Champions League Liveblog: PSV v Liverpool

By: Bob | April 3rd, 2007

We’re liveblogging the full 90 minutes of the PSV Eindhoven and Liverpool Champions League. Come on in and join us with your thoughts, comments and rants during and after the game.

Full Time That is all as Liverpool wins in convincing fashion 3-0. PSV offered little in the match and it was goals by Steven Gerrard, John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch that were the difference. Thanks for stopping by to join me for the match. I will be back at it tomorrow for the AS Roma and Manchester United match. You can get more thoughts about the match on the Champions League Offside and Liverpool Offside.

91:21 Dirk Kuyt pickes up a silly yellow card so he won’t have to play the replay next week. Smart move if he did that on purpose.

91:00 Time to break out with You’ll Never Walk Alone. If you are a PSV striker you might sing You’ll never score alone.

90:00 We have 4 minutes of injury time and that is 4 minutes too long.

87:39 The Hungarian Ferher gets a shot and Reyna gobbles it up in his sleep. Punchless would be the word to describe PSV tonight.

86:45 Liverpool continues to attack playing it from one side to another until Mark Gonzalez blasts it over the goal.

86:36 To PSV’s credit they haven’t gotten chippy out there. They could be trying to break ankles now but they are instead thinking about their post match showers.

85:01 If the referee blew this game dead he would be a hero to many people. Pennant on to replace Crouch. The Tall One didn’t do much but he did score and that is all that matters.

83:32 Gonzalez earns a corner for Liverpool. Gomes upset at everyone. His arms are freakish. The cornr is cleared away but PSV can’t turn it back up field to do anything.

81:02 In swinging free kick by Liverpool punched away by Gomes. PSV really showing nothing in the way of attack.

80:45 We have to wait for a whole week to see these two teams play again. How will we fill the time?

79:23 My birthday is June 29. If you want to get me a present buy me Kuyt’s hair from his Website.

78:34 You have to imagine that Mascherano is a bit happier playing at this stage in the Champions League than he would be fighting to avoid relegation with West Ham.

76:49 Salcido takes down Kuyt but doesn’t do anything to correct Kuyt’s hair.

75:49 I once watched a match where a team came from three goals behind in the final 10 minutes to win 4-3. You never know what could happen. Liverpool’s players could catch the plague in the final 10. Probably not. This game and this quarterfinal pairing is over.

74:02 Auerio gets a ride on the stretcher and he is in a ton of pain. Tears are in his eyes. He might be out for a long time. Lets hope not. Mark Gonzalez on to replace him.

72:32 Fabio Aurelio down with a freak accident. He tweaked his leg making a cut. He is in a lot of pain. A shame seeing an injury at this point in the game.

72:12 They should bring back the players from Inter Milan and Valencia to have a rematch of their fight. That would keep people watching for the next 20 minutes. Still all Liverpool, all the time.

70:23 Kluivert, 30 going on 100, is the new definition of offside.

68:43 Tardelli with a shot on goal and Reyna is up to the challenge. PSV with a pair of chances but as is their custom tonight they are far from actually finishing.

68:02 Hungary to the rescue! Fehrer on for PSV and Kromkamp mercifully off. He was lousy this game.

66:21 That haltime substitution of Xiang for Farfan has done nothing for PSV. Their players have stunk but so has Koeman’s managing tonight.

64:49 Zenden coming in for Riise as Liverpool starts to rest its players. Riise with probably the goal of the match. Finnan by far the man of the match with his crosses.

63:46 If you play forward you would like to play against PSV’s defense. They don’t believe it is necessary to mark their men. They had two players near Crouch but the gentle giant wasn’t challenged on that goal.

62:11 GOALLLLLLLL! Peter Crouch puts the nail int he coffin with a header off a cross from Finnan.

61:23 Another shot of the same rather large Dutchman in the stands. I think the camera people are anticipating that he will streak. Heaven help us if that happens. Could cause an earthquake.

60:00 An hour into the match and unless Liverpool loses six of its players to cards this one might just be over. Maybe PSV could get Ronaldo back for the final half hour.

58:21 So then, the air has been taken out of the ball and those Excel spreedsheets on my desk are looking more and more tempting.

57:12 Let’s hope Riise go a bonus for that goal to help pay off the bankruptcy bills. Kluivert sent free in the box but he is offside. Would have nailed that five years ago.

56:03 The new PSV strategy is to play neither offense or defense. No wonder they are sinking in the Dutch league. They might be missing some key players but they are also missing a heart.

54:23 Liverpool deserves some credit. They went into Barcelona and put up goals and now they have gone on the road and have gotten the job done.

53:01 The Dutch are the tallest people in the world and a camera shot of the crowd shows they are growing them wide there too.

52:34 Almost an own goal from PSV. They are falling apart and I don’t think they will get a senior citizen’s discount now that Kluivert is in.

51:21 Patrick Kluivert coming on for PSV to replace Edison Mendez. Did Mendez even play in this match? He was nowhere to be seen out there.

50:00 Just a pretty goal from Arne Riise. The PSV defender stood there with his head up his ass and as a result this tilt may be all but over.

48:14 GOALLLLL!!!! Brilliant strike from John Arne Riise. Great left foot into the corner from outside the box.

47:34 Both teams drank their sports drinks at the break and have more energy. So do I know that my bladder is clear. I must say that I have certain fondness for PSV’s striped socks.

46:56 Liverpool on the attack with Gerrard pushing forward before the attack dies out in the box. The game is wide open at the moment.

45:32 The Chinese international Sun Xiang is on for PSV replacing Jefferson Farfan. I don’t understand why they replaced their best goal scorer but I don’t understand many things in life.

45:01 We are underway in the second half of this Champions League quarterfinal match. Liverpool will look to keep the sheet clean and perhaps put the nail in the coffin with another away goal. PSV will look to mount an attack, any kind of attack. Thanks for joining me for some midweek football. Your comments are appreciated. Here’s hoping the second half is one to remember or at least an enjoyable way to further avoid doing any work.

Halftime It wasn’t thrilling but it was effective. Liverpool picked up a critical away goal thanks to a header from Steven Gerrard. I’m going to take a restroom break and will be back for the start of the second half. Your thoughts on the match thus far?

44:10 Farfan goes down with a little tap and is called for a dive. The players have a laugh. The French ref has a laugh. The PSV supporters don’t laugh.

44:02 Maybe PSV will put in six strikers in the second half. Another one up front might help their cause. Crouch called “Tall and gangly” for the 7 millionth time in his life.

41:26 Mendez with a shot that lands somewhere in the vicinty of the goal, well at least on the same side of the stadium.

41:18 Liveblogger’s dillema. If I pee now someone will score. If I don’t pee I will ruin my pants. Ah screw it, I can always get new pants.

39:02 Mascherano takes down a PSV player and is shown a yellow card. He got both ball and body on that tackle. Free kickk by Farfan goes straight into the Liverpool wall and the Liverpool players will feel that in the morning. Still 1-0 Liverpool.

38:31 The crowd is quiet. Their players have done a great job of dampening their enthusiasm. Reyna and Farfan collide in the box and it is Farfan that is called for the penalty. Good rugby action there.

36:28 Thanks for stopping by. To recap: little action. Gerrard with a goal off his head thanks to a pass from Finnan. PSV unable to punch their way out of a paper bag. I need to urinate and will try to make it to intermission.

34:00 ESPN flashes a weird graphic on the screen and neith commentator knows what to say about it. Emmy winning boadcast, this is.

33:22 Macherano will a foul. PSV with a corner. Farfan takes it and it is shite.

32:10 Pepe Reyna looks like he is ready to take a nap in Liverpool’s goal. I wonder if PSV have any backup plan. They need to show something going forward or they will be in for a long night.

30:47 The French ref had a word with Crouch. He asked him how’s the weather up there. Crouch didn’t look pleased.

29:21 With an away goal Liverpool is smelling blood. Liverpool has come to life and PSV look tenative. They are going to have to abandon their defensive strategy. This game will either open up or Liverpool will shut it down.

27:57 That goal was set up by a pretty pass from Finnan with Crouch somehow managing to get out of the way and Gerrard burying it into the corner with his head.

26:55 GOALLLLLLLLL!!! Steven Gerrard on a header puts Liverpool up 1-0

25:00 A quarter hour in and both sides with only a shot on target. The game is starting to pick up a bit but PSV content to pick and choose their attack.

23:34 PSV with an opportunity in front of the goal and they earn a corner. Cocu heads it off the mark. Best chance yet for PSV.

22:36 With 40-million pounds to spend next summer Liverpool could probably buy about half of PSV’s team. The game drags on.

20:45 Crouch gets a crack and it is wide and high. Not much of a threat from the big banana.

19:34 Mendes is called a “pocket battleship”. Not sure what that means. Salcico with a shot that is wide off the mark.

19:18 If you get a chance check out Gomes’ wingspan. His arms almost cover the whole goal. I wouldn’t be shocked if he figures in Brazil’s future.

17:21 A goal by Carragher would have been a suprise. Gomes is the hero of the moment for PSV. One shot on goal for either team. You have to shoot to score. Or at least that is what my youth coach told me.

15:45 Liverpool with the game’s first corner. Gerrard to take it after the referee directs traffic. Great jumping header by Carragher and Gomes dives to his left to save it. Great headers and save.

15:00 Varynen has some tattoos going on. Farfan and Finnan going at it. It is going to be tough for the PSV striker to get any space today.

13:47 Possession time even thus far. “Cagey” is how the ESPN dudes are calling the play so far. I prefer to call it less than thrilling.

12:15 And then there is Cocu. He has seemingly played for a million years and still has it. By it, I mean he has a fun name and a nice game.

11:10 For those who speak Australian, the word “Kuyt” is funny. I believe it means something along the lines of “arsehole”. Both teams muttering about with no good scoring chances thus far.

9:34 Anyone want to start a fund to get Crouch some braces? His teeth scare me. I do enjoy watching him though even when he is offside.

8:34 PSV has its share of South American players but right now they are playing more of a traditional Dutch game than one associated with South America. Reina easy save in goal.

6:51 PSV with an opportunity up front but the always steady Jamie Carragher cleaned things up.

5:50 The PSV fans singing in good voice. Their stadium is small and traps in the noise. If you get a chance you should go there sometime. Bring me with you.

5:01 I read a rumor today that Steven Gerrard almost couldn’t come because he forgot his passport at home. It is a good thing he cleared customs. He looks good thus far.

4:12: Crouch and Kuyt up top for Liverpool. They might be trying to get an away goal after all. Neither team is at full strength tonight but at this time of year no one is.

2:47: A rugged start thus far with both teams playing faster than their bodies. PSV settles it down a bit and Liverpool chases. Shot over the goal Varynen. Finnish names are impossible to type.

1:15Liverpool gets the irst attack but Gomes is smooth in goal. Those yellow kits don’t serve Crouch well. They make him look half a feet taller.

Kickoff: We are underway from Eindhoven. Thanks for joining me today. Your thoughts, comments and rants are welcome. Keep them clean, have fun and enjoy the game. Let’s hope that the next 90 minutes are ones to remember.

2 minutes to go: The teams are in the tunnel. Liverpool is wearing their yellow kits. PSV is wearing their red and white stripes. The happiest people in the world are the kids getting to walk the players onto the pitch. It looks windy there as the CL anthem is played.

5 minutes to go: The other match being played tonight features AC Milan and Bayern Munich. It is too bad that play the matches at the same time. It would be nice to be able to watch both of them live. I will drop in some updates from that match from time to time if I remember and if my fingers don’t fall off. The winner of PSV and Liverpool will face the winner of Chelsea and Valencia tomorrow. The fact that three English teams are still alive makes things interesting but my guess is that three won’t be alive after this round. I know, bold prediction. Impressive display of flags and tifo from the PSV fans. Dutch fans are super.

10 minutes to go: I get fired up every time they play the Champions League athem. I also cry when listening to elevator music. If you tapped me sap would come out of my body. Much is being made about PSV’s poor recent form. Their lead in the Dutch league has diminished with Ajax right on their tails. They are also without the injured Alex, the hero last round against Arsenal. Meanwhile, Liverpool are on good form following a 4-1 spanking of Arsenal this past weekend. Does recent form really mean anything? We shall find out over the course of the next 90 minutes.

15 minutes to go: Viewers in the United States are being treated to ESPN’s lead-in programming. Today we get Double Dutch jump roping. Who knew that jumping rope was both a sport and an art form worthy of having a commentator break down every move? For those scoring at home, the referee for today’s match is Bertrand Layec from France.

Starting Lineups: Hide the women and children. We will be seeing Peter Crouch and Javier Mascherano playing for Liverpool. For PSV, keep an eye on Jefferson Farfan. If you are named after a US president you have to be good. That is a FIFA rule. Go ahead and look it up. Plus he is a solid striker probably not long to stay with PSV.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Agger, Carra, Finnan, Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Aurelio, Crouch, Kuyt

PSV: Gomes, Kromkamp, Simons, Varynen, Cocu, Mendez, Da Costa, Culina, Farfan, Salcido, Diego

Pregame: Fingers don’t fail me know. It has been a little while since I have liveblogged so forgive me if I suck. You can help out the cause by leaving some funny or not so funny comments. Feel free to tell me I suck. Anyway, today’s game features two teams that are regulars in the Champions League. Liverpool won the whole enchilada in 2005 and has won the competition five times. PSV won it back in 1988. Both managers are on record as saying they think it will be a tightly contested, low scoring affair. Don’t shoot me if we see a 0-0 draw today.