A cool match that I was looking forward to, as the Reds went on the road to meet the Rovers. Blackburn features one of my favorite players, American national team goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who did so much in propelling the US side in the World Cup, as well as England naitonal team star Andy Cole. The starting LFC lineup was a bit of a surprise: Abel Xavier was still in his right defender spot but John Arne Riise was back at left midfield even after the superb results from teaming Emile Heskey with El Hadji Diouf last Saturday.
The situation was looking dark for Liverpool through the first 29 minutes: Xavier was obviously seen by the Rovers as the weak link he is and in the 16th minute he was beaten by Cole with a strong cross to the top of the box where David Dunn was waiting and put the shot through a screened Jerzy Dudek. So much for the season’s clean sheet. Xavier also blew two very good offensive chances. Also looking bad was Diouf, who could not seem to settle the ball properly or pass it accurately, wasting most of the offensive time for LFC.
Then the clouds cleared: in the 30th, Cole drew the game’s first yellow for a foul on Dieter Hamann (who’s playing superbly, by the way). Starting near midfield from the free kick after Cole’s booking, Murphy took a pass at about 30 yards out and just ever so lightly touched it off his back heel off to the right wing to Xavier. The blonde Portuguese national just put one solid boot on the ball to send it screaming into the middle where Murphy blasted it from his right foot into the back of the net for his second goal of the year.
The remainder of the half played out with much sound but little consequence except for continued poor play from Diouf, whose bad passing continued right to the end when he blew a breakaway chance with Owen seconds before the whistle. Blackburn was certainly the aggressor through this time, though, as intermission came with the score still 1-1.
Not that I’m the great soccer expert, mind you, but I was surprised to see the Reds begin the second half with the same 11 players. I wonder how much rope Mr. Houllier is going to allow Xavier. In the 64th minute, Houllier does finally make a move, and it’s a surprising one at that–he removes both Diouf and Owen for Valdimir Smicer and Heskey. I guess Xavier will be staying in as the last sub will surely be saved against injury for at least 20 minutes. The changes do indicate that Houiller and assistant coach Phil Thompson are staying aggressive and looking for three points from this match!
John Arne Riise made the payoff in the 77th, scoring on a soft looping header that went over Friedel’s head, for his second of the season. The ball came to Riise on a long cross, all the way across the box, though I couldn’t see who sent the pass. The goal was the result of sustained offensive pressure as this was the first time in the second half that the Reds were able to keep the ball in the Rovers’ end for a stretch of several minutes. The lead didn’t hold up long as Blackburn substitute Corrado Grabbi put a header past Dudek, whose few fingers weren’t enough, only a minute and a half after entering the game as an extra attacker in place of their central defender.
Some more sloppy passing from Liverpool gave the Rovers another extended stay in front of the box through the 86th but an offside ended that. Shockingly, goalscorer Grabbi and then frustrated teammate Dwight Yorke both protested way too much and were both rewarded with yellows. This set off Blackburn manager Graeme Souness, who was himself next dismissed by the referee! Over an offsides!
Houllier followed with his final substitution, still looking for the win, by removing Riise and sending on Senegalese national Saif Diao to see his first Premiership action. Both teams are not playing up to level, though, as passes and clearances are going well off target and back to the opposition. A minute and a half into stoppage time and Danny Murphy takes a yellow card just to the side of the box but Grabbi ends that threat by putting the direct kick over the top of the net. Dudek puts the goal kick into Blackburn’s end and the final whistle sounds.
Very disheartening result as Liverpool should have taken the win and had to settle for one point after the late equalizer though they do keep their spot of the top of the table– a win would have put them there alone but seven points ties them with Arsenal and Tottenham (Manchester United and Fullham could pull even at the weekend with a victory). My hope remains that we will see Xavier sitting on the bench as the next match (Monday against Newcastle United) and, goal or not, another start for Heskey over Riise.
Tomorrow will bring European news for the team: the Champions League draw will be held and the Anfield bunch will find out the road that will lead them out of the first round. Unfortunately, based on a complicated formula, they did not rank in the top eight seeds and will therefore have at least one very tough opponent in the group. The other English teams to qualify for CL play are Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle United; Arsenal and LFC qualified by virtue of finishing one-two last season while Man U and Newcastle just won home and away sets for their berths.
BillSaysThis 