LFC 3-2 Werder Bremen (Friendly) - In game & Post Match Discussion

Liverpool v Werder Bremen
Tuesday 17th July 2007 @ 19:15
Brühl Stadium, Grenchen South, Switzerland



TV and Radio: If you've already signed up to the Setanta package £9.99 a month this game is shown live (as is the Auxerre game on Friday). Eurosport (on web) have live radio commentary.  No doubt there will be internet streams available.  (Thread for Internet streams discussion is here http://www.lfcreds.com/reds/index.php/topic,1288.0.html)

So....  widely tipped to be Fernando Torres Liverpool debut - but will he get a goal?

The team should certainly be the most 'senior-looking' of all our pre-seasons to date.

Some Facts

Werder Bremen have won the Bundesliga four times - the last in 2004.

They were the 'winter champions' last season ie. top before the winter break. They eventually finished 3rd in the German League mirroring Liverpool's position in the Premiership.

They reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup - being knocked out by eventual runners up RCD Espanyol.

They were a green and white half striped shirt (will the reds be playing in their new European away or traditional red shirts?)

Players you may know: Diego and Carlos Alberto (both Brazilian midfielders). The team have just lost Miroslav Klose (one of the stars of the World Cup) who has moved to Bayern Munich.

Liverpool have never played Bremen in a competitive match. They have met once before in a Friendly in December 1978 which ended 1-1. The reds goalscorer that night was Phil Neal.

My prediction: Torres broken leg lose 5-0 Torres to get his debut goal - 2-1 to the Reds.

Please could you remove that scored out comment? It's giving me the willies! 

Hope the team gets a good work out with a couple of goals for the strikers to build their confidence!

Rafa has come out earlier and said Torres wont start but he will come on, hopefullly for long enough to stamp his mark on the game and maybe get a debut goal !

Signed up for Setanta this morning so I could watch the match tonight,but the f*ck*n thing still won't work ! 4 hours max they told me to set up,I'm so gutted :'(

same here. very annoyed.

2-1 up at the moment. Voronin and Riise.

3-1, come on you reds

voronin again

So, 3-1

Voronin 2, Riise 1?

3-2 now

aha! Thankyou haha. Vista's streaming is pretty S**T/ Poo

Liverpool just scored, sorry to say it was a own goal, 3-2

finished 3-2

sissoko,pennant,voronin (motm), torres, babel, riise were excellent

game over 3-2

Doesn't anyone have an opinion of the game then?

Very pleased with Voronin tonight. Man of the match for me. That's the first time I've seen him play properly and he looks quite intelligent in his movement and passing. Kept things simple but was eager to go forward and be offensive. Took both his goals very well with a calm head. I know it was only a friendly but it was the most competitive out of them so far. For a free signing, going on tonights performance, he's looking a very good capture.

Thought Pennant done ok, worked the pitch and tried to get some crosses in. Gerrard was getting into it as he always does without trying. Crouch seemed a little rusty, but made some space for Voronin, which is a good part of his game - making space. Riise's goal was another beast although the goalie might have tried a little better but was probably too scared in case his hands come off. Although, I thought Riise was only about his goal and one quality pass.

Second half seemed more congested in midfield, due to our defence playing a little further up the pitch. Which made us a bit more vulnerable against attack. Not something to worry about though because there's still fitness to be regained which helps if you're playing the line.
Benayoun looked lively and eager to go forward. Made a bit of a nuisance of himself down the right to their defenders which is a good sign of drawing defenders out. Babel showed a nice bit of skill outside the box, but you can see he prefers to drift inside from the left. Didn't really have a lot of time on the pitch though and not to forget he's not long back from the under 21's Championship. As for Torres, he looked good in the air, very fast, skillful, willing to take people on and was unlucky not to score from a great Kuyt shot which was rebounded and their keeper making a good save. Then a lovely little dinked shot round the keeper not long after, but going agonisingly close round the wrong side of the post.

Still too early to judge on the whole but all in all a good work out. Some work on passing and defending will probably be on the agenda, but it's really good to see some depth in quality and more attacking options. Looking forward to Fridays game and next season very much!

Only had commentary, didn't see the game.......... Torres missed 2, how close was he to scoring?     Debut nerves or just unlucky 

Thanks for that RK, bloody missed everything tonight  had to go somewhere (not the offy !)    Sounds promising doesn't it for next season ?  I'm getting pre-season butterflies in me tum already !!    

Didn't see this game as was working - just in.  Hopefully there will be a highlights clip for me to watch later.  Torres - first impressions?

I had a sneaking suspicion of Voronin.  The pressure on Torres' shoulders will be immense with that price tag and you just never know with these free transfers.

Torres missed 2, how close was he to scoring?     Debut nerves or just unlucky 

Torres - first impressions?

I had a sneaking suspicion of Voronin.  The pressure on Torres' shoulders will be immense with that price tag and you just never know with these free transfers.

Personally, I think Torres didn't look nervous at all. He looked very calm. In the twenty five minutes or so that he was on, he showed good ability on the floor with his control of the ball and good awareness of his team mates - took a defender on and flew past him with ease, then his head was up looking at the options and layed a good ball across the box to Babel, where others might have just blasted it at goal.
His two chances were very close. First one (from the rebound) was well saved from the keeper and he done really well to get there to put the goalkeeper under pressure. If I was to be really picky then I would say he could have put the ball around the keeper. But the pace he had to run to get on the rebound and with the keeper making himself so big, it would be unfair. It was a good save. Second chance was close and was a natural flick off the top of his foot around the keeper, but the bounce took the ball around the wrong side of the post. Very good effort.

First impressions? Can't really tell from his first twenty odd minutes tonight if he's the answer to our Premiership title challenge. But he certainly brings to the table a lot of quality up front, in more than one way, that will cause some serious problems for the opposition next season. Quality that has been lacking in some areas. I'm quite happy and optimistic.

The pressure will indeed be immense but if he keeps his confidence that he shown tonight and has real support, then hopefully his price will be justified.

Couldn't get a stream for the game to work but from the sounds coming in Voronin wasn't a bad capture after all! A promising two performances from him, I might be being optomistic, it might be the 4 kopperbergs and god knows how many carlsberg talking but F**k it  can't wait for the start of the season!!

Handful of pictures and all the goals and highlights from tonight's game are already set up for your viewing pleasure in the usual threads in The Dug Out
http://www.lfcreds.com/reds/index.php/board,3.0.html

Vote KK! 

well played liverpool defensively pretty poor but that should be sorted. Voronin played well and Torres was very good he has pace power and skill and he's is good in the air, very unlucky not to score. Babel looked like he has potential but we will have to see. Can't wait for friday, the asia trophy and the rotterdam tournament!!!

First impressions - we're looking good, players that have been brought in seemed to have gellled in quite nicely - Benayoun looks good, some nice touches and in my humble opinion I would start him ahead of pennant on the right.to be a shred

Vorinin got two goals but is looking to be a shrewd bit of business by rafa - just needs to remember to keep himself onside (not as bad as cisse or bellamy for being caught off-side, just needs to look along the line a bit more, just a friendly I know)

Torres - First 25 mins or so in a red shirt and he already looks the business, some nice touches and a couple of chances but hopefully after a few more games me thinks he's gonna be banging some goals this year.

Babel will probably challenge kewell for the left-wing, bit of pace on him and definitely likes to shoot from outside the box

On the negative side - Jack Hobbs looked a bit lost in the first half playing in a defensive midfielder role, Carson while having a good game, I still don't think he's good enough to challenge Reina.

Plus what must rafa have said to the officials to get the scoreline changed from 3-2 to 3-1, that goal by Almeida was ruled out and a still don't know why, thought offside, then thought was a free-kick given for us cos when game restarted it was from a carragher free-kick, anyone want to help me out here?