Pre Season Friendly
Sun 19th July 2009 – 6.15pm @ Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria
Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres were amongst the returning Spaniards watching from the bench but they could do little to help Liverpool go down to a 1-0 defeat to Rapid Vienna.
Rapid scored their goal in the second half from a direct free kick cooly placed past Peter Gulacsi – the reds 4th choice keeper.
Apart from the result, the reds will be more worried that Yossi Benayoun hobbled off in the 88th minute after being on the receiving end of a crunching tackle.
1st Half team: Cavalieri, Degen, Insua, Carragher, Ayala, Gerrard, Plessis, Babel, El Zhar, Nemeth, Voronin.
Nemeth wasted the reds first chance when he headed wide in the 3rd minute.
In the 7th minute Vienna had the ball in the reds net but it was disallowed for offside.
Youngster Ayala attempted an overhead kick in the middle of the half which unfortunately didn’t quite come off.
Gerrard was by far the reds best performer in the first half – and his frustration began to tell just before half time when even after he lost a boot he still went flying in to a 50/50 tackle.
Second half team: Gulacsi, Degan , Skrtel, San Jose, Insua, Kuyt, Lucas, Spearing, Yossi, Ngog, Pacheco
Liverpool made 9 changes for the start of the second half but it didn’t improve the performance.
There were half time flares inside the ground – but not under the backsides of the reds players.
In the 58th minute Steffen Hofmann scored a fine direct free kick, curled in to the corner past Peter Gulacsi.
Within 2 minutes Vienna scored again but thankfully it was correctly ruled out for being miles offside.
The 71st minute saw the reds first real chance of the second half when Kuyt blasted at the side netting.
With 5 minutes left Yossi had a glorious chance – but he can’t react quick enough to lash it in the net. Minutes later and Yossi suffers a bad challenge in the middle of the park. The stretcher comes on but eventually Benayoun hobbles off to leave the reds down to ten men.
But by then it was too late and the referee’s whistle signalled a defeat for the reds.
As the reds move to the far East we hope to start to see a more settled Liverpool first XI. It’s early days yes – but some of the youngsters have not grabbed their opportunities with both hands.
Liverpool fly to Thailand next. Will Alonso, who was here tonight, be on that flight with them? Steven Gerrard is one who won’t be on the plane – he will return to Liverpool to answer the assault charges dating back to January.
Goals
Hofmann (58)
Team News
LFC 1st Half: Cavalieri, Degen, Insua, Carragher, Ayala, Gerrard, Plessis, Babel, El Zhar, Nemeth, Voronin
LFC 2nd Half: Gulacsi, Degan (Kelly 63), Skrtel, San Jose, Insua (Mascherano 63), Kuyt, Lucas, Spearing, Yossi, Ngog, Pacheco
Att: 52,000
Åker man till Wien så måste man gå och se Lipizzaner hästarna som uppträder på Spanska Ridskolan.
We are expected to do better going abraod to play teams.
Rapid and their fans treated us like we were the top side in Europe but what a disapointment we must have been for them,
We were average at best and the name of Liverpool Football Club is now a bit more average at best!
We must give a better show Rafa and pick ateam to win these games as our pride has been hurt. As a fanatical fan anyway.
What a load of crap i saw last night and to see Torres and others yawning during the game tells me they didnt show any interest .We want more pride in our team.
Cummon Red Men .
Rapid Vienna start with they first team player. So Rafa, actually just want to see the youngsters settled in the team more then he care about the result win or lost. No doubt that Liverpool lost this match 1-0 to Rapid Vienna. But why Liverpool develop youngster that short and average body ??? Ayala and Kelly tall but not strong in physical. El Zhar, San Jose and Spearing short person and small body make them easily fell down and lost control to the ball. Nemeth and Pacheco play as a striker but average body and not strong in physical make them look not dangerous in the penalty box. I hope Rafa can improve the team before the season game start.
rafa must be worried. pre season is supposed to be when players show there best. 2 games no goals 1 point from 2 games. hope we can improve immensley. then if alonso leaves we might find ourselves in the bottom half of the epl. come on reds snap out of this fast
Babel has been a complete waste of money and against Vienna he didn’t exactly fill me with hope.I feel Rafa would be happy to sell Lucas,Degan and Dossena together with the Dutchman but no team seems stupid enough to want them.Perhaps we should pay someone just for taking this rubbish of our books!!.
It’s very early days yet in the new season plus most of our top boys are still to regain match fitness so i’m not at all worried at present.I was concerned about the lack of width against Vienna but counting on Rafa to iron out all the minor problems.
sell. degen, lucus, voronin,babel itandge, dossena, i have just watched degen and he is just so bad its not even funnny we have so many bad players in the playing for us, its clear get rid, its pre season game and it was still dreadfull.
it was just crap and dont feel bad to say it we cannot hide it we so many average shite players its so bad,,, if we cannot add to what 10/ 11 good pros that we have then we are in deep shite