Leicester City 2, Liverpool FC Women 1: Poor Play Dooms Reds Against Relegation Battlers
Liverpool were gifted a goal early, but were poor on and off the ball for much of the match, giving up two goals to a side that had only scored three all season prior.
Leicester 2 - 1 Liverpool
Leicester: Cayman 17’, Goodwin 41’
Liverpool: Smith 3’
Pre-Match
The Liverpool FC Women head to Leicester in look for their second straight win to start the new year. The Reds dominated the match but had to eek out a 2-1 win over Brighton last week. Leicester, meanwhile, are desperate for points as they sit just one point ahead of Crystal Palace in the relegation spot.
Matt Beard has almost his entire side back and at least mostly fit. Gemma Bonner and Jenna Clark both earn starts in the middle of the defense alongside Grace Fisk. Sam Kerr (the other one) earns her second consecutive start in midfield as Marie Höbinger works her way back to full match fitness. Mia Enderby is given a starting role, paired up with Olivia Smith as a youthful but dynamic attacking partnership. Sophie Roman Haug makes her return to the matchday squad for the first time since mid-October.
First Half
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! What a crazy early sequence as Olivia Smith charges in to press the goalkeeper in just the third minute of the match. She jumps as Janina Leitzig clears the ball, and it hits off the body of Smith and loops past the goalkeeper and into the open net! Not exactly how you would draw it up, but it still counts.
Despite the early goal, Liverpool have not looked great in the opening 10 minutes. There have been way too many misplaced balls as the Reds have struggled to string together more than a couple of passes in a row. Players are open in good spots, but the ball is just not making it there.
Finally a nice sequence for the Reds. Sam Kerr carries the ball forward and slips the ball left for Olivia Smith. The Canadian drives towards the left edge of the box and slides it inside for Taylor Hinds. The wing back takes a couple of touches in the box before unleashing a shot that is just blocked by the leg of a defender.
Goal Leicester City. The Foxes have a spell of sustained possession in the attacking half, with Liverpool struggling to clear their lines and find their marks. The Reds are finally punished by a simple lofted ball over the top by Sophie Howard for Janice Cayman. The attacker controls the ball and slips it under Teagan Micah for the equalizer in the 7th minute.
Leicester almost take the lead just minutes later after Liverpool concede a free kick in the left channel. The Reds completely lose their markers at the back post, leaving two Leicester players with a free header, but thankfully they get in the way of one another and the ball goes just on the outside of the post.
Liverpool finally manage to get back on the ball and get some consistent pressure in the attack. Olivia Smith is yet again whacked down, with the referee allowing play to continue. The Reds work it around for another minute before Jenna Clark plays it out so Smith can get treatment.
Well would you look at that. Olivia Smith is hauled down and the referee actually awards the foul for a free kick in the right channel. It probably should be a yellow to the Leicester City player, but baby steps I guess.
Fuka Nagano touches the resulting free kick to Ceri Holland just to the right of her, and the Welsh midfielder drives the ball towards the back post. Taylor Hinds makes the run and launches herself to get on the end of the ball, but her header is well saved by Leitzig from close range.
Fuka Nagano goes down after challenging for the ball in the defensive half, and stays down as Leicester continue their attack. Teagan Micah makes a diving save on a shot from long range, and Liverpool retain possession so play con be stopped. Fuka is able to get back up and continue on.
The Reds move the ball forward, moving it around from side to side as they look for an opening. It is played back to Jenna Clark in the attacking half, and the left center back strides forward with the ball as no one closes her down. She eventually elects for a shot as she nears the box, but it lacks any real power and is right at the goalkeeper for a simple save.
Goal Leicester. Liverpool turn the ball over immediately off a throw in deep in their own half and Leicester City see ball trickle through a bevy of Liverpool defenders to Missy Goodwin, who is completely unmarked. Goodwin mishits the ball, but Teagan Micah and a couple of Liverpool defenders all overrun the play as the ball slowly rolls across the line. Olivia Smith was absolutely run over as she tried to get to the ball early in the sequence, clearing the space for the first pass into the box, but of course no foul was given.
Liverpool are in absolute shambles at the close of the second half. Gemma Bonner is shown a yellow card for a foul 20 yards from the Liverpool goal, and the free kick comes off the wall and unknowingly comes off the head of Taylor Hinds for a corner.
The referee blows for half time to end a really poor first half from Liverpool. Leicester City had only scored three times in the league this season before today, and they have been made to look like world beaters by some terrible defending and overall slack play by the Reds.
Second Half
Matt Beard makes two subs to start the second half. Gemma Evans comes on for Lucy Parry, with Grace Fisk sliding over to right wing back. Marie Höbinger comes on for Fuka Nagano, with Sam Kerr dropping into the holding midfield role.
Liverpool earn an early corner kick after the ball is worked down the right wing and Grace Fisk sees a cross blocked behind. Taylor Hinds drives in a great ball, but the referee blows the whistle as two Liverpool attackers were surrounding the goalkeeper.
After almost gifting Leicester a chance when Teagan Micah played a ball directly to an attacker in the box, Liverpool win it back and work it forward. A cross from the right side comes all the way through to Taylor Hinds on the left wing, and she slides it back to Ceri Holland. The midfielder immediately launches a cross that goes well high and wide of everyone rather than looking to keep control and work the ball into the box.
Matt Beard makes two more changes. Julia Bartel is given her Liverpool debut, coming on for Sam Kerr. Leanne Kiernan enters for Mia Enderby.
Bartel immediately shows off the technical skills she has been lauded for, making a tight turn with the ball to keep possession under pressure and play it forward to start an attack.
Liverpool get the ball forward well to Leanne Kiernan in the right channel. She has one attacker and multiple defenders ahead of her in the box so she elects to play it square across the top of the box for the run of Taylor Hinds. The Liverpool captain drives a low shot on target, but it is well saved.
Olivia Smith tries to replicate the opening goal, charging down the goalkeeper after she places it down to play it forward. Smith gets a foot to the ball, but this time it flies past the goal.
Great flowing attack from Liverpool sees the ball go from Kiernan to Hinds to Holland to Smith in the box. The young Canadian takes a touch before ripping a shot, but it is blocked as she swings through the ball. Smith is down in considerable pain. It was a great sliding block by the defender, getting to the ball just as Smith made contact. Definitely won’t feel good though.
Gemma Evans with an unforced error, passing it directly to a Leicester City player just outside the Liverpool box while under no pressure. That about sums up Liverpool’s day.
Sophie Roman Haug makes her long awaited return, coming on for Taylor Hinds. Liverpool will shift to a 4-3-3 with Evans at left back while Smith and Kiernan flank the Norwegian striker.
Olivia Smith is yet again clattered, and the referee finally shows a Leicester City player a yellow card. Smith stays down in pain as the medical staff check out her knee. The Reds just used their last sub, so they will have to hope Smith can continue or they will have to resume with just 10 players.
Smith is able to return to play after several minutes of treatment. That’s something at least.
Julia Bartel shows some great skill on the right flank before getting cleaned out after playing a ball away. She is awarded a free kick and Leicester City are shown another yellow card.
The ball in bounces around before Olivia Smith gets to it just inside the box. She is shoved down from behind but the referee refuses to award the penalty.
Leicester City try to clear their lines and Olivia Smith races in to try and get to a ball. It is poked down the line before she can get there and she runs past the defender, who stays down. Didn’t look like there was any contact, but the referee awards a foul and shows Smith a yellow card for good measure.
Fifteen minutes left to play in regulation and Leicester players just falling to the turf as soon as a Liverpool player gets near them. The referee is happy to award them free kicks.
Olivia Smith is released down the left wing and is impeded, giving Liverpool a free kick. Ceri Holland touches it short to Marie Höbinger, and the Austrian sees her ball in deflected out for a corner. Höbinger drives the set piece in, but it is claimed by the goalkeeper.
Desperate times for Liverpool now as they look for a late equalizer. Ceri Holland lofts a ball into the box and Sophie Roman Haug does well to head it into the patch of Leanne Kiernan. The Irish striker tries to wrap her left foot around the ball with a defender closing in, but it goes wide of the goal.
The fourth official shows six minutes of extra time. Liverpool will need something special now to earn even a point.
Liverpool just launching balls into the box now in hopes of finding the head of Sophie Roman Haug. Leicester packing the box.
Olivia Smith tries to create a moment of magic, intercepting the ball near the halfway stripe and driving forward past several defenders. She drives a low shot from outside the box, and it takes a nice skip off the turf, but Leitzig is equal to it and makes the save.
Leanne Kiernan is fed the ball after some hard work by Jenna Clark, but it’s a really tight angle on the right side of the box. Kiernan’s shot can only find the side netting.
That’s the last chance of the match as the referee blows for full time a minute later.
Final Thoughts
Despite the gift of a goal in the 3rd minute, Liverpool were decidedly second best for much of the day with sloppy play on the ball and poor marking off of it. Too often the ball was turned over under no pressure, and there were frequently two defenders marking the same player to leave an easy pass to an unmarked opponent. The only real positives from today was the second half debut for Julia Bartel, who looks to be a real player, and the return of Sophie Roman Haug.
Liverpool will play West Ham twice in the next week now, first on Wednesday in the FA Women’s Cup and again on Sunday in the league. Let’s hope Matt Beard can figure out some combination of players who can get things figured out.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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