Showing posts with label Fabio Aurelio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fabio Aurelio. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Recent Run of Results..

Chelsea 4 Liverpool 4
Reina 0g 51 Alex Lampard 76, 89 - Aurelio 19 Alonso pen 28 Lucas 81 Kuyt 83



An incredible match of football, which has so many dramatic turns in 90 minutes. Liverpool needed 3 goals to get through and we had 2 in the first half. It was about to be mission impossible accomplished till Reina's mistake catalyzed the whole dramatic show.

Sadly, Liverpool was knocked out on aggregate 7-5. However, I do think that Liverpool did the best they could in the game and sometimes, football needs luck, in fact lots of them. They can leave with their heads high with their high determination, hard work and of course, they didn't leave without giving it a fight.

Well done lads!

Liverpool 4 Blackburn 0
Torres 5, 33 Agger 83, Ngog 90



Liverpool bounced back from the Champions League defeat and thrashed Blackburn 4-0 at home. Dominated the game while Torres scored a beauty on the 5th minute. One of the candidates of best goals of the season. Massive 3 points in the run towards the last few games of the season.

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 3
Torres 6 - Ivanovic 39, 62 Drogba 67



Liverpool was outclassed by the Blues in this game. Failed to defend from set pieces was suicidal, not once but twice by defender Ivanovic. Chelsea manager Hiddink had a game plan against the home side and it worked for them perfectly. Liverpool had to score 3 goals in the second leg at the Bridge to go through.

Fulham 0 Liverpool 1
Benayoun 92



Dramatic stoppage time winner by Yossi Benayoun send the Reds crazy as Liverpool hit the woodwork 4 times in that match. It was so crucial to our run towards the championship till Rafa had some celebrations actions after the game.

You'll Never Walk Alone..



Sunday, March 15, 2009

Brilliant Win At The Theatre of Dreams

Manchester United 1 Liverpool 4
Ronaldo pen 23 - Torres 28, Gerrard pen 44, Aurelio 77, Dossena 90




Manchester United 1 Liverpool 4. Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams. Remember this, Liverpool fans. What a famous win after so many years of suffering so many disappointing results against them. It makes it even sweeter to see Sir Alex Ferguson's face getting red to black at the end of the game.

When I checked the line-up on my computer 5 minutes before kick-off, Alonso is out injured. Darn, Lucas was the replacement. When I on the television, Arbeloa is not in the starting 11. Big Sami Hyypia replacing the Spanish fullback. It seems like Liverpool had many things to be done, even before kick off.

Pepe Reina made a mistake and caused a penalty. Ronaldo made it 1-0 and everything seemed so smooth for Manchester United. The goal somehow, came against the run of play in my opinion, and out of a sudden, the home side got a goal up.



When things were like going against Rafa Benitez's men, Fernando Torres outmuscled the ever-reliable Vidic and equalized with a cool finish past VanDerSar . What a time to score! Fantastic goal!

The goal gave the away side confidence and we controlled the tempo of the game. Passing the ball around, not allowing Rooney and Co to play their football. Right just before half time, a through ball by Torres to Gerrard was almost perfect but brought down by Patrice Evra. Penalty! No doubts about it.



Steven Gerrard made no mistakes from the spot and gave the camera a famous kiss! I'm sure all the girls watching the match went crazy. Somehow, I couldn't believe it. Leading 2-1 at Old Trafford. This is something we have not be able to do for many many years till I lost count.

Triple substitution made by Ferguson. Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Berbatov. Expected and Man United was preparing to fire all cylinders towards Pepe Reina's goal. Just when the home side was ready to execute its new formation, Vidic pulled Steven Gerrard down and he was sent off as it was a goal scoring opportunity.



A freekick just outside the area and I was screaming for Aurelio to take it. A left footed shot would be needed at that angle. Brazilian left back did not disappoint me. He struck it so sweetly that it caused VanDerSar standing on his line, helpless.

3-1 with a man down. It's really tough for Ferguson's men to comeback and I was already jumping on my seat. Aurelio's goal killed every United player and fan as they know it's almost game over. Old Trafford was only left with the Torres song, Gerrard song as well as the chants of Anfield road.

Liverpool had another in the dying seconds of the game. Andrea Dossena, once again proved that he do can score goals, crucial ones as well. A very cool lob over VanDerSar, who was looking at the ball going into his own net.



Emphatic win over bitter rivals and this meant so much for the Liverpool fans. 4-1 win over Manchester United, defending champions as well as the European Champions. Biggest win since 1923? I'm not very sure, but I know history is created and hopefully, we can finish strongly in this 08/09 season.

You'll Never Walk Alone..

Thursday, February 26, 2009

First Half Advantage

Real Madrid 0 Liverpool 1
Benayoun 82




A much anticipated match between 2 big European Champions giants, Liverpool and Real Madrid. 9 times vs 5 times winner, what else beats that? With Real Madrid with 9 matches unbeaten run in the league, Liverpool is facing one of the best form team in the Champions League.

Liverpool has just suffered a blow in their league with 7 points behind leaders Manchester United, hoping that they can regain some morale back at the brilliant stadium, Bernabeau . I'm impressed by this fantastic infrastructure when I was watching the game last night.

With Steven Gerrard not fully fit, it's important for the rest of the team to step up and put up a performance and fortunately, the rest did not disappoint. Kuyt supporting Torres upfront, Alonso back in midfield with Mascherano.

It's very critical for these players to rise up to the occassion, against the likes of Robben, Raul, Gago and company. A very resilient and strong defence put up by Rafa, closing and pressing on every ball on the pitch, not allowing Real Madrid to play their football.



Xabi Alonso, had a brilliant match. Man of the match in my opinion. Controlled midfield, dictate play, protected the back four. Great vision in passing and it's hard to imagine that if we have sold him in the summer. He had an effort himself from the middle of park, which almost gave Iker Casilas a scare.



The winner came in the 82th minute of the game. A beautiful Fabio Aurelio's freekick from the right met one of the smallest players on the pitch, Yossi Benayoun, who headed into the goal. I flew off my chair while you see the Liverpool players celebrating at the corner flag. Sucker punch, Liverpool got the precious away goal.

Real Madrid was shocked, clueless on how to penetrate the big red wall of Liverpool has built. Other than Robben, I don't anyone else who is able to do it. Credits to the Liverpool players, they sat deep and defended superbly.

A fantastic win and I'm sure it is a good morale booster for them for the remaining of the season. Having said that, it's only half time. We have an away goal advantage but we cannot take anything for granted. Let's take every game at a time and we will see how the season shapes for us.

You'll Never Walk Alone..

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Torres Completes Comeback!

Portsmouth 2 Liverpool 3
Nugent 61, Hreidarsson 77 - Aurelio 69, Kuyt 84, Torres 90



Once again, Rafa Benitez has proved that he can be one of the boldest manager in the league, seeing his line-up against Portsmouth last night. With 6 defenders in the line-up, putting young French Ngog as the lone striker upfront, I really was wondering how on earth can he win the game with this first 11.

Surprisingly, we started pretty well with passing and plenty share of possession. However, Ryan Babel and David Ngog doesn't seemed to be able to penetrate into the Tony Adams' defence and hence, we failed to score in the opening 45 minutes.

Rafa was spot on in his substitutions, bringing in Dirk Kuyt for the ineffective Ngog. You could see his inexperience in the game. Kuyt was fresh and the spark of our comeback in the game.



Fabio Aurelio's indirect freekick was very well-executed which got us the equalising goal. A left footed drive after David James handled the ball from a Peter Crouch back pass causing the indirect freekick. We made a mistake and conceded the lead to the home side.

Alonso came in, so was Torres. These players came in and made an impact in the game. Portsmouth was tiring while the likes of Benayoun, Kuyt, Mascherano were all fighting for every ball on the pitch. Kuyt scored late on with an almost impossible shot passed David James. I simply do not know how he managed to squeeze the ball in.



In the 90th minute, who else? Fernando Torres headed in the winner which gave us the massive 3 points. With time ticking off, good play by Benayoun and Mascherano on the left, Torres finished it off with his 1st chance at goal. A comeback again!

Credit to the team, they kept believing and fought throughout. They shown character and you could see that every game is so important for this long title race. I do not care how Rafa changes, or who he plays, as long as we have the 3 points, the rest we can talk later.

You'll Never Walk Alone..

Sunday, May 18, 2008

07/08 Season Review - Defenders

Seeing the men in between the posts, it's time to put some time on a very important aspect of the game. The defence. Pepe Reina was able to win the Golden Glove award for consecutively 3 times is mainly due to the strong wall built in front of him.

Let's begin.

Steve Finnan
The Republic of Ireland's right back has not performed up to his standards or expectations from everyone this season. Finnan has been consistent over the years and eventually, becoming the unsung heros of the team. Unfortunately, probably due to his age and injuries, it's hard for him to sustain such form over these years and he's not been the automatic choice like before. Rafa probably noticed his poor form during trainings and hence, not involving him in the first team as much. I'm unsure about his future at Liverpool, I'm pretty sure that he has been a loyal servant to the club.

Ratings: 3 / 5

Sami Hyypia
Oh man, what else can I say from Big Sami! He's a fantastic player this season, or probably in all seasons. Despite his age, he was able to come into the team and defended superbly throughout the season. Many would have argued about his pace, however I do not think that is a problem for the Finnish international. His timing and presence in the air are still top class and he has happily signed a year extension to his contract which will see him being at Liverpool for 10 years.

Daniel Agger's injury early in the season has given Hyypia more first-team football this season. He's been a great professional and his experience in the game is valuable. Earlier in the season, he faced some criticism for the own goals he unfortunately scored. Having said that, he replied them by putting some great performances and scoring the bullet header against Arsenal in the quarter final of the Champions League. It was a crucial goal. Love his celebration as he marched back into his own half after scoring.

He's not getting any younger but his experience and reading of the game have always been spot on. He would be at the club next season for sure. Hope to see him contributing in any way next season. Well Done Sami Hyypia!

Ratings: 4.5 / 5

Daniel Agger
He's so unfortunate to suffer an injury so early in the season. I can't even remember when he got injured, but I do know that he suffered a relapse during training when he was about to come back into the team. He's definitely missed this season. His pace and ability to bring the ball forward are some of his attributes we failed to see this season. I'm pleased to hear the latest update about him that he has recovered and working towards next season's football. I'm looking forward to see him this coming August, hopefully scoring some goals as well.

Ratings: Injured for majority of season.

John Arne Riise
His name must be a popular one in the Chelsea's dressing room and fans. His infamous own goal against Chelsea on the last kick of the game at Anfield would be remembered by many especially the Anfield faithfuls. Oh boy, Riise! Sadly so, we didn't manage to see his thunderbolts this season. His poor form haunted him the whole season. He was really poor in his games which added to my frustration every time I watched Liverpool matches. Despite being versatile, Riise didn't manage to use that to his advantage. He's not being first choice in majority of the games as well. I do not what happened to him, but like Finnan, he didn't performed to expectations. His future in Liverpool is much in doubt at this very moment. I will not be sad to see him go though.

Ratings: 2 / 5

Fabio Aurelio

I've always like this Brazilian left back. Despite the fact that he's not the best defending full back around, I still admire his left foot and the way he strike the ball. Probably the fact that he's from Brazil, his individual skills are one of the top in the team. His distribution to the midfield and strikers proved to be crucial as I knew many of these became assists of goals. A team player and hard working player. He got his first goal for the club against Bolton with a nice volley just outside the area. It's always so unfortunate for him as he got injured at the crucial time. Against Chelsea, he got injured without touching anyone and replacement Riise scored the own goal right at the end. I'm pretty sure that if Aurelio is still on the pitch, the own goal wouldn't be scored. His only weakness is being injury prone. Other than that, he's a decent player for us.

Ratings: 4 / 5

Álvaro Arbeloa
This fellow here was bought last season and it proved to be a reliable transfer. The ability to play both right and left back, is a useful tool for Rafa to utilise. Not a bad defender who loves to attack. He always get me worried when he attacks and can't get back in time to defend. Carra has to cover up for him many times! Still, Rafa seems to like his Spanish defender and Arbeloa has been playing plenty of football this season especially important ones as well. Having said that, he has not prove, at least to me that he can be a permanent and strong full back for Liverpool. He's gonna play harder and move up to the next level. Still, I do like him and he's been selected in the Spanish squad for the Euros'. Good luck Alvaro, see you next season!

Ratings: 3.5 / 5

Jamie Carragher
Oh Carragher! There's nothing much to say about this lad. He's been brilliant every season, week in week out. Unbelievable defender which many don't recognise his efforts and performance. His retirement for England proved to be a wise decision as he was able to concentrate on club football. (He was not appreciated in international level though) Jamie has been no-nonsense at the heart of the defence, guiding the rest of the team. Played right back in several occasions and it was top class. He's always hungry for success and hopefully, he is able to get what he has been waiting for before he retires. Enjoy your holidays, Jamie.

Ratings: 4.5 / 5

Martin Skrtel
The new signing in the January proved to be a very essential and right one. Due to injuries, Rafa has only Carragher and Sami Hyypia in the centre of the defence. Skrtel was brought in to add depth and cover. He didn't have the best debut, did he score a own goal? I do not remember. However, this killer-looking defender has showed the world that he can be the toughest man around. Pacey and strong, Skrtel has grown into the game and showed that there's a reason for breaking the record of being the most expensive defender for Liverpool. I like this fellow as the season commenced despite of his scary face. Like Carra, no nonsense at the back and he gel really well with Reina and the rest of the back 4. Good first season performance, Martin. :)

I guess we need some reinforcements for our fullbacks. I do hope to see some quality signings in the summer for the backs. With strong 4 centre backs, Rafa would be more than delighted to have this headache of who to choose.

Up and coming, the middle of the park. Stay tuned.

You'll Never Walk Alone..

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

A Win At The Reebok

Bolton 1 Liverpool 3
Cohen 79 - Jaaskelainen og 10, Babel 60, Aurelio 75



A great win!

Match in pictures..

Stevie with the shot !


Babel with wonderful second..


Aurelio's first goal for Liverpool !


Apologised for no match reports, have been very busy with work. :)

You'll Never Walk Alone..

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Reds Held At The City Of Manchester

Manchester City 0 Liverpool 0



The last game of the year 2007. It was at the City of Manchester. Unbeaten record in their home ground, 9 wins, 1 draw. Sven Goran Eriksson has turned Manchester City into a fortress and a team which is producing results week in week out.

As for Liverpool, we can't afford to drop points. As usual, we are doing the chasing game. Both Manchester United and Arsenal are producing results and opening the gap from the rest.

The game was a tight one as there were not any clear cut chances in the game especially in the first half. Ex- Liverpool player, Dietmar Hamann was superb in the game. I was so glad that he was doing well at Manchester City. He is still one of my favourite players. I'll support him unless he's against Liverpool like last night.

Liverpool dominated the game especially in the second half. They were controlling the pace and possession of the match. Mascherano was superb in the middle. Breaking down every ManCity's attack.



Torres had several chances and almost gave Liverpool the lead. We had the majority of the chances and I believe Reina didn't have much to do in the game except for some kickings. The players were working very hard, trying to get the break through.

Credit to the home side, their defence stood strong. With Hamann protecting the back four, Liverpool just couldn't put the ball into the net. Richard Dunne & Michael Richards, the centre backs for Erikson's side was superb especially Captain Dunne who led by example with a great display of defending.



Liverpool's best chance of the game was cleared off the line by Dunne as well. He kept Torres quiet and the Spanish striker didn't have much space and time on the ball. Although many would be disappointed with a point for the Reds, I believe there are much positives from the match to be taken note of.

Fabio Aurelio and Javier Mascherano were superb the whole game. Alongside with others who worked really hard, it's a pity that we didn't get maximum points. We have to look forward, even the fact that the gap is getting bigger. It's a New Year and we probably need some new signings to improve the squad.

Walk on, with hope in your heart..


You'll Never Walk Alone..