19.1.09

Liverpool 1 - Everton 1

As a hardcore Liverpool fan, i'll try to give as an unbiased report as i possibly can. Ok, here goes.

TIM CAHILL DESERVES TO DIE.

See, that wasn't so hard.

There's nothing i loathe more than the sight of the "Cahill" strutting around the field with such pompus arrogance and sneakyness. He's no Jan Koller, but he is so impossibly good in the air. The countless times he was ahead of Hyypia and Skrtel in getting to the hanging air balls was mathematically improbable. He's also a pretty dastardly figure in winning freekicks, whether legal or illegally.

The game as a whole was largely a dissapointing one, not due to any lack of quality on the pitch. The blame largely goes to both managers, who sent out their teams to try and stiffle each other. Space on the pitch was at a premium, and it was no surpise that both goals didnt result from any great passing moves.

Nevertheless, the quality of the goals one of the few moments of joy for the entire 90 minutes. Gerrard's goal was typical of the man. Striding from midfield, and before he could be hacked and closed down by 3 Everton players, he lets loose a powerful grounder that the Everton keeper could do nothing about.

Everton responded a couple of minutes later. Yossi Benayoun who was just sent on to give the attack more impetus, found himself doing more defending than attacking. By and large, he did a good job against the Everton players who were doing more running and attacking once they went a goal down. However, he failed miserable at a crucial stage. The 86th minute. Victor Anichebe had switched flanks with Steven Piennar, and was desperate to get a corner in from the left side. Benayoun was having none of it and clumsily hacked him down near the corner line.

From such a dangerous angle, you could just see a goal coming. It was inevitable. Perhaps the Anfield crowd sensed it as well. Arteta stepped up to take the freekick. Everton and Liverpool player crowd the area around the goal post, trying to get an advantage. Hyypia marks Anichebe. Skrtel behind them, marks Cahill. Cahill moves in front a little to stand next to Reina. Anichebe exchanges a few words with cahill, and right before the freekick is struck, Cahill manouevers infront of Anichebe, who now blocks both Hyypia and Skrtel!

Arteta's freekick is delivered with pinpoint precision to the head of Cahill........GOAL!

Well worked goal, and its clear that Everton had practised this before, exposing a small weakness in the zonal defense method that Liverpool loves to much.

After that, it doesnt matter who was brought on or off, the game was headed to a draw, which more of less equates to dropped points for Liverpool, and hard earned points for Everton.

Liverpool fans all over the world hang their heads in despair. More dissapointment. More dropped points. We're handing the title to Manchester United. A collective sigh all around the world is enough to tilt the planet slightly off angle.

But is it all lost for Liverpool? Quite frankly, NO. Its hard to be positive, but if you would tell me at the beginning of the season that Liverpool would level on points with Manchester United at the top of the table, albeit having played a game more, i would have told you to go stuff a turkey.

There's still plenty of games to go, and anything can happen. Its a funny game. In Rafa we trust.

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