FERNANDO TORRES came back to life today for LIVERPOOL scoring two late goals in the 89th and 90th minutes to give LIVERPOOL a crucial win in the most watched match of the weekend in the EPL. The game was marred by a poor decision by referee MIKE RILEY to send off FRANK LAMPARD in the 60th minute for a tackle on XABI ALONSO.
Only moments earlier STEVEN GERRARD went in on a straight legged tackle that went unpunished. It seemed the game was destined for a draw despite the constant pressure from LIVERPOOL until the late heroics from EL NINO FERNANDO TORRES.
The game winning goal from TORRES was a reminder that timely delivery with great movement is dangerous. FABIO AURELIO’s delivery at the near post was met by TORRES whose header beat PETER CECH who on this day was somewhat shaky……….Drama was also going on in the stands with owners TOM HICKS (from Dallas) and GEORGE GILLET not sitting together in the directors box and the lack of ROBBIE KEANE on the LIVERPOOL bench leading to speculation that he could be on his way back to SPURS and WHITE HART LANE. The two goals late have RAFA BENITEZ coming out of this game smelling like roses…
Good news for U.S. fans as CLINT DEMPSEY played well in the 3-1 FULHAM win over PORTSMOUTH. DEMPSEY who was not starting at the beginning of the year at CRAVEN COTTAGE is now having a fine season. Dempsey feathered a beautiful through ball to ANDREW JOHNSON in the 14th minute for the 1-0 FULHAM lead and added to the match with other creative moments. Substitute ERIK NEVLAND hit for the final two goals in the 71st and 80th minute for Fulham. Portsmouth and under fire manager TONY ADAMS pulled a late goal back in the 84th minute through DAVID NUGENT.
According to SKY SPORTS NEWS , Fulham are currently in talks to bring veteran striker BRIAN MCBRIDE back to the club on loan. The 36 year old returned to MLS and the CHICAGO FIRE to end his career near his hometown. For those reasons alone I can’t see this happening? Then again, money can make one change their mind.
According to SKY SPORTS NEWS ..
Don’t forget the Dynamo opening training on Monday and I will have reaction from the opening day of training on DYNAMO ALL ACCESS with GLENN DAVIS this Monday from 7-9pm. Guests Monday night include Dynamo manager DOMINIC KINNEAR, under 20 national team coach THOMAS RONGEN, former U.S. Womens national team player BRANDI CHASTAIN who was drafted in the WPS at 40 years of age. More guests to be announced.
Call in number to the show is 713-212-5790 and it streams live at MLSNET.com and 790thesportsanimal.com
Back to DYNAMO training. Since their arrival I have always touted the value of fans and youth players getting out to watch the team train up close and personal. If you get a chance, take your son or daughter to training when they are not in school or coaches get your youth or high school players out to witness DYNAMO training for themselves. These types of outings can be invaluable.
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You have to think Globally about your question about which game is bigger. In the US the Super Bowl will win hands down. Globally the Chelsea vs Liverpool game will blow the the Super Bowl game out of the water. We as Americans will never realize how big the global sport is.
Do you have a schedule (time and dates) for the Dynamo training sessions? Also do you know if the preseason games are free or do they require tickets?
Glenn,
You are really asking this question? The worlds greatest team is on the pitch today. Here are my top 3 views today:
1. Chelsea vs. Liverpool scum (People lose their hubcaps at Anfield!)
2. Boca vs. River tonight!
3. Old School American Gladiators (Everyone loves watching Turbo and Nitro wax some poor soul in Powerball)
and if I have time, maybe watch some oe the Super Bowl. Do you want to know who will win the Super Bowl? The Beer Companies!!!!!!!
I’m watching super bowl…because of the “party” at a friends house but I will DVR the chelsea/liverpool game. And I will watch my UNAM Pumas take down champion toluca…
Reds vs Blues hands down more important globally. Nice win for the Reds. A tasty match up (with US Interest) in the 1/4 Finals of the German Cup drawn today: Leverkusen – Bayern will highlight that round with Donovan and his current BL team traveling to his old BL team on the 3 of March. The game will take place in the LTU Arena in Duesseldorf which can hold 50K plus so it should be rocking.
Actually, I thought the Lampard red card was deserved for a sloppy challenge on Alonso. The referee was also right there and had a great view.
Bosingwa should have gotten a red late in the game for kicking Benayoun in the back. That was a ridiculous unpunished challenge.
Also, Yossi Benayoun’s contributions shouldn’t go unrecognized, he really brought the Liverpool attack to life when he came on.
Eugene,
Put down the Kool-Aid. Lampard went in cleats up, but he won the ball, and Alonso went into Lampard, not Lampard going into Alonso.
Mike Riley really needs to be reassessed. When you show 4 red cards in 16 matches, you are abusing your power. 3 of those 4 have been questionable, including todays criminal red against Lampard. Gerrard should have been cautioned early for kicking the ball into Bosingwa, who was not able to defend himself lying on the ground. He then should have received his second yellow card for his tackl right before the Lampard red, and then he finally got a yellow for that crap dive at the top of the area. I am sick and tired of watching players fall down like they are shot just to get a call. My boys in blue are not immune to it, but I think if a player is shown a card for diving, then they should be given a one match ban for that. That would stop all this diving.
Chelsea did not deserve to win today, but Mike Riley stole a point from them with the sending off. The match was destined for 0-0, which would have been fine for Chelsea. I am sure this knocks us out of title contention. Had Bosingwa been sent off, that would have been deserved, but not to Lampard. I assume it will be overturned.
Very disappointed, but the Blue Flag will still wave high at the Coach H palace tonight! There is no fairweather fan here, like there is at Anfield!
Based on the other tackles in this match including Gerrard’s straight leg prior, this was a poor sending off from Riley on Lampard. I also get the sense that this is a referee that clearly takes center stage a bit too far. Very dangerous if the ego goes over the tipping point for a referee.
Liverpool on this day was the better team and no telling what would have happened if Lampard had not been given his walking papers.
We will never know.
Based on the other tackles in this match including Gerrard’s straight leg prior, this was a poor sending off from Riley on Lampard. I also get the sense that this is a referee that clearly takes center stage a bit too far. Very dangerous if the ego goes over the tipping point for a referee.
Liverpool on this day was the better team and no telling what would have happened if Lampard had not been given his walking papers.
We will never know.
Eugene, I’m not sure what red card incident you were watching but Frank Lampard’s straight red was immediately disproved by multiple camera angles not to mention BOTH commentators panned Riley’s call as overtly wrong. The fact was Lampard reached the ball first on a 50-50 ball, swept it away, and did not even initiate the contact. If anything, he took the harder end of the challenge when Alonso whiffed and followed through on a full strength kick to Frank’s shin. And although he was close to the play, Riley was not in perfect position as he was directly behind Lampard and could not possibly have seen the actual contact so he made a hasty call on what LOOKED LIKE a reckless challenge. He was right in that there was a reckless challenge but it belonged to Xabi Alonso.
This red card will get dropped but the damage has been done. Liverpool were the better team on the day but we all know the better team doesn’t always win. Mike Riley neutered Chelsea in the 60th minute on a poor call and in so doing likely silenced their title ambitions.
From both Blue and Red perspectives, Mike Riley was disgraceful today. Lampard’s red, no card for Gerrard in the Bosingwa incident, the obvious Skrtel hand ball in the box, no foul called on numerous aggressive and late challenges, fouls called when advantage should have been given, and probably worst of all, the absence of ANY call on Bosingwa for studs to the back of Benayoun? The FA really should assess Mike Riley and drop him to the Championship because this was not Premiership quality officiating on any level.