ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Sunderland

Posted by Lars Knutsen on 09/25/2010

One word sums up the performance at Anfield today by the Black Cats: resilience! Last year when Liverpool suffered that Beach Ball goal against them at the SSOL, it started a slump which they never really recovered from. When Sunderland conceded another joke goal today, they just rolled up their sleeves and got on with it. When you are 1-0 down to a once great club away from home, the leaders on the pitch need to stand up and be counted. For Lee Cattermole, that was not just a case of staying on the pitch, but showing his maturity by providing protection for the back four in that crucial holding midfielder role when The Lads were under pressure in the final quarter of the game.

So Sunderland came into this game not having scored at Anfield for a decade, when Phillips netted impressively in a 1-1 draw. But this was another controlled performance, not the first we have seen this season, and they showed that they had recovered from the midweek hiccup against West Ham. That joke goal needs some comment though: Michael Turner just rolled the ball back to where the free kick should have been taken for the keeper to come forward and Liverpool played on as if the ball was in play. Torres ran forward, squared it to Kuyt who drove it home past the shocked Mignolet.

The response was rapid, with a cross from Ahmed Elmohamady being treated as a basketball pass by Christian Poulsen. Bent was a shade lucky with the penalty but it was a deserved equalizer. Onuoha then conjured up a superb cross just after half-time for Bent to finish, to worsen an already forgettable week for Liverpool after crashing out of the Carling Cup to Northampton Town. That midweek defeat did not feature Gerrard, and the England captain made no mistake with a header to equalise, after Torres’ cross was deflected fortunately by Turner’s foot.

So overall a deserved point for the Black Cats and it was a shame that Bruce’s post match interview had again to focus on the officials, rather than the exciting football and Bent's strikes. If someone had said to him a few weeks back though that the team would take 5 points from 3 games against Man. City, Arsenal and Liverpool, he would have to be happy.
©Lars J.S. Knutsen

Comments

Posted by Ian_Safc on 09/26/2010

The refereeing governing body said that Atwell was right to have given the goal. But, for me, the "intent" of Turner was to roll it back for Mignolet to take the kick. In this case I am convinced Liverpool knew this and would have been expected to be sportsmanlike.

I think we're seeing a new Sunderland this season with a different mentality. I mean, we're not there yet as the West Ham result showed, but there/s a definite improvement. Looks good. Gyan looks useful and works hard. When he's fully fit, I'd like to see more of him.

We've got a few testing weeks ahead including a trip to Newcastle, but the signs are good.

Next we face Man U. I would expect the lads to come out with a certain degree of confidence after recent results against the big boys.

Posted by jason on 09/26/2010

Did you watch the match, or just read the report? it was a dead ball and turner kicked it from where the foul was committed. The ball was IN play and Torres reacted smartly to chase it. the defender and goalkeeper tried to make amends by attempting to fool the ref by standing around raising their hands.

Unsportsmanlike from torres, perhaps.

But i don't expect anyone from Sunderland to complain. everyone celebrated the beachball goal last season, despite ALL knowing that the goal was not valid. Should sportsmanship prevail back then Bent and Bruce would've informed the ref that the goal should be chalked off, but they gleefully accepted it. Don't pretend to be a saint.

Posted by jason on 09/27/2010

Ian_Safc:

Funny to see a Sunderland fan talking about sportsmanship after what happened last season.

Perhaps you should conduct a class with the Sunderland players and the manager to teach them a thing or two about sportsmanship before commenting about Liverpool. A goal scored via a deflection from a foreign object on the field is not a goal, which players and manager should all know. Bruce and Bent should know the beachball goal is not valid, but they didn't care about sportmanship then.

Posted by sam owiti on 09/27/2010

Perhaps you did not see Atwell and Co. steal a perfectly executed goal by Torres. But that is only to be expected, after all there is a certain French professor who goes blind at critical times when his team benefits from dodgy Atwellia decisions. Perhaps Bruce has been converted by the professor. Just maybe.

Posted by D. da Silva on 09/27/2010

It is so very strange that Bruce / Bent and the entire Sunderland fan base had absolutely no comments about Sportsmanship when they gleefully accepted the "beachball" incident last season?

That was more unsportsmanly than Michael Turner's stupid backpass to his goalkeeper a long way behind.

Perhaps knowledge of football laws should be sought. Last season's beach ball was not to be permitted due to the influence of an "external / foreign" interference that caused the goal. I don't recall anyone else pass the ball back to the goalkeeper this time, but a Sunderland player.

The ball was stopped dead where the foul had actually taken place, and there was no need to pass the ball back, just take the foul straight away.

Steve Bruce - hypocrite of the very 1st degree!!

Posted by red2death on 09/27/2010

Given the turmoil the club is in, Liverpool will take any goal presented to them. We've had our fair share of beach balls and freak rebounds off the post and dubious decisions, so if something actually breaks our way you can be sure we'll take it gratefully and without a hint of regret. And that's what Torres did.

Entire titles have been won on fluke deflections, own goals, bad decisions, and strangely long injury times. Frankly, if all this were to be eliminated from the game, you can bet LFC fans will be the first to rejoice.

But in a less than ideal world, when fate throws you a rare morsel, you sure as hell better accept it gladly, because you know there'll be plenty more times when you'll be left with the short end of the stick instead.

Posted by abid on 09/28/2010

Both the beach ball and torres goal were referee's mistakes... but Torres / Kuyt showed no sportsmamship on Saturday's goal... beach ball was not Sunderland's mistake but rather it was referee's mistake...Liv should accept the reality...

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