Liverpool FC Forum

[stapo1000]

What a night, what a victory. Over the two legs we were the better side. particularly last night where we played all the foot ball while chelsea played long ball after long ball up to drogba who was kept quiet by our top class centre halves. Thought mascherano was our best player, putting in some class challenges and i think thanks to him, lampard was anonymous. Pennant, carra, agger, riise, reina, kuyt, finnan were all outstanding and the penalties were taken brilliantly. Not to sure about the kuyt goal, thought it was offside myself but dont really give a fuck. Mourihno got what his pathetic mind games deserved and now the mighty reds are gonna win it 6 times. See ya later chelsea, send us a postcard.

YNWA

[soccerfreek421]

Anyone have a link for penalty highlights and the Kop singing YNWA?

[Espionage]

I was LMAO!!  On Australian tv the 3 analysts predicted that Chelsea were the obvious favorites to win the penelty shootout becasue Cech is obviously a better keeper.  When the cut across to the actual commentator he reminded them that Liverpool had won 9 of their last 10 penelty shootouts and Reina was famous for saving penelties.  As soon as extra time ended i knew that we were going to win it.  Reina is just awesome!

[account deleted by request]

Ripped of Rawk

[account deleted by request]

Anyone have a link for penalty highlights and the Kop singing YNWA?

Highlights, penalty shootout etc

[JoeTerp]

Ripped of Rawk

Budda Benitez

[Effes]

I've got one of them at home (laughing Buddha)- I'll think of Rafa whenever I see that now!

Raffing Buddha!!

[Bad Bob]

The good news for Chelsea is Cole and Drogba didn't get yellow cards, the bad news is it don't fkn matter!!!!

   

Yer, they can save themselves for the FA Cup...that was so last year! 

[Bad Bob]

Ripped of Rawk

The first time they flashed that up on telly I knew we were sorted.  I actually think Rafa's got some sort of mind-meld thing going on there with Reina and our penalty takers...giving them extra mojo!     

[soccerfreek421]

Anyone have a link for penalty highlights and the Kop singing YNWA?

Highlights, penalty shootout etc

downloaded it
and i also downloaded the additional viewer that they reccomended
but im trying to get it on my mp3 player and it wont work 
says i need some additional codec thing

do you have another link?

[Bad Bob]

Simply put, our performance tonight was the complete team performance.  Every man in Red put in a massive shift, doing all the little things needed to keep Chelsea in their pockets.  From front to back we worked our socks off and did not give them a moment's peace all night.  Mourinho can indulge in his deluded fantasies all he wants--we were the only team that looked like scoring tonight.

On and off the pitch we wanted it more over two legs and we have the victory or endeavour deserves.  How made up must Hicks and Gilette be after experiencing that?  They'll be giving Rafa a blank cheque if it means they get to do that each season!  Walk on!

[The_Rock]

Mourinho has been winding up everyone and it just backfires.

Calling Wenger a "voyeur", annoying Sir Alex (who is likely to beat Chelsea for the title), trying to take shots at Rafa.

He never learns. It just encourages the opponent.

Actually i thought it was hilarious when he attacked Wenger by calling him a "voyeur".......kekekkekek. He is calling a spade a spade....becos i also hate wenger to the core.

[account deleted by request]

Anyone have a link for penalty highlights and the Kop singing YNWA?

Highlights, penalty shootout etc

downloaded it
and i also downloaded the additional viewer that they reccomended
but im trying to get it on my mp3 player and it wont work 
says i need some additional codec thing

do you have another link?

penalties etc daily motion

[The Manhattan Project]

Actually i thought it was hilarious when he attacked Wenger by calling him a "voyeur".......kekekkekek. He is calling a spade a spade....becos i also hate wenger to the core.

Yeah but Wenger deserves more respect than what Jose showed him, and Wenger at the time was only mentioning Chavski because he was asked about them directly. Now Jose looks like a fool. Spent millions of pounds and still can't take Chavski to the final.

[Effes]

Reina books final spot - Daily mail

Not even Jose Mourinho can seriously believe the best team lost this time, not when Liverpool struck once and had another perfectly good goal disallowed.

Not when they had countless other opportunities to score; not when Pepe Reina’s only saves of any real significance came in a penalty shoot- out that brought this extraordinary evening to a close. Andriy Shevchenko sprung something of a surprise when he appeared in the Anfield directors’ box but nobody else turned up for Chelsea last night.

There was no sign of owner Roman Abramovich and there was no sign of a team he financed, either. A team that had won two Premiership titles and, until last week, appeared to be chasing an unprecedented quadruple.

The pursuit of four trophies ended in four desperate days, a third Champions League semi-final defeat in four years coming after a crushing 2-2 draw against Bolton and the sudden disappearance of Shevchenko and Michael Ballack.

Will Mourinho be staying beyond the end of this season? It is now more difficult to say.

His team lacked staying power at Anfield, the physical and mental demands of a campaign that has already stretched to 60 games seemingly taking their toll.

They had no answer to Daniel Agger’s slightly controversial firsthalf strike, no answer to the spirit and determination this remarkable Liverpool side displayed and no response when Rafa Benitez’s men once again emerged as the masters of the spot-kick lottery. First, it was AC Milan in Istanbul, then West Ham in Cardiff and now this.

As Benitez sat cross-legged among his coaching staff on the touchline, Reina and his colleagues did the rest. Bolo Zenden, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt drove the ball into the net in front of the Anfield Road end, while Reina saved first to deny Arjen Robben and then Geremi.

Reina is a genius when it comes to saving penalties. He saved seven out of nine for Villarreal in the season before he joined Liverpool.

But last night he had 42,000 people Benitez refers to as the ‘Special Ones’ standing alongside him. Just as they were two years ago, the fans were magnificent last night. They sang chorus after chorus of You’ll Never Walk Alone, most memorably just before the shootout began, and greeted every Chelsea penalty taker with a deafening cacophony of boos. Only Frank Lampard delivered. Pity he couldn’t do the same in the World Cup.

It was not the most wonderful game of football but it was one Liverpool richly deserved to win, not least because of their industry. Jamie Carragher was immense, Javier Mascherano was defensively brilliant and what Kuyt lacked in finishing ability he made up for in sheer courage and resolve. Last night he must have run further than anybody.

Liverpool simply wanted it so much more — wanted to reach their second Champions League final in three seasons and write another chapter in the history of a club Mourinho so foolishly dismissed.

The first half statistics said it all. Liverpool had 64 per cent of the possession and a goal that wiped out the advantage established by Joe Cole’s goal at Stamford Bridge last week. They were the better team even if Mourinho could have complained that Mikel John Obi was fouled by Kuyt when he was trying to mark Agger.

It remained a fine goal, though, the Danish centre half meeting skipper Steven Gerrard’s cleverly executed free-kick with a quite breathtaking finish.

Whatever Mourinho said to his players at half-time, it had no effect.

Peter Crouch went close to increasing Liverpool’s lead with a header that Petr Cech saved and Kuyt went closer still, meeting a cross from John Arne Riise with an effort that rattled Cech’s crossbar.

Chelsea also threatened to score, notably when Ashley Cole crossed towards Didier Drogba, only for Carragher to beat him to the ball and clear over his own bar. Somehow, he also earned a goalkick.

Extra time then followed and an extra 30 minutes of high pressure, high intensity football that a weary Chelsea team were fortunate to survive.

Kuyt should have scored when he was sent clear by Mascherano. Cech had to make a magnificent save.

And the Dutchman then did score in the 100th minute when Cech failed to hold on to a blistering effort from Alonso. The assistant referee raised his flag but Kuyt appeared to be level. So much for cries of conspiracy when UEFA selected Spanish officials to take charge of the game.

Anticipating penalties, Benitez then sent for God, otherwise known as Robbie Fowler, and a moment of divine intervention very nearly followed. Fowler presented Kuyt with another chance to score but again Cech made the save.

Only penalties remained, but not before a reminder from the fans. ‘In Istanbul we won it five times,’ they cried in the hope that their heroes would soon have the opportunity to make it six.

While an animated Benitez spoke passionately to his players, Chelsea gathered in a huddle. They had won the toss and opted, understandably, for the opposite end to the Kop.

But at Anfield there was no escape. No escape from these incredible supporters and no escape from Reina. ‘The best team lost again,’ Mourinho dared argue, but this time nobody will be listening.