Liverpool: Kapocs 12’
Everton: Vignola 24’, 54’, 56’; Snoeijs 45’+4
Pre-Match
The Liverpool FC Women kick off the new season with a local derby at Anfield against crosstown rivals Everton. Liverpool have not beaten Everton at Anfield in WSL play since the two squads started facing off in the large stadium a few years ago.
New manager Gareth Taylor has an immediate lineup headache with the top two goalkeepers Rafaela Borggräfe and Racheal Laws unavailable. Faye Kirby gets the start in net in their stead. Grace Fisk is deployed at right back, with Lucy Parry and deadline day
signing Risa Shimizu. Lily Woodham makes her debut for the Reds at left back.
It is unclear if the Reds will line up in a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2, but it is a familiar cadre of faces in the middle of the pitch. Cornelia Kapocs and Mia Enderby are the two primary attackers to start things out with Sophie Roman Haug, Leanne Kiernan, and new signing Beata Olsson on the bench.
First Half
Great start to the season here as I am sat watching the ESPN Plus technical difficulties screen when the match kicks off. Well done, good process.
We are 10 minutes in and the stream finally pops up. Score is 0-0 and Liverpool have the ball in the back. It looks like it is absolutely pouring at Anfield.
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! The Reds start with the ball all the way back at the feet of Faye Kirby and quickly build it out of the back down the left flank. Cornelia Kapocs receives the ball near midfield and immediately plays it back to Marie Höbinger and then wheels and sprints forward to receive the ball played over the top. Kapocs races forward with the ball and then cuts inside before smashing a shot from the middle of the box that pings off the bottom of the crossbar and down into the goal!
Gemma Bonner off the crossbar! Just a couple of minutes after the goal Liverpool earn a free kick on the left wing and Marie Höbinger drives a fantastic free kick in towards the back post. Gemma Bonner slides in and gets a foot to the ball and turns it towards goal but Courtney Brosnan leaps and just gets her hand to the ball to push it onto the crossbar and back into the box where it is scrambled away.
Oh good, we’re back to technical difficulties again. Get it sorted.
Unable to watch still, but Everton have clawed a goal back. Ornella Vignola is the goal scorer. I’d love to provide the details, but, well, technical difficulties from the World Wide Leader of Sports and all that.
Oh hey, we’re back (for now). Mia Enderby has the ball in the box and dances around a defender, but her shot is blocked by a second defender. The ball is recovered by the reds and recycled but there is a bit of a mix up on a pass back to Enderby and the ball goes out for a throw in.
Liverpool earn a corner kick, with Marie Höbinger set to take it. The ball is initially cleared but Fuka Nagano sees her shot from distance deflected out for a second corner. The ball is again partially cleared before the Reds recover the ball, but they go all the way back to the goalkeeper and have to build out of the back again.
Grace Fisk plays a fantastic ball down the line for Sam Kerr to run onto down the right wing. Kerr finds Ceri Holland inside of her and the Wales international drives a shot towards goal but it is blocked. The Reds are finding space.
Ceri Holland off the post! Liverpool again do well to build out of the back and a switch of play sees the ball come to Ceri Holland. She passes the ball to Grace Fisk and makes a run forward to receive the ball back near the edge of the box. Holland chops the ball back onto her left foot to beat her defender and curls a fantastic shot to the far post, beating the keeper but it comes just off the post and back into the box.
Huge chance after a mistake from Haley Ladd in the back gifts the ball to Marie Höbinger in the box. Höbinger rushes her shot, however, and it skews wide of the open net. She had more time than she thought.
Ceri Holland again gets the ball in a wide area out right and absolutely turns Mayumi Pacheco inside out at the edge of the box. This time Holland gets her own feet crossed up as well, however, and cannot get a shot away.
Everton have a rare attacking foray and play a dangerous ball into the middle of the box. Ceri Holland is on hand to make an important tackle to keep the Blues from getting a shot away. Everton attack back down their left wing and Lily Woodham gets back just in time to deflect a cross out for a corner. The set piece is poor, thankfully, curling out of play before it gets to the near post.
Goal Everton. It’s a dagger just before the end of the half. The ball is worked from Everton’s right flank to the left and Mayumi Pacheco drives a first time cross into the middle of the box. Katja Snoeijs leaps and powers a header back towards the near post, and Faye Kirby can only palm the ball into the inside of the side netting.
That is the last action before the referee blows for halftime. It’s a brutal blow to Liverpool who have dominated possession and had the lions share of the chances. Just like last season, an early lead evaporates and the Reds are left to rue big chances they could not convert. Hopefully we will see the team find a way through in the second half.
Second Half
Everton make a trio of changes to start the second half. No changes from Liverpool.
Liverpool again look to build out of the back with some quick passing but Marie Höbinger is slow to react and sees and Everton player step in front of her to win the ball and start a quick counter. The ball comes into the middle of the box but thankfully an awkward bounce doesn’t allow a shot to be taken before Liverpool get the ball clear.
Everton are being much more aggressive with their pressing in the second half and it is causing some problems for Liverpool. Another turnover from the Reds in their own half again sees Everton play the ball into the middle of the box before a defender can shepherd the ball away from immediate danger.
Goal Everton. The Blues have had much more possession in the Liverpool half to start things out and have been causing problems. This time a cross from the right goes all the way across the box and ends up with Mayumi Pacheco. She whips a cross back in for Ornella Vignola and the striker powers a header off the bottom of the crossbar and in.
Goal Everton. It’s all falling apart now. It’s Ornella Vignola again to complete her hat trick just moments after getting a brace. She times her run to perfection to receive the ball down the right channel. She takes a shot as she enters the box and it deflects off of Gemma Evans, leaving Faye Kirby stranded in goal as the ball squibbles into the far corner.
After having over 60% of the possession in the first half, Liverpool cannot seem to get the ball off of Everton in the second half as the Blues have made. The Reds have had a few quick spells of possession but have turned it over once they get into the attacking third. Liverpool need to make some adjustments to have any chance of getting back into the game.
Gareth Taylor goes to his bench for the first time this season, bringing on new signings Beata Olsson and Kirsty MacLean for their debuts. They replace Cornelia Kapocs and Fuka Nagano respectively.
Kirsty MacLean is making her presence felt, getting on the ball frequently from a deeper midfield role. She is showing great confidence with her passing, mixing quick passes in to create angles along with spraying some long diagonals to find attackers in space.
Liverpool earn a free kick on the left wing. Marie Höbinger sends her free kick into the box but the attacking header goes behind for a goal kick.
Some good strong play by Olsson to fight for and win the ball three times in quick succession in the attacking third. Nice to see someone trying to make something happen.
One of my dogs just threw up. Seems on par with how this half has been going.
Liverpool make another sub with about 10 minutes left to play. Sophie Roman Haug comes on for Marie Höbinger.
Another Liverpool debut as Risa Shimizu steps on the pitch in the 88th minute. She replaces Lily Woodham.
Everton counter down their left as the clock strikes 90. Faye Kirby elects to stay in her goalmouth, allowing Toni Payne to run in on goal. Risa Shimizu comes across from her left back spot to make a last ditch tackle.
Liverpool have had one shot in the second half. Yikes.
In a moment of mercy, the referee blows for full time.
Final Thoughts
We’ve seen this storyline too many times before. Liverpool start brightly, dominating possession and getting chance after chance, converting an early one through Cornelia Kapocs but then failing to build on their lead. A couple moments of brilliance gave Everton lead at the half despite Liverpool’s dominance. The second half was all Everton as they made adjustments that Liverpool could not handle. Two quick goals from Ornella Vignola early in the second half turned the match into a rout, and Liverpool never got close to getting into the game as the half wore on.
It’s a rough start to the Gareth Taylor era at Liverpool. The Reds will look to rebound next week when they travel to Leicester City.
