Soccer Extreme : A substantial, admirably stoic crowd of 37,800 somehow survived a truly dreadful Europa League tie on Wednesday night. Even those who got in for nothing could have questioned the value for money. One supporter, dressed as Santa Claus, walked out early and you know it’s serious when Father Christmas turns his back. The final whistle was greeted with a brief flurry of boos.On the positive side, Liverpool remain unbeaten in 10 European games, no one got injured and stars like Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina were rested before the weekend’s game with Fulham. Jonjo Shelvey hinted at his promise in the centre while there was also confirmation of how the left flank does not suit Joe Cole.
If Liverpool supporters were largely quiet, their Utrecht counterparts made a real racket, singing in Dutch and English, but this was a largely dispiriting night, particularly for the visitors’ young striker, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, who departed to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.
Already safely through to Friday’s draw, Liverpool had given out free tickets to children in an attempt to engender a lively atmosphere for a dead rubber (although the visitors had a chance of qualifying). The home fans were largely subdued in the first half, barring one chant of “attack, attack, attack”. Groans tumbled from the Kop when Christian Poulsen kept losing the ball.
Far noisier were the Dutch fans, 3,800 of them had paid €90 each for the trip, keen to support their team, to see one of the great arenas of European football and salute one of their old boys, Dirk Kuyt.
Liverpool’s No 18 started on the bench, sitting just behind Fernando Torres, rested in anticipation for the Fulham game. A few of the Utrecht players had talked of their desire to get Kuyt’s shirt. Their talented
21-year-old striker, Van Wolfswinkel, also had another aim: to show his “favourite club” that he was worth considering as a potential transfer target.
Having scored 19 goals this season, Van Wolfswinkel has been making a name for himself in Dutch football and was determined to make his mark. When Martin Kelly was short with a back-pass, Van Wolfswinkel darted into the box but Martin Skrtel intervened.
The Utrecht No 9’s dream of a starring role at Anfield ended shortly before the break when he sustained a suspected broken collarbone.
Barring poor Van Wolfswinkel’s injury, the first half was largely devoid of note. Skrtel was captain for the night, partnering Danny Wilson, in a 4-4-2 formation headed by Nathan Eccleston and Ryan Babel. Eccleston’s eagerness to impress went too far in the early stages, the young forward thudding into a late challenge on Mihai Nesu. After consultation with his countless officials, Kristinn Jakobsson waved a yellow card. It could have been red.
The theme of profligacy in possession was highlighted by Poulsen, who gave away the ball three times midway through a stultifying opening period. Here was a chance for the Dane to show that he could deliver but his first-half contribution was hardly inspiring.
More influential was Liverpool’s other central-midfielder, Shelvey, short of hair but long on ambition, who kept charging through the midfield, occasionally over-running the ball or running into cul de sacs but still drawing applause for his effort.
Liverpool’s best attempt of the half, pretty much their only one, came from Milan Jovanovic, who cut inside from the right, dragging the ball away from Utrecht’s captain, Michael Silberbauer, before letting fly with a 25-yarder that clipped the bar and carried on into the Kop.
Fabio Aurelio also tried his luck with a free-kick but this time Liverpool were denied by the Utrecht wall.
Hodgson made a switch at the break, giving Skrtel a break and sending on Sotiris Kyrgiakos, the armband changing hands. A new Babel emerged as well, the former Ajax player continuing to earn jeers from the Utrecht supporters but now really troubling their defence.
Hodgson twisted again, sending the promising Daniel Pacheco on to the left, removing Eccleston, and inserting Cole in the hole. Pacheco was quickly involved, drilling in a low right-footer that thudded into Michel Vorm’s ribs.
Pacheco’s first few touches had been promising but he was soon dragged down by the general poverty of the occasion. Kuyt finally arrived, greeted warmly by both sets of supporters, but still the fare on offer remained of the grim variety. Liverpool almost snatched victory. Cole’s goalbound volley was instinctively blocked by the Utrecht centre-half, Sander Keller. (footie)