Liverpool v Portsmouth (Barclays Asia Trophy Final 27.07)

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Babel & Torres get Reds clearance

Liverpool have been given permission to play new signings Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel in the Asia Trophy final against Portsmouth.

Torres and Babel missed Tuesday's win over South China because they did not have the international clearance.

But record signing Torres and Dutch forward Babel will now be available for selection for Friday's game.

Liverpool will also be able to call upon skipper Steven Gerrard, who has recovered from a stomach problem.

The triple absences on Tuesday disappointed thousands of fans at Hong Kong Stadium and forced Benitez to field a makeshift line-up which toiled to a 3-1 win against the local minnows.

"We had some problems without Torres and Babel," said manager Rafael Benitez.

"Now we have new options and fresh legs, and maybe we can manage the final in a different way.

"Portsmouth will be very difficult to play against but at least we will have more options."

Source: BBC Sport

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Liverpool Team:

José Reina; Steve Finnan, Sami Hyypiä, Daniel Agger, John Arne Riise; Jermaine Pennant, Xabi Alonso, Momo Sissoko, Harry Kewell; Ryan Babel, Dirk Kuyt

[Mighty T.A.L.]

0-0 at half time.

Here is the Liverpool bench:

Gerrard, Crouch, Carson, Threlfall, Leiva, Benayoun, Voronin, Torres, Arbeloa, Martin, Carragher.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Portsmouth Team:

James; Cranie, Distin, Campbell, Traore; O'Neill , Mendes, Muntari, Taylor; Mwaruari, Nugent

Subs:
Lua Lua, Pamarot, Kranjcar, Begovic, Mvuemba, Utaka, Stefanovic, Hreidarsson, O'Brien

[Sven]

Liverpool to win something on penalties , things don't change.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Portsmouth won 4-2 on penalties after both teams played 0-0 at full time.

Torres and Benayoun missed for Liverpool.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Liverpool 0, Portsmouth 0 (Portsmouth won 4-2 on pens)

Liverpool were thwarted in their attempt to lift the Barclays Asia Trophy after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out defeat to Portsmouth at Hong Kong Stadium.

A goalless yet entertaining game could not be settled in 90 minutes and Niko Kranjcar scored the decisive spot-kick to ensure Pompey’s triumph after Liverpool new boys Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun saw efforts saved by David James.

Liverpool were the first to gain a measure of control after a full-blooded opening and Dirk Kuyt flicked a Harry Kewell cross narrowly over the crossbar after nine minutes.

Kuyt then brought a smart save out of David James down to his left on 20 minutes after the Dutchman had run across the line to latch on to Jermaine Pennant’s reverse pass.

New signing Ryan Babel then almost embarrassed James when he robbed the goalkeeper of possession but the Portsmouth defence eventually scrambled the ball to safety.

Liverpool came closest to taking the lead five minutes later, however, as Babel probed on the edge of the area before laying the ball off to Xabi Alonso.

The Spain midfielder moved the ball out to Pennant on the right and the winger easily beat Matt Taylor before crossing to the near post for Kuyt to power a header goalwards.

However, James reacted smartly to somehow keep the ball out on the line with his legs.

Gary O’Neil could then have put Pompey in front seven minutes before the break as Sulley Muntari’s through-ball set the midfielder free but Jose Reina narrowed the angle well and deflected his effort wide for a corner.

Fernando Torres made his long-awaited bow in the tournament after 51 mins to rapturous applause when he replaced Kewell.

Six minutes later, Mohamed Sissoko’s raking ball found Pennant on the left and the winger bundled his way past the onrushing James but sliced horribly wide.

Kuyt then spurned yet another opportunity when he decided to cut back onto his right foot instead of taking Sylvain Distin on and his shot was off-target before Torres blazed a good opportunity over the bar on 65 minutes when Kuyt’s pass meant for John Arne Riise ricocheted off Sol Campbell and fell to the Spaniard inside the box.

A good interchange between Pennant and Sissoko saw Torres fire wide before Reina’s piercing kick sent the striker clear and although the chance looked lost after Campbell had held him up, he still managed to stab a loose ball goalward that James did well to parry.

Muntari was then booked for clattering Steve Finnan before Steven Gerrard was introduced five minutes from time for Pennant.

Reina had to be quick off the mark to close down John Utaka after the goalkeeper’s poor clearance had landed his side in trouble and James smothered well at Kuyt’s feet after the Dutchman had linked well with Torres.

The Spaniard saw his penalty saved by James in the shoot-out as he gave away the advantage gained by Utaka dragging Portsmouth’s first penalty well wide of Reina’s right-hand post.

Yossi Benayoun was also denied by Portsmouth’s veteran stopper before Kranjcar dispatched his spot-kick to seal the win.

Source: icLiverpool

[Trim]

Torres and Benayoun missed for Liverpool.

Surprisingly.

Poor Liverpool.

However as I read, they played better.
But that didn't mean much in the end anyway.

TAL, Liverpool played other friendlies before this?
If yes, can you update me with results, interested to know.

[Evertonscouser]

Originally Posted by Trim17

Surprisingly.

Poor Liverpool.

However as I read, they played better.
But that didn't mean much in the end anyway.

TAL, Liverpool played other friendlies before this?
If yes, can you update me with results, interested to know.

Beat south China few days ago, 3-1 I think and beat Werder Bremen 4-0 I think.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Originally Posted by Trim17

Surprisingly.

Poor Liverpool.

However as I read, they played better.
But that didn't mean much in the end anyway.

TAL, Liverpool played other friendlies before this?
If yes, can you update me with results, interested to know.

Wrexham 2-3 Liverpool
Crewe 0-3 Liverpool
Werder Bremen 2-3 Liverpool
Auxerre 0-2 Liverpool
South China 1-3 Liverpool

[Sven]

Not bad, at least you ain't wiping the floor with league 2 teams in Asia.

[Trim]

Originally Posted by Mighty T.A.L.

Wrexham 2-3 Liverpool
Crewe 0-3 Liverpool
Werder Bremen 2-3 Liverpool
Auxerre 0-2 Liverpool
South China 1-3 Liverpool

Not bad at all. Good results.

[Pennywise]

Torres have a horrible minus when it comes to big matches and pressures like penalties.

It will be interesting to follow him in the PL for L'pool under Benitez. Maybe he will be more stable....because in A.Madrid he could be a God one match, and the match after a joke.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

The penalty kick from Torres was a real poor one.He shouldn't take anymore penalty kicks if you ask me.He have blow several penalty kicks for A.Madrid aswell.He's not good from the spot.I can't believe he hasn't scored for Liverpool yet.He had some real big chances in both matches he has played this pre-season.He's not 100% match fit but if he can't handle pressure then he has signed for wrong club!

[NJ10]

Oh here we go again. Kneejerk reaction as per fucking usual.

Why dont we just sell him now and save ourselves a lot of bother??? He's had a penalty saved in a friendly match, big fucking deal. I'll rattle off a small list of players who have missed penalties in far bigger games than that- Beckham, Maradona, Platini, Scholes, Baggio, Van Nistelrooy, Gerrard, Shearer- and guess what? They all had the bollocks to take another one, and they were/are all superb players. Get off the lad's case and give him a bit of time to settle in and prove what he can do, instead of jumping on his back cos he isnt banging them in in nothing matches.....