Manchester United 4, Liverpool FC Women 0: Reds Thrashed In Abject Performance
Liverpool were missing a bevy of key players, but the players on the pitch were well and truly beaten in another poor performance.
Manchester United 4 - 0 Liverpool
Manchester United: Terland 33’, Galton 34’, Janssen 59’, Malard 81’
Liverpool:
Pre-Match
Liverpool return from the international break for three matches over the course of a week before the winter break. The Reds head down the road to take on Manchester United, hoping to get their season on track.
Matt Beard is again dealing with a rash of injuries leaving the squad shorthanded. Marie Höbinger, Gemma Evans, and Hanna Silcock are all new names on the list of walking wounded. Those three join the likes of Sophie Roman Haug and Rachael Laws on the sidelines. Young Zara Shaw gets her first WSL start in place of Höbinger. It looks like Liverpool will also shift away from their usual 5-3-2 to play a more attacking 4-3-3.
First Half
Jasmine Matthews goes in the book in just the sixth minute after trying to keep pace with Geyse as she raced down the right channel on the counter. Geyse has position inside of Matthews and the Liverpool defender just nicks the heel of the attacker, who throws herself to the ground to earn the foul and see Matthews shown a card.
Liverpool get the ball forward through Olivia Smith and earn two corner kicks in quick succession. Ceri Holland gets a shot away, but can’t put it on frame.
The Reds get their first shot on target and it comes courtesy of Fuka Nagano. The midfielder times her step up perfectly to intercept a ball midway into the Manchester United half and quickly drives forward with the ball. She unleashes a strong shot from just outside of the box and forces Phallon Tullis-Joyce into a diving save.
Olivia Smith drives forward and gets ahead of two defenders. She gets a challenge from behind and her legs get clipped. She goes down just outside of the box but the referee decides there was no foul. Interesting choice.
Goal Manchester United. Grace Fisk loses the ball in the defensive third and Manchester United quickly play the ball inside. A pass deflects off the legs of Jasmine Matthews and falls kindly for Elisabeth Terland in the middle of the box. The striker makes no mistake with the finish, driving it off the far post and into the net.
Goal Manchester United. Liverpool loos the ball off of the kickoff and Manchester United play a simple ball over the top for Leah Galton. The striker races forward and rips a shot. Tegan Micah got a finger to it, but the ball had so much power she could only deflect it under the crossbar.
The referee is quite happy to blow the whistle for a foul anytime a Manchester United player falls to the ground. Twice in quick succession players fall over in their defensive third with little to no contact. Meanwhile, Olivia Smith continues to get hacked with no protection from the referee.
Liverpool get the ball forward in transition, with Grace Fisk playing the ball forward to Olivia Smith. The Canadian takes a challenge and the ball falls into the path of Cornelia Kapocs, with the Swede quickly driving a low shot at goal. It doesn’t have a lot of power and is right at Tullis-Joyce at the near post for a fairly comfortable save.
Liverpool earn a throw in deep in the Manchester United half in first half stoppage time, and some nice interplay on the left sees Olivia Smith earn a corner kick. The linesman lifts his flag for offside and Manchester United is awarded a free kick. The replay shows Smith was comfortable offside.
Second Half
Taylor Hinds gets absolutely clattered as she tries to drive forward with the ball down the line. She lands heavily out of bounds and stays down for a minute holding her knee. Thankfully she is able to shake off the knock.
Olivia Smith with a sensational bit of play, spinning between two defenders with the ball before playing it inside to Ceri Holland. The Welsh midfielder quickly shifts it to Grace Fisk on the right who drives a cross in, but the ball is cut out before it can get to a Liverpool player.
Another nice bit of play from the Reds, this time starting with youngster Zara Shaw. She plays a ball through for Mia Enderby to run onto in the right channel. Enderby outpaces a defender to get the ball and plays an early cross forward towards the run from Cornelia Kapocs at the far post. A Manchester United defender gets a foot to the ball just ahead of the striker and the ball is collected by Tullis-Joyce in net.
Liverpool have the ball forward again, but see a series of crosses blocked or cut out. The Reds seem content to lump the ball into the box rather than try to play the ball around and move it into the box while in possession of the ball.
Elisabeth Terland goes down in the Liverpool box after challenging for a header. She is checked out and is able to continue.
Gemma Bonner with a last-ditch block to save what seemed a certain goal for Manchester United. Ceri Holland has her pocket picked in the Liverpool half and the ball is quickly played forward for Elisabeth Terland. The striker gets a shot away, but Bonner scrambles back and slides in to deflect the shot over the crossbar.
Goal Manchester United. Liverpool fail to deal with a simple ball into the box after the corner kick, only getting it as far as Dominique Janssen at the top of the box. The midfielder has time to set herself before hitting a low shot that finds its way through a host of players and into the far corner. Teagan Micah was screened by a plethora of bodies and never saw it until the ball was almost past her.
Matt Beard goes to his bench in the 62nd minute. Leanne Kiernan and Jenna Clark come on in a pair of like for like swaps for Cornelia Kapocs and Jasmine Matthews.
Manchester United again stream forward with the ball, easily playing it around the Liverpool defense. Grace Clinton hits a powerful shot from the top of the box and Teagan Micah makes a very good diving save to palm the ball around the post.
Another double change for Liverpool. Yana Daniels comes on for Grace Fisk and Niamh Fahey replaces Mia Enderby.
Goal Manchester United. It’s again too easy for the hosts, playing the ball with ease around the Liverpool box. Dominique Jannsen lofts a ball across the box and no one marks Mevline Malard, who volleys the ball past Teagan Micah.
Maddie Duffy is given her WSL debut in the last minute of extra time. She comes on for Ceri Holland.
Olivia Smith earns a free kick 25 yards from goal in a central area. One last chance for the Reds goes begging as Smith tries to drive the free kick on goal, but it can’t get over the wall.
Final Thoughts
An absolutely disheartening loss for a struggling Liverpool side, their third loss in a row in league play. The Reds offered very little attacking threat and were carved open repeatedly. Matt Beard’s side really seem to be lacking a clear identity of who they are and how they want to play.
It’s a short turnaround now for the shorthanded Liverpool with a midweek cup match against Everton on Wednesday. The Reds will face Arsenal next Sunday in their last match before the winter break.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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