What was happening here between Ferguson and Jonjo Shelvery?
Manchester United visited Liverpool on Saturday hoping for their first League win at Anfield since the 2007-2008 season. Thanks in large part to two huge calls made by referee, Mark Halsey, United succeeded in their quest with a 2-1 victory over the Reds.
One never likes to make the officiating the centerpiece of the story, but in this case it is hard not to when the referee chooses to make himself the centerpiece of the story.
In the 39th minute Halsey showed Jonjo Shelvey a straight red card following a tackle on United’s Johnny Evans. Replays and photographs show that both players went into the tackle fully committed. Evans may have gotten to the ball a hair early, but did so with a two-footed, studs up tackle.
Shelvey for his part also went in studs up, in what many would objectively regard as a yellow card tackle. Certainly, if red were to be shown it should have been on both players, but that was not to be.
Still, Liverpool showed heart in not only taking the clean sheet to the half, but by coming out of the locker room with the same dogged determination they showed throughout the first half.
Steven Gerrard latched onto a pass from Glen Johnson in the United box and slotted home past a flailing Anders Lindergaard in the United goal to put the home team up 1-0 in the 46th minute.
Six minutes later United right back, Rafael da Silva equalized with a beautiful curler off the inside of Pepe Reina’s far post, and United seemed to be on the front foot.
Liverpool kept heart however, and continued to create chances for themselves by playing Rodgers’ preferred style of short crisp passes, staying true to their game despite the man disadvantage.
The match was undone through a combination of insidious play by Antonio Valencia, and hapless officiating by Halsey. Liverpool substitute Suso misplayed a ball meant for Daniel Agger in midfield, allowing Valencia to pounce and go in on goal.
Agger collided with a team mate in trying to win the ball back, allowing Valencia to spring free before a hustling Glen Johnson tracked him down in the Liverpool box. Halsey ruled that the Liverpool player fouled Valencia on the challenge, and did not hesitate in pointing to the spot.
After a four and a half minute delay for treatment to Agger, Robin Van Persie stepped up to the spot in the 81st minute and slotted home despite a game attempt by Liverpool custodian, Pepe Reina to send the visiting fans into a state of ecstasy, and home supporters into despair.
It was a controversial finish to a highly charged affair, on a day which saw tributes paid by both teams to the memory of the Hillsborough victims. Sadly, the moment proved too big for the referee as he put in a performance that failed to match the occasion.
Man United's Glorious Moment
0 comments:
Post a Comment