Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Community Shield at the Millennium
Stadium, putting the champions on notice that they are serious about stealing
their English Premiership title.
Liverpool's Peter
Crouch, left, scores the winner as Chelsea's John Terry looks on during
their Community Shield Match at the Millenium Stadium, in Cardiff.
Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Community Shield at the Millennium
Stadium, putting the champions on notice that they are serious about
stealing their English Premiership title.
[AFP] |
In the English top flight season's traditional curtain-raiser, which pits the
champions against the FA Cup holders, England striker Peter Crouch headed an
80th-minute winner to earn the Reds some early silverware.
Norway defender-cum-midfielder John Arne Riise had put Liverpool ahead in the
ninth minute Sunday.
However, Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko, the record British signing at 30
million pounds, scored his first competitive goal for the Blues in the 43rd
minute to equalise before Crouch killed off their challenge.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho handed competitive Blues debuts to new recruits
Shevchenko in attack and Germany captain Michael Ballack in midfield.
Their Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech and England midfielder Joe Cole
were ruled out through injury.
France midfielder Claude Makelele was rested and compatriot William Gallas
was nowhere in sight, the French defender's relations with Mourinho still sour.
New England captain John Terry led the Blues out, while his international
deputy Steven Gerrard started on the Liverpool bench. Defender Jamie Carragher
skippered the Reds instead.
Liverpool, who beat Israel's Maccabi Haifa 2-1 in a Champions League
qualifier first leg at Anfield, started the Community Shield with Wednesday's
match winner Mark Gonzalez on the left wing but left the other goalscorer, Wales
striker Craig Bellamy, on the bench.
Large sections of the Chelsea end were unsold, giving Liverpool fans plenty
to crow about throughout.
Shevchenko created the game's first chance in the ninth minute when he burst
through the Liverpool defence to reach the goal-line. The Reds forced the ball
out for a corner and scored immediately on the counter-attack.
Riise, no stranger to pelting in shots from distance, ran half the length of
the pitch unchallenged before blasting a fierce low shot from 25 yards.
The ball dipped late, foxing goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini to Riise's utter
delight.
Riise had given Liverpool an early lead against Chelsea here once before: he
scored in the first minute of the 2005 League Cup final - which the Blues won
3-2 in extra time to give Mourinho his first trophy in English football.
