Liverpool destroys Merengues 4-0
The promise of this game was too great to pass up a chance to spark up the old blog. Are you kidding me, Liverpool against Real Madrid in second leg with the Reds’ holding a 1-0 advantage on an away goal ? Real Madrid visiting Anfield for the first time in 50 years. As it that wasn’t enough, here some more truly delectable goodies:
• Real Madrid was voted the best club of the 20th century.
• Liverpool has been the top ranked club by UEFA for the last 5 years.
• Liverpool’s manager, Javier Benitez, spent 15 years as player and coach with the Merengues.
• Real Madrid, the Spanish club, have 1 fewer Spanish players than Liverpool, the English side.
Unfortunately the promise of this game as a classic for the ages pretty much ended as the whistle blew. From the opening moments, it was clear that Liverpool were intent on making sure that Real Madrid’s first visit to Anfield would not be one to remember, would not be one for the history books, not at least in terms of a classic game between two of Europe’s most legendary and decorated teams. No. From the get go, this was a massacre on English soil that the Spanish haven’t experienced since their naval defeat of their supposedly invincible Armada back in 1588 (check date).
Ironically enough, it was the young Spaniard Fernando Torres who set the tone with what was so aptly described by the ESPN play-by-play man as a “moment of genius” when he self-back-heeled a pass from Gerrard in the third minute, leaving Fabio Cannavaro in the dust, before rifling a shot to the near post that required a leg kick save from Iker Casillas. Casillas is only one of the finest goalkeepers of the world, but on this night, despite a handful of masterful saves, he would not be enough to hold down the fort of what only be described as an Anglo-Spanish assault on Real Madrid.
A scant 30 seconds later, Casillas would have to make another dazzling save, parrying Mascherano’s well placed left-volley off the crossbar. In the eight minute, a low and hard Steve Gerrard free kick was easily handled by Casillas but only because it was right at him.
Liverpool’s intensity was evidently superior to Real’s in those first fifteen minutes. They ran circles around the Madrid defense, made long crisp passes from one end of the pitch to the other, easily stripped the ball from the Madrid players as they tried to play the fine continental possession game. This would not be one of those soccer games where one teams knocks and knocks on the door but simply can’t score a goal to save themselves. Real’s defense was just too atrocious in the face of the Reds’ advance.
In the 15th minute, the Spanish comedy of errors began in earnest. Playing a bit against the run of play, there was a pass into the left side of Casilla’s goal. Cannavaro dived at it wildly and rendered himself useless. This left Real’s Pepe to try to clear the ball as he found himself sandwiched between Kuyt and Torres. His kick was as woeful as Cannavaros, and Kuyt collected the ball and cross neatly back to Torres, who toe poked the ball in for the first goal of the ensuing massacre. At this juncture, the game was 2-0 on aggregate, and Madrid knew all along that they would need to score two goals anyway to advance.
In the 22nd, Skrtel’s header forced Casillas to yet another diving save. In the 23rd, after some more dazzling work by Torres on the edge of the penalty box he found Gerrard with a cross that Steven hit with a sliding volley, forcing Casillas to make yet another save. Less than halfway to the break and Iker’s was already working on his 6th quality save.
In the 27th mminute, faced with the constant pressure, Real’s left back, Gabriel Heinze’s was victimized by a terrible hand-ball call inside the box (it clearly hit his shoulder), giving Liverpool a PK. Gerrard made no mistake and buried it. It was a very harsh call but not the kind of injustice that would prove to swing the game. Minutes later, Real had their best attempt off of a long range shot by Wesley Sneijder, forcing Pepe Reina to make his first and what would be his only real save of the night.
Near the end of the half, Raul had a couple of chances that symbolized Real’s futile attempts at goal. He headed over on one and then tried to volley a cross that he should have tried to head. Raul has been a great player for Madrid, but all of the ESPN commentators could talk about tonight was his great performance at Old Trattford 8 years back. Raul’s futility was symbolic of Real’s inability to crack a very stout Liverpool defense (where the hell was van Nistelroy whenh you needed him ?).
The game was sealed for real at the start of the second half. After easily dispossessing the Merengues of the ball, Babel made a cross into the box that Gerrard converted into Liverpool’s third goal. This was not an easy goal to convert but it was classic Gerrard. With the ball taking an awkard hop, Gerrard jumped and contorted his body to be able to short-hop it and root if into the goal past a hapless Casillas. This was the definite knock-out punch with still nearly 45 minutes left to play.
Nearly 30 years ago, when I first discovered soccer while living in Spain, I saw a Barcelona team led by the legendary Johan Cruyff destroy Real Madrid 5-0 at the Nou Camp. It was about as perfect a demonstration of a dismantling of a team as I have ever watched. Tonight, unfortunately for Real Madrid, Liverpool matched that Barcelona effort by totally outclassing the Merengues.
