Soccer / liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur won Liverpool in first leg of League Cup semi final with result 1:0 thanks to goal of Lucas Bergvall in 86. minute. New goalkeeper from Czech Republic Antonín Kinský kept clean sheet against no less than Liverpool who threw literally everything they've got in attack on the pitch. I am talking about players like Salah, Jota, Gakpo and later Nunez and Diaz, It was great performance in defending and very big effort from everyone a part from wingers. Spurs started well, had some interesting moments in front of goal, Salah had opportunity on other side and then something horrible happen. After one corner Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur fainted during running toward ball and ended face down on the grass. Radu Dragušin noticed how dangerous situation is and quickly called medical team in. They need 10 minutes to make him ready for going to hospital. After 10 minutes of battling for his life they took him on stretcher with something I think was air-oxygen mask and covered over head. I was in shock and not sure he's going to survive. This gave me strong Eriksen vibes. I asked club's twitter account how is he at half time ? They soon tweeted "We can confirm Bentancur is conscious, communicating and will undergo further tests in the hospital.I can't believe how unlucky this player is with injuries and now this happen to him! This also increase my feeling that it has something to do with vaccines against covid. We saw far too many top athletes falling down and someone need to take serious responsibility for those "side effects". Moments I liked from first half were: Antonín Kinský's ball control, passes and saves. In one moment ball came to him, but he didn't catch it but sent it over Jota's head and catch it after Liverpool player went into emptynes trying to get the ball. Our new goalkeeper from Prague is calm and very good with ball in his feet. In one situation he sent long accurate ball toward sufering "superstar" Son, but he ruined promising counter attack with bad pass like many times during the game. I liked very much Djed Spence's great defending who fought like lion and had no less than Salah in front of him. He not only controlled him well, but also helped players in the middle of defense with movements, clearances, blocks. I feel he's the best motivated Spurs player in this moment! What I didn't like was Son's performance. Over tv he looked disinterested to play football at all, like someone who can't do anything, like someone who hasn't got any strength inside him anymore, like totally useless player who can't even run fast, who is capable only to make counter attacks for other team with bad passes. He made numerous bad passes, ruined a lot of attacks and few times literally passed into feet of Liverpool players causing "save who is alive" situation in our defense! In one situation he lost the ball and start running back just to quit it on 20-25 meters from our goal! Pal if you don't want to play just say it, don't play against us on the pitch! I screamed he should be subbed off during first time. He really deserved that kind of humiliation to return into reality! He was that shocking! Same picture was in second half, Liverpool had some chances and half chances but they missed them shooting wide of goal or our new goalkeeper saved them. I got more and more angry on Son. One ball hit the ground and went above his head in out on Liverpool half. In other situation he passed to Liverpool goalkeeper from 40 meters trying I don't know what. He made me tweet sub him I accept Werner, Moore, Yang anyone who can at least run and who has stamina just remove him from the pitch. Other who didn't have good attacking game were Dejan Kulusevski. Archie Gray made some superb and calm play and find him with a lot of space, alone on the right, but when he entered inside the box he failed to send ball inside and chance has gone! Very stupid and easy to read attempt! Then finally Son went out and Timo Werner came in causing me to tweet "Glory to God". German is not good player, but he can at least run and have stamina and can give you false hope like something will happen when he has the ball. He didn't do anything worth mentioning in attack, but we didn't play with man down any more. My feeling was like Ange dropped Liverpool from 12 to 11 players while we stay on 10 with this sub. Bergvall showed himself first time and thanks to his effort in press Porro had big chance but sent ball wide of goal. Player from Spain knew it's not important only to score goal but also when is right time to score against this kind of opponent. If he scored that Liverpool might put game in another gear and we could lose. Right time is near the end when they have not much time to respond! In other situation Solanke went alone on goalkeeper with opponent behind him and scored, threw an arrow, but it went in vain because Paul Thierney from VAR room decided it was offside. It looked like not offside in live broadcast, but I wonder what time frame and which Liverpool player they used to compare his position ? On the other side was drama. In one situation Dragusin missed ball inside the box, but Liverpool didn't punish this. in other Romanian dragon made "Dracaris" type of clearing of the ball off the line and jumped like goalkeeper to cover goal after Liverpool player sent ball toward it again but it went little wide. If our all goalkeepers got injured I know who I put on goal! That dive on ball man, it was so effective, superb! Antonín Kinský made two excellent saves. He's reading game well, knows when to come out and get the ball. He saved one on one from angle, he tipped the ball into corner in another dangerous situation. It was like usual when Liverpool press. It was very dangerous, but Kinsky, Djed, Archie, Radu and Pedro with help of midfielders like Bissouma, Bergvall, Kulusevski managed to keep clean sheet. Kinsky showed great ball skills in second half too. He's cure for press with a lot of players. He can send accurate long ball when 6-7 opponents are on our half. I am telling you this guy is going to dribble to center like Higuita in couple of months! :) Van Dijk made cynical tackle from behind without intent to get the ball and stamped cramps into back of Solanke's leg and got away without any card for that!? On the other side Bergvall got first yellow card for no reason because Diaz dived. Then Van Dijk had audacity to tell after the game how Bergvall should have been sent off for later foul on center during counter attack. Oh really pal ? What about you ? Then just on time in 86. minute Spurs made very nice action. Dragusin sent ball to Porro, who sent superb long ball toward Solanke who played very well against defender sent right time pass toward Bergvall who ran inside the box anticipating situation and hit that ball in effective way with his right foot to put it inside the net not giving Alisson any chance to save it! He then run toward south stand and made kneeling celebration of goal. Very good action and very effective goal. Spurs managed to defend in last couple of minutes and 9 out of 7 minutes of injury time and almost made one good counter attack near the end. After the game Kinsky hugs his sister, he was very emotional. He came 3 days ago, had first game against maybe the best in form team and attack in EPL and he kept clean sheet! I didn't know his grandfather and father were both goalkeepers. He has got what it takes in his DNA! :) Big concern was club's captain Son who looked like angry when Ange subbed him off after that pathetic suffering "I don't care about club" or "I want to leave but they are not letting me" type of performance. He probably thinks he is some superstar who need to score goal from corners or from half of the pitch, while in reality can't score penalty, run fast or pass anymore. He's giving me same Kane under Nuno if not even worse vibes. He even looked angry after the game ?! Someone like Lloris should talk to him to return him into reality! Other concern is what happen with Bentancur and what that search in hospital will show up. Let's hope it's not very serious and that he can continue with his top flight football career. This game also rise questions like does Daniel Levy know ball better than Conte or Ange ? I mean his signings like Gray, Bergvall, Spence played very very good yesterday and Conte and Ange sent Spence on loan, didn't want to use him, Ange put Gray and Bergvall only when he must and after couple of games they showed they are very good! Word about pundits and broadcaster of the game. Broadcaster didn't bother to show us replay of possible handball inside Liverpool's box in first half. Is this where we are at now ? If it could be penalty for Tottenham don't show replay at all ? Those crying 5 minute tantrum about how Bergvall didn't get non deserved red card was shocking when we have in mind his first yellow was totally non deserved. Diaz deserved it more for diving than Bergvall! Commentator and pundit probably provoked Spurs fans to sing "Lucas Bergvall he should've been sent off" on the exit from stadium after the game. :) After the game Ange said there is advice to refs not to give yellow cards if they play advantage after fouls and that it was right call on the pitch in that situation. Slot said "in the last game decision went against Spurs in this game for them. End of comment". Fair enough from him. Ange deserves credit for tactics and lineup. I congratulate to him and all staff and players a part from one for what they've done in this game. This victory is important, will it be enough to go to the next round is yet to be seen. It's nice to win Liverpool and to end their 24 games without loss and all of that without so many important players like two main central defenders Romero and Van de Ven, first goalkeeper Vicario, Maddison, Sarr, Udogie! Well done!