12
Thursday, August 2nd, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS
The name of the game for both
teams was pressure.
While there are little stakes in a
preseason game — even in a rivalry
matchup — the pressure exerted, not
by the situation, but by the players on
one another made the difference.
Squashing any remote chances
created by Manchester United,
Liverpool FC swarmed the midfield
and controlled the pace of play for
the majority of the first half. Any
signs of a play created, despite the
heroics of Manchester United’s
Alexis Sanchez, were crushed by a
Liverpool defensive line that would
oftentimes double up on the man-to-
man coverage, making it hard for the
forward as well as the midfielders to
push.
The heavy press offered success
on the offensive end by allowing
Liverpool more possession time in
the offensive zone. By forcing the
turnovers on Manchester United’s
side of the field, less was asked of
the offensive end of the midfield and
allowed the forwards all the room in
the world to move — a strategy that
allowed Liverpool to dominate the
game against Manchester United in
a 4-1 win.
The offensive pressure forced
the Manchester United defense to
respond. But while it did, it came
only in high-danger situations. The
defensive pressure was finally forced
off Manchester United. However, it
came off like a procrastinator would,
carelessly, lazily and, often times, too
late.
The last-minute effort by the
defensive line worked during a few of
the early scoring chances, diverting
the passing lanes so that the passes
were too far forward for Dominic
Salanke or Mohammed Salah to
garner within the box. Even when
garnered, the stuffed box would be
too crowded for a clear shot from the
Liverpool forwards.
But as Liverpool caught on to
the opportunities it was given, it
made the most of the space allowed
by the Manchester United defense
to start a play. The time given was
enough for the dynamic duo of Salah
and forward Sadio Mane to force
chances.
Around the five-minute mark,
midfielder Rafa Camacho started
the ball out with time to view for
the open man. Spotting Mane,
the pressure was then transferred
toward the young forward, who’s
offensive talents can’t be ignored, as
the ball was passed to him. Opening
the opportunity for Salah, the
Egyption forward found himself by
the near-post with no one in front of
him. Ball at his feet and inches away
from the goalline, Salah’s slight back-
heel tap went astray, and the ball was
cleared and out of play.
The pressure from the attack
didn’t
stop
from
there.
Salah
continued his offensive onslaught
with a header coming around nine
minutes. The attack came amidst a
crowd of three Manchester United
defenders and seemingly caught
the defense off guard, as his header
went uncontested and sailed straight
toward the top of the goal.
If it weren’t for the heroics of a
last second touch by the Manchester
United goalkeeper, who extended
himself fully for the save, the score
would have better reflected the
dominant play by Liverpool to that
point.
The breakthrough finally came at
the 28th minute, as Liverpool finally
found the payoff from its repeated
offensive pressure, when Salah and
Mane found one another to create
a threat Manchester United just
couldn’t settle. Forced into a bad
position by his late contest, defender
Demitri Mitchell gave in and fouled
Salah at the baseline within the
box — allowing Salah to draw the
penalty.
Mane put an end to the open
frames of the scoreboard and tacked
on a point for Liverpool with a line
drive to the left of the goal during the
penalty kick.
Despite
the
wavering
methodology
that
the
defense
had played with, the offense of
Manchester United stayed true to
what had created the little chances
the team did generate — which were
chances through counters.
Earlier in the game, Manchester
United had seen its only other
scoring opportunity from a counter
that had opened the fast break. Even
while Sanchez was falling down as
he controlled the ball, he managed to
lob it to an open man who found the
back of the net but was ruled offsides.
Immediately
after
the
score
from Liverpool, Manchester United
countered with a quick draw from
the circle and a pass to midfielder
Juan Mata, who redeemed his team’s
performance by drawing a free kick
just slightly outside of the box and
within scoring distance.
With a creative shot toward the
top left of the goal, in a curve ball,
the score was evened by midfielder
Andreas Pereira, and the momentum
seemingly
turned
in
favor
of
Manchester United for the first time.
However,
whatever
momentum
the team had garnered was quickly
diminished through, again, the
efforts of the Liverpool defense and
midfield.
Where
Manchester
United’s
midfield
was
unorganized
and
frustrated,
Liverpool’s
thrived
through concise passing that didn’t
settle with just winning a possession
but turning it into a scoring
opportunity.
While the halftime score was
even, very few who watched the
game could call Manchester United’s
efforts on par with Liverpool’s. It
was simply a one-sided affair. And
the score showed that after the
second half.
Soccer team embraces
spectacle of Liv - Man U
MEN’S SOCCER
Liverpool vs Man Utd
TIEN LE
Summer Managing Sports Editor
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
ALEC COHEN / DAILY
Liverpool and Manchester United faced off at the Big House in front of 100,000+
JACOB KOPNICK
Summer Managing Sports Editor
Mohammed Zakyi and Umar
Farouk Osman stood at the
first row of Michigan Stadium
excitedly gazing out at the
spectacle before their eyes.
It
was
the
day
before
legendary
English
football
clubs
Liverpool
and
Manchester United were set
to face off at the Big House,
and Zayki and Osman came to
watch the Meyersides practice.
For
the
rising
sophomores,
it
represented
the
ultimate
goal: becoming a professional
soccer player and achieving
international fame. After all,
a sizeable crowd had gathered
just
to
watch
the
global
powerhouses practice before a
preseason friendly.
For Zayki, Osman and the rest
of the Michigan men’s soccer
team, this day had long been
a big red X on their calendars.
Not only will the experience of
watching the best in the world
matchup on their home turf
instill a deep desire to reach
the next level, but it will also
serve as a unique learning and
bonding opportunity for the
team.
“When we heard about this
two years ago, because we came
here two years ago for our visit
and we heard they were coming
to play here, I was like, “Bro,
that’s gonna be lit,” Zayki said.
“So, we couldn’t wait to see
them and hopefully tomorrow
we get to see Manchester as
well. Everyone’s excited to be
here, all the soccer guys, so it’s
gonna be great.”
More than just for the boys
on the soccer team, Zayki
hopes that having the two
powerhouses face off in the
United States will expand the
influence of the world’s most
popular sport to the states.
“For me, personally, I want
Americans
to
see
how
big
soccer is because soccer’s not
really broadcasted really well
here,” Zayki said, “so people
coming out to see this game will
motivate them to come more to
see extra games and stuff, so
it will just (make) Americans
more
aware
of
soccer
in
general.”
Added
Michigan
coach
Chaka Daley: “This is the third
time we’ve hosted it at the
University of Michigan, so our
school certainly understands
the importance of the game to
the community, to Ann Arbor, to
the state of Michigan, so that’s
great, from that standpoint, and
then our players and our staff
understand the significance and
the fortunate nature we have in
hosting such world powers at
our place, and the humility we
gotta have by having the best
of the best at our facilities, so
we’re certainly excited about it
and happy they’re here again.”
While Saturday’s spectacle
will mostly be fun and games,
Daley
understands
the
necessary
commitment
one
needs to make to the sport to
find success. Therefore, while
he and his staff will be sure
to soak up the atmosphere at
the clash of the titans, Daley
sees this display as a learning
opportunity as well.
“We come for the enjoyment,
but you certainly take some
things in — how the teams
play, how they react, how they
respond — there will be some
high-level stuff in the sense
of when coaches make certain
changes, timing—they’re still in
preseason, so you think about
those things as well,” Daley
said.
“You can learn one thing
and that one thing can be
the difference or be unique
or interesting for your group
that you can put your spin on
because your coaching’s not
necessarily… you don’t replicate
others, it’s those adjustments
that you make.”
In terms of playstyle and
what exactly can be gleaned
from these two clubs, Daley
sees his program as a hybrid
between
the
two,
mixing
Liverpool’s hard-hitting, fast-
paced offense with Manchester
United’s stalwart defense.
But in terms of who he wants
to win on Saturday, Daley
made his motivations clear,
responding, “Whoever I meet
first.”