Preseason | AC Milan, Yokohama FM
7/26 | Liverpool 2, AC MILan 4 | kai tak sports park, hong kong
Liverpool began their preseason tour of Asia against a relatively familiar foe in AC Milan, who they defeated 1-3 at the San Siro in the first round of last season’s Champions League. This time we were on the wrong end of a two-goal game. It was far from all bad, though.
Our first half 11 included Alisson, Stephenson, Gravenberch, Van Dijk, Robertson, Morton, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Salah, Ngumoha, and Floseidon (Wirtz).
We found ourselves behind after ten minutes. Some smooth interplay on the edge of the Milan box ended when a short pass from Tyler Morton was picked off, sparking the first of many counter attacks — something Slot will undoubtedly address in the next two weeks. Christian Pulisic, who always balls out against Liverpool, played Rafael Leao into acres of space with a perfectly weighted ball. Virgil came across on the cover but closed Leao’s angle far too casually, daring him to shoot on his left. He roofed it.
Liverpool responded well — all told, we had more than double Milan’s possession and eight more shots in the game. A gorgeous move started with Stephenson driving a first-time ball into Wirtz’s feet. He settled then put one on a plate for Salah, who did the least Salah thing ever and squared the ball back to Wirtz. It was cut out.
Shortly after, Ryan Gravenberch, playing at CB in the absence of Joe Gomez, did something I didn’t know he could do and smacked a delicious 50-yard cross-field bomb directly into the path of Rio Ngumoha, who began picking on Fikayo Tomori like a middle school bully. Rio squared him up, beat him to the touchline, didn’t like his crossing options, beat him again, then chose his pass. It rebounded directly back to him and he dropped the ball to Dom Szoboszlai. He took a touch, triangulated the keeper’s position, and chipped one over his head into the far corner à la 13/14 Daniel Sturridge. Magnificent.
We created two more decent chances in the opening period, the first from Ngumoha, who froze Tomori again with a step-over and rifled a left-footer far post, which Maignan saved pretty comfortably. The second came when Flo let the ball run by his defender in midfield then exploded away and played in Elliott, who would have squeezed off a right-footed effort if he was 5% faster. Alas.
Halftime saw wholesale changes with the exception of Gravenberch. Konate, one of the subs, was at the scene of the crime for Milan’s 52’ and 59’ goals. First, positioned higher than he should have been, he had a man pinned on the sideline but allowed him to wriggle free and find Leao in behind. He outran Conor Bradley for 40 yards (no easy feat) before dishing to Ruben Loftus-Cheek, whose low finish gave Giorgi no chance in net. I’ll be honest: I neither understood nor cared for the hoops-inspired “too small” celly. You didn’t outmuscle anyone, Ruben! The name of my grandparents’ dog was Ruben, Ruben!
Moving on.
The next sucker punch could have been avoided, again. Too many Reds camped in the opposing half, again. Loose pass, again. But the way Milan took advantage was classy, quality stuff. Loftus-Cheek took Konate out of the game with a sly back flick that led to a Saelaemakers break. He crossed to the top of the box to Okafor, who finished first time on the half volley. It was about as clinical as it gets.
In injury time, a towering Gakpo header and a Kostas Tsimikas brain fart added a tally to both sides of the score. Frankly, though, neither of those two moments are as interesting as the Frimpong chance on 64’. He found himself in a wideout vs. corner-style foot race with Milan’s left back as Gakpo floated a high switch from left to right. The ball dropped over the defender’s head and Frimpong cushioned it into his own path with ease, bursting into the box and lacing one near post at the keeper, who saved. The pace is startling.
7/30 | yokohama fm 1, Liverpool 3 | nissan stadium, japan
Liverpool said goodbye to Luis Diaz and hello to Hugo Ekitike before their next contest in Yokohama, Japan, the hometown of cult hero Wataru Endo. Ekitike headlined the starting 11 in the number nine position; the remaining ten included Mamardashvili (in place of Alisson, who returned home due to a personal matter), Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Salah, and Gakpo. IMO, that’s as close to a proper starting 11 as we’ve seen this summer. Macca — who’s still regaining full fitness — feels like the only glaring absence.
Thing is, the first half stank. There was a shot of Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the bench, who I completely forgot is on our staff now. There was a Gakpo effort off the post. There was a smart Giorgi save down to his left. And there was a cheeky spinning flick from Ekitike that went just wide. That’s about it.
The second half, which saw Jones and Darwin start in place of Gravenberch and Eikitike, was a different story. On 55’, moments after Nunez missed a sitter, Yokohama found the back of the net with one of their only two shots on target. Tidy passing down the left freed up an untracked midfield runner, who snuck behind Jones and slotted the ball in the far post.
Thankfully, it was all smiles for Kopites from that moment on. Endo replaced Virgil, who gave him the armband to raucous applause from the fans. Two minutes later, Jones atoned for his error by jumping a square ball to spring a 3v3. He dished to Salah who dropped it to the penalty spot, where Flo, smartly trailing the play, strode onto the ball and finished emphatically into the side netting.
A seven-man substitution included the two young’ns, who provided the winning goals. Frimpong’s inch-perfect ball to the back post found Nyoni, who stretched to finish on the volley. Then Rio resumed his preseason reign of terror — first combining with Nyoni, breaking ankles on his way to a free look at goal, which he lashed straight at the goalie. Finally, he got the goal he richly deserved, carrying the ball from midfield as Yokohama defenders backpedaled in a state of panic. When one finally engaged at the top of the box, Rio stepped by him with two swift touches and drove one into the low corner. The camera cut to Mo Salah on the bench, grinning at what he knows the future holds. If there’s one thing we’ve learned this preseason, it’s that Rio Ngumoha has what it takes to contribute.