right foot, one that Liverpool fans are used to seeing from now-Barca man Phil Coutinho. Kent played centrally as opposed to his favored wing and, in truth, did not do a ton in that role, but we will certainly remember his brilliant strike.
Final Thoughts and What's Next:
Overall, for a first match, things went as well as you can possibly hope. A 7-0 win even with the team not at full strength and not yet even firing on all cylinders is nothing to scoff at no matter whom it is against. I will continue to watch out for Sheyi Ojo and Curtis Jones to build off their strong performances in terms of young players while expecting more of the same from Daniel Sturridge. I will also hope for more out of Harry Wilson in all facets of his game despite the two nice goals and personally cannot wait to see Naby Keita and Fabinho playing together.
Liverpool next play against Tranmere Rovers of Tuesday July 10th at 2:30 PM EST. Gini Wijnaldum and Virgil van Dijk both report back tomorrow, so there is the chance that they will take part in the match, but if not then more game time for the youngsters is always nice to see. For now, Liverpool fans, especially English ones, will be celebrating this day as the return of the Reds to action, and also the English national side's advancing to the World Cup's semi-finals.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more LFC coverage, including live-Tweeting of the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
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