The fourth round FA Cup match between Liverpool and Everton ended in a 1-1 draw on Sunday at Anfield — the second draw between the two Merseyside clubs in less than one week.
Everton scored the opener in the first half after Liverpool was again guilty of poor defensive marking from a set play. This time, Everton’s Tim Cahill was unmarked in the box to head the corner goalward into the path of Joleon Lescott whose header diverted the goal into the net.
In the second half it was again Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard who rescued the home club with an all important equalizer after a deft touch from Fernando Torres who knocked the ball into Gerrard’s path. The Liverpool captain then calmfully slotted the ball toward the net underneath Tim Howard, who should have saved it, to make it 1-1.
This was a game that Liverpool dominated but yet again failed to win. Everton fans were jubilant at the end of the match, and the replay will now be played at Goodison Park ten days from now. The winner will face the winner of the Doncaster versus Aston Villa replay.
In controversial circumstances, Robbie Keane was not named in the Liverpool squad that faced Everton and wasn’t even included on the substitute’s bench. When interviewed about the decision before the game, Benitez was asked whether he believed Keane would be a part of Liverpool’s future. Benitez replied, not very confidently, “I think so.” These words will do nothing to give Keane confidence and will fuel speculation that perhaps Keane’s days at Anfield are numbered. If Tottenham Hotspur wants to bring Keane back to White Hart Lane, they may want to give Liverpool Football Club a phone call in the next few days.
Watch the video highlights from the match here:
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GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
(deep breath)
OK. Better now.
Hey Gaff, where'd you find the Benitez quote about Keane?
Thanks
and seconds on the GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
I was watching it live on Setanta and it was the pre-match interview with Rafa. I'll see if I can find a link to it, but I'll be surprised if the mainstream media don't pick up on this.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
Keane can't go back to Tottenham until the 2009-10 season. It's against Premier League rules for a player to re-sign for a club in the same season he was released from his contract. Regarding Benitez' comments about Keane prior to the match; I took it as Benitez being a bit smart with an interviewer that was second guessing his decision. I took it as Benitez saying “He has a future here even if you seem to think he doesn't”.
I know Spurs can't sign him. Can Liverpool loan him out to Spurs for the remainder of the season?
Hey Gaffer,
Speaking of watching FA Cup matches could you do a piece about the poor quality of Setanta broadband versus the really good quality of ESPN360? Setanta is missing a *really* big opportunity here to become the dominant online broadcaster of choice for football matches for those of us without a cable or satellite option. However, the terrible quality of the feeds and the awful service (they can't even get match times right, heck, they didn't even know that our daylight savings time had moved in the States!) has made me want to quit more than once – though how would I watch the matches other than illegally?
That said, I have to wonder, given the poor quality of setanta broadband how many people decided to keep stealing online feeds of matches instead of paying for a crappy product. Or is Setanta just not investing in broadband because it's starting to make progress with cable contracts etc…? Anyway, I thought you might be a person in the know about something like this. Cheers!
Bdawg, I'll pass along the message to Setanta. The last time I corresponded with them, they said they were planning on making enhancements to Setanta Broadband in the near future.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
And while we're at it, there are reported rumors of a Keane loan to Everton.
I'd love y'all's thoughts on that.
Thanks Gaffer!
You're welcome Bdawg. I heard that Setanta is planning on revamping its broadband site and may be switching to Microsoft Silverlight.
Cheers,
The Gaffer