Compelling Soccer

These are times when I don't mind being wrong.

I said I expected a draw for Liverpool in their showdown with West Ham at Upton Park in London. But the Reds, namely Fernando Torres, did one better, pulling out a 3-2 win. So much for his talk about poor form, huh?

Despite the nice looking play, it was a workman like performance for the Reds, especially in the second half. They were great on the ball, dominating possession. Really, only two West Ham players, Carlton Cole and Zevon Hines, were any threat to them.

Anytime you can get a win away you're pleased. But it was also the third game in week and they emerged with a third win. Perhaps the title talk can begin anew.


Match Ratings:

Pepe Reina, 6: Can't necessarily fault him on any of the goals but he wasn't stunning either. Liverpool's defense on set pieces has been bad and since the goalie is the captain of the defense, how much is on him?

Glen Johnson, 7: The Liverpool back line struggled in the first half, so Johnson loses a little as a result. But he created problems when he did go forward and his run is what sparked the 3rd Liverpool goal. He also adjusted late and contained Zevon Hines, though how much of that was because Hines ran out of gas is a mystery to me.

Martin Skrtel, 3: The center of Liverpool's line was atrocious in the first half and really not pressured in the second as Liverpool dominated the second half possession. He wasn't the worst player on the back for the Reds today, but he was close.

Emiliano Insua, 7: He was more impressive than Johnson was in the first half but was seen from a lot less in the second. Overall I liked the effort.

Javier Mascherano, 7: A quite game on the stats sheet, but he deserves credit for the dominating possession job for in second half. He was able to do a nice job keeping the ball on West Ham's side of the ball.

Lucas, 7: Like Mascherano, Lucas' strength was in helping Liverpool maintain possession rather than pushing forward a ton for the attack. A solid game, as Liverpool's midfield complete dominated the West Ham mids.

Steven Gerrard, 8: Directly contributed to the second Liverpool goal. Overall his skill on the ball and his ability to wreak havoc on the defense was apparent through the first 70 minutes. Afterwards some miscommunication with Ryan Babel and I'm guessing fatigue, left his end game performance wanting.

Yossi Benayoun, 8: He made the best run of the entire game, even better than Torres' goal. Unfortunately, he didn't lay it off to an open Gerrard. Had he done so and the skipper buried it, it would have been the stuff of ages. Strong performance.

Dirk Kuyt, 8: Kuyt was good in support of Torres as usual, but even with his goal, he had less of effect on the pace of game than Ryan Babel did. That said, he didn't turn it over as Babel did either.

Subs:

Ryan Babel, 7: Babel was a complete mixed bag. He pushed the tempo and put pressure on the defense. On the other hand, he had a poor touch on multiple good plays and even on his strong runs, his decision making at the end was poor. However, assists on game winning goals will always leave you feeling good at the end of the day.

Fabio Auerilo, Alberto Riera, N/A: Neither played enough to be rated.

The Steven Gerrard Stand up and Be Counted Award: Fernando Torres. He was the best player out there, creating the first goal himself and finishing strong on the second. Simply amazing player.

The Brian Ching Stand up and Do Nothing Award: Jamie Carragher. His mistake in the first five minutes nearly resulted in a goal, his poor challenge resulted in a penalty, and he was beat on the second goal. Simply a poor performance from the Liverpool vet. He'll bounce back.

Entertainment Rating: 9, Let's Do It Again!: This one was incredible in the first half. The second half was a little less enthralling as Liverpool dominated the play, but it still was edge of your seat action. Soccer like this sells anywhere, even in the US.