Compelling Soccer

I'm here so why not do a live blog. I plan to do these for US MT games to let's test it out.

Liverpool is running out 10 of the starting 11 they used against Debrecen mid week. The only change us Javier Maschereno in for Alberto Riera. Considering Riera's poor play in that game, this isn't a huge surprise for the Reds.

For my mention of Jonathan Spector playing for West Ham, he is not in the starting XI at Upton Park today.

Kickoff- Liverpool wearing the whites. Also of note, the guys I recognized for West Ham, none are playing Boa Morte is out due to injury. Dyer joins Spector on the bench.

3rd Minute: Complete breakdown by Jamie Carragher. After Glen Johnson broke up a play in just out side the box, Carragher stood there and watched as Zavon Hines took the ball, get clear in on goal and put it off the post. Fortunate for Liverpool and Carragher.

5th Minute: Fernando Torres uses his speed to create havoc on what was supposed to be a simple backpass. Meanwhile Carragher is having a rough go early.

7 minute: Gerrard sets Torres up in a holding position. Torres then drops it off to Yossi Benayoun who was in clear. Robert Green was up to the task, picking the low shot clean. Great chance for Liverpool.

11 minute: Good run by Insua who puts a shot wide from about 22 yards. This is after Torres nearly frees up Glen Johnson for a chance. Torres looks in form today.

13th minute: Bad tackle by Benayoun, sliding late. He's lucky he didn't pick up a card.

16th minute: West Ham gets two big chances. Hines had another chance with Reina was able to get to. Then Cole had a chance which was blocked by Carragher and the second chance was put wide. Who says you need goals for excitement?

17th minute: Bad clearance leads to a Liverpool chance. It was a difficult one though as Torres tried to spin and put it on goal with a man on his back. He couldn't and put it wide.

19th minute: Good effort for Kuyt results in a fortunate break. Corner for Liverpool, but they can't do much with it.

AND TORRES SCORES!!!!!

20th minute: Simply put, Fernando Torres is amazing. He did that himself, taking from the corner of the box, beating his man one on one wide, cut in towards goal and then sliding, put it up and over the Green. Spectacular finish.

23rd minute: Replay after the goal showed Torres sucking his thumb in celebration. The announcer; "Way to suck yourself."

25th Minute: Big loss for West Ham. Matthew Upson goes off with apparently, an abdomen issue. Another corner for Liverpool.

27th minute: Good Liverpool build up started by Torres with touches by Gerrard and Benayoun involved. Torres ends up taking the shot but puts it well high.

More bad news for West Ham. Another injury. Behrami comes off due to injury. One sub left, leaving West Ham potentially stuck with their tactics.

Penalty against Liverpool.

29th minute. Diamanti scores on the penalty. He actually slipped, and chipped it down the center.

30th minute: So it's 1-1. Carragher was sloppy on the challenge, extending the arm, which drew the call. This is a pretty awful half hour for Carragher.

Scott Parker picks up a yellow for West Ham on a poor tackle against Insua.

33rd minute: Ilunga made two nifty moves against the Liverpool backline but couldn't do anything about it.

35th minute: Gerrard draws a free kick and yellow getting into space. He can't do much with it.

39th minute: Mascherano tries a long ball to Torres. Just a touch too far.

42th minute: Kuyt scores!!

Off a well struck Beyanoun corner, Gerrard headed towards the low corner. Kuyt got a foot to it and put it in. Might have gone in anyway or it could have gone wide. Better safe than sorry.

44th minute: Skrtel with a poor clearance and subsequent challenge leads to a yellow card and free kick. West Ham corner off the free kick deflection. And they score!

45th minute: Carlton Cole, gets between Skrtel and Carragher and heads it in off the corner. Awful play so far from the Reds' center backs.

Half Time

1st Half Thoughts: Liverpool outplayed West Ham that half, but awful play on the backline from Skrtel and Carragher is the reason they've given up the two goals. I'm not sure what Rafa can do about either. They're better than this. The question is- bad day or just a poor half?

Torres' impact lessened as the half went on, but he was still the best player for the Reds in the first 45. I also liked the pressure Insua brought, but he might have to cut that out if the center backs don't show more reliability.

Hines has been causing trouble for Liverpool as has Cole. But I have not been impressed with West Ham's midfield thus far.

2nd Half Kickoff

50th minute: More Zavon Hines. His pace is giving them a ton of problems, with Mascherano picking up a yellow card thanks to a late challenge.

52 minute: Skrtel looks a little panicked on the back as he hoofs it up field without much pressure on him. Torres then gets called with a poor decision by the linesman.

53rd minute: Liverpool looks like they are trying to release Gerrard forward.

55th minute: Good build up by Liverpool, but Glen Johnson's cross in sails harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.

56th minute: Liverpool gains an advantage and Torres charges forward. Parker makes a risky tackle with a card already there. But he gets the ball and breaks up the attack.

58th minute: Right now the field looks tilted Liverpool's way. They're getting opportunities, but West Ham is keeping them from getting any golden ones.

60th minute: More poor defending by Liverpool on corners. Reina has to make a desperate touch to keep it from going for a tap in.

Liverpool makes a change: Ryan Babel in for Dirk Kuyt. Somewhat surprising considering Kuyt has done well.

63rd minute: Yossi Benayoun has a great run, piercing through the defense into the center of the box. But he needed to lay it off and didn't. Ryan Babel also seems to be intent on challenging West Ham mano-a mano.

66th minute: Giamanti is off. Kieron Dyer is on.

67th minute: Cole got hit with a bad foul. If I can read lips at all, the ref just told him to watch his mouth.

68th minute: Babel is intent on scoring it seems. Gerrard picked him out and Babel sent a shot from 30 yards. Unfortunately, it didn't threaten much.

70th minute: Good build up again, resulting in Gerrard shot that it looked like went off a defender's face. Ouch.

71st minute: Between Hines' speed and Cole's physicality, they are West Ham's best hope right now. They're causing problems for Liverpool, which make them the only two West Ham players who can make that claim.

75th minute: Torres again!!!!!

Credit Glen Johnson with starting that. His run put the defense in trouble, his shot was blocked. But it came to Babel, who this time made the right call and floated a cross towards the far post. Torres was on the end of it and Liverpool takes the 3-2 lead.

77th minute: West Ham has consistently answered. Cole again creates problems but Reina scrambles to make a couple of saves. It goes for a corner which is then put wide on a header.

79th minute: Ryan Babel can run. I'll give him that.

83rd minute: West Ham is doing a little better in possession. Now can they do something with it.

85th minute: West Ham wastes a free kick opportunity.

Benayoun is off. Aurelio is on.

87th minute: Babel is freed up for a run by Gerrard. Babel makes it then tries to give it back. It's a poor return and West Ham heads up to counter.

90th minute: A rare offside call! This one goes against Torres. There will be 3 minutes of added time.

90th minute+: One less forward for Liverpool as Torres comes off for Alberto Riera.

90th minute+: Cole gets hit with a bad call but then runs at the ref to argue. He picks up a yellow.

Full Time: Three points for Liverpool as the full time whistle sounds at Upton Park.

Match ratings and full time thoughts to follow.