Liverpool: Olsson 26’
Brighton: Kafaji 90+4’
Pre-Match
The Liverpool FC Women look to pick up their first points of the season in the friendly confines of St. Helen’s Stadium as they face Brighton.
Gareth Taylor makes just one change from the side who fell to Spurs last weekend. Jenna Clark comes into the side in place of Gemma Evans at the center of defense. Faye Kirby retains the starting spot in net for the second match in a row over Rafaela Borggräfe. Leanne Kiernan is fit enough to make the bench for the first time since early in the season.
First Half
Liverpool
are bright from the start, with some good pressing causing a couple of Brighton turnovers in their own half in the opening couple of minutes. In one of those instances Ceri Holland delivers a cross from the right wing that just evades Beata Olsson in the middle and then bounces to Mia Enderby, who gets upended by a defender as she tries to hit the ball. There’s a hint of a penalty shout for Enderby, but the referee is not interested in such things.
As we saw last week, Cornelia Kapocs is playing in a midfield role while Ceri Holland plays as the right-sided attacker. Liverpool are trying to find Holland on the right more frequently to bring her into play in the early going, at least.
Liverpool look to attack on the break, but a ball forward for Cornelia Kapocs is too long. The Reds immediately jump into an aggressive high press and eventually win the ball back but are loose with a follow up pass to allow Brighton to flow forward. The visitors get the ball to Carla Camacho outside of the box, and the forward tries a speculative effort from distance. Faye Kirby makes a comfortable catch save.
Liverpool are being more aggressive with their attacking play as they attempt to get the ball into the box. Much of the play is coming down the right side. Ceri Holland puts in a nice low cross that was cut out before Cornelia Kapocs drives a ball in a minute later that goes directly to the keeper.
Liverpool try to play out of the back and Lily Woodham plays a hospital ball to Fuka Nagano near the top of the box. Brighton nick the ball and try a quick shot that Faye Kirby has to go full stretch to get a fingertip to and push around the post for a corner. Brighton have a set piece routine off of a short corner and get a shot from the right side of the box, but Kirby is again on hand to make the save.
Brighton are right back into the attack after another turnover trying to build out of the back. Kiko Seike delivers a brilliant cross from the right side and it finds the head of Carla Camacho at the back post. The Colombian redirects the ball well, but it comes off the outside of the post and out for a goal kick.
Liverpool finally jump into the attack, starting from the back and moving at full flow down the left side. Lily Woodham does a fantastic job to release Mia Enderby down the left channel, but the forward takes one touch too many and loses the chance for a cross. She plays it back to Woodham, who drives the ball into the box, but it is headed clear.
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! It’s again down the left hand side, with Sam Kerr playing a brilliant pass through the lines for the run of Lily Woodham down the left wing. The fullback slides an early ball into the middle of the box and Beata Olsson slides in to get a touch and redirect it on goal. It doesn’t have much power, but Chiamaka Nnadozie is caught wrong footed and can only get a slight touch that cannot keep the ball from rolling across the line.
Liverpool look to immediately double their lead. A simple ball over the top from Risa Shimizu is tracked down by Ceri Holland on the right. With no one in the box, Holland plays a strong cut back that comes all the way to Sam Kerr outside the top of the box. The Scottish midfielder hits a first time volley on the bouncing ball, but it skews past the far post.
Yikes, Liverpool give Brighton a golden chance. The ball is played to Fuka Nagano inside her own box, facing her own goal. The Japanese midfielder stumbles and falls, leaving the ball for a Brighton player to take. Faye Kirby charges out to deny a shot, and the ball is sent to the middle of the box. Kirby flies across to block a shot with the goal gaping behind her.
Wow, what a brilliant turn from Cornelia Kapocs in midfield to received a ball and touch it past a defender to set herself clear. She quickly then plays it forward to Ceri Holland on the right, and the Welshwoman drives towards the box. She cuts inside past a defender and plays a cross into a dangerous area for Beata Holland, but it is just cleared. Chiamaka Nnadozie acrobatically leaps and tips the ball just onto the crossbar and over for a corner.
Woooow, Fuka Nagano almost scores a wonder goal. Liverpool pick the ball up in midfield and Cornelia Kapocs gets whacked down. The referee plays advantage as Fuka Nagano picks the ball up and drives forward. She spots the keeper a little off her line and tries a shot from distance that has good power on it and is dipping under the crossbar.
Liverpool with a free kick in a really dangerous area just outside the left edge of the box after Lily Woodham is brought down. Ceri Holland lines it up and goes for goal, but her shot is well over.
Liverpool are denied by the crossbar again! Liverpool again create a turnover by a high press, and Risa Shimizu collects the ball and immediately plays it to Sam Kerr near the top of the box. Kerr turns and immediately drills a shot that beats the keeper, but crashes off the crossbar and back into play.
The Reds mount one last attack at the end of the half with Mia Enderby getting the ball in the left side of the box. She tries to jink past a defender, but the ball is tackled off of her and rebounds off of her leg for a goal kick. That’s the last action of the half.
It was a very bright opening stanza for the Reds, with an aggressive high press creating a lot of turnovers and Liverpool were much more incisive about getting the ball forward and into the box. It still feels like the Reds will need another goal or two to kill the match off as Brighton have managed to create their own moments in the attack off of Liverpool turnovers in defense.
Second Half
No changes for Liverpool to start the second half. The Reds are immediately back on the hunt on the high press and create an early cross that just evades Beata Olsson in the middle, followed by a shot from distance by Fuka Nagno that results in a simple save in the opening two minutes of the half.
Liverpool do a really nice job for a couple minutes of pushing and probing in the attacking half, mixing up forward passes into dangerous areas with recycling the ball to retain possession. A loose pass from Cornelia Kapocs almost undoes all the good work, however, as Brighton race forward with numbers and space in attack. Jenna Clark does very well to get back and make a tackle on Carla Camacho on the box to deny a chance.
Ceri Holland with a fantastic ball around the corner as she releases Beata Olsson down the right channel. The Swedish striker receives the ball with a defender on her hip and carries it into the box. She tries to get a shot away as she enters the box, but it is well blocked by a sliding challenge by the defender.
Liverpool still showing great energy midway through the second half. They are starting to drop off a little deeper from their high press, but the midfield and defenders are quickly stepping up and snapping into challenges, not allowing Brighton players any time to think or find an easy pass.
Massive save by Faye Kirby! Brighton earn a corner and again use a rehearsed routine to play it short and whip a cross in. The ball ends up with Madison Haley near the corner of the six yard box on the near post side, and the substitute spins and drives a powerful shot at goal. Kirby makes herself big and gets and arm to block the shot.
Risa Shimizu with a goal line clearance to deny a goal now. This time Brighton play easily through the Liverpool midfield and defensive lines with some quick passing. A cutback finds Carla Camacho in the middle of the box with Faye Kirby left stranded. Shimizu drops to the goal line and gets a knee to the ball to deflect it out of the goal mouth.
It’s been all Brighton the last few minutes, but Liverpool have a quick sequence that sees Beata Olsson get on the ball near midfield. The striker sees Chiamaka Nnadozie well off her line and tries to lob it at goal from a very long way away. Nnadozie races back towards her goal line, but Olsson’s attempt drifts well wide of the net.
Both of Liverpool’s Japan internationals earn yellow cards a minute apart. Fuka Nagano goes in the book first for a shirt tug, and Risa Shimizu follows a minute later for a professional foul, holding a player back to stop a counter.
With Liverpool flagging, Gareth Taylor makes his first change of the day. Leanne Kiernan comes on for her first appearance in quite some time. She replaces goal scorer Beata Olsson up top.
Liverpool starting to get some control back on the match after a good spell of Brighton dominating the ball. Some great movement and passing see the Reds move the ball from the back on the left to the attacking right side. Risa Shimizu slips a ball through for the run of Leanne Kiernan in the right side of the box. The Irish striker looks to cross and it is blocked out for a corner.
Another nice sequence on the right side, and this time it is Cornelia Kapocs with a great first time pass for the run of Kiernan into the box. This time Kiernan goes for goal, but she puts her shot into the side netting.
Leanne Kiernan shows off her fresh legs, sprinting forward to beat a defender to the ball on the right wing and then carrying it forward towards the box. She plays a ball into the box as she loses her balance, but there are no Liverpool players near and it results in a turnover of possession.
The fourth official shows five minutes of added time. Liverpool just minutes away from their first points of the season.
Cornelia Kapocs goes into the book for a cynical foul near midfield. Liverpool won’t be too worried about it helps slow things down and eats up time on the clock.
Goal Brighton. Liverpool have several chances to try and get control of the ball at the top of the box, but just can’t get the right touch to it. The ball goes to the end line and is then cut back for Rosa Kafaji, who drives a shot on goal from close range. Faye Kirby gets a hand to it but the shot has too much power and she can’t keep it out in the third minute of extra time.
Liverpool try to mount one more attack, but they can’t get the final touch to get a shot on goal. The referee blows for full time.
Final Thoughts
It was a strong performance from Liverpool as they pick up their first point of the season. Despite the performance and the point, the Reds will be disappointed to have conceded again so late in the match to throw away a win. There were chances again to be rued, with two shots hitting the crossbar in the first half.
Liverpool will stay second from bottom as West Ham also threw away a win, conceding in the 97th minute. The Reds will have a very tough task to try and get a result next weekend as they host undefeated Chelsea.
