Liverpool FC Forum

[Sabre]

GLORY FOR ACADEMY YOUNGSTERS
Steve Hunter 12 August 2009
Liverpool's Academy side were celebrating after winning the prestigious Villarreal tournament in Spain.
The Under-18s beat Celtic in the final on penalties to bring the fantastic trophy back home to Kirkby.

Thomas Ince gave the Reds the lead in the final but the Glasgow side equalised 10 minutes from time.

However, in the shoot-out Karl Clair scored the winning penalty and goalkeeper Chris Oldfield emulated Pepe Reina by saving a couple.

The tournament featured the likes of Real Madrid and AC Milan and the young Reds played some great football throughout.

Yes GYBS, one of my tentacles in Villarreal sent me this report this morning congratulating me:

Kaixo, tron.

Anoche estuve viendo cuatro partidos del torneo de juveniles que se ha disputado en la Ciudad Deportiva del Villarreal, incluida la final entre el Liverpool y el Celtic de Glasgow.

Te alegrará saber que ganaron los tuyos en la tanda de penales (4-2) tras finalizar el tiempo reglamentario con empate a un gol. Se notó desde el principio que por la razón que sea había un tremendo pique entre ambos equipos. El respetable hacía piña con el Celtic -incluso comparten una peña los escoceses y el villarreal- pero quien se adelantó en el marcador, mediada la primera parte, fueron los ingleses. El Celtic avisó unas pocas veces pero no logró el empate hasta el minuto 20 del segundo tiempo (cada parte dura 30 minutos). Lo cierto es que fué un partido bastante trabado y si tuviese que destacar a alguien de los tuyos me quedaría con el guardameta, Oldfield, que apunta muy buenas maneras; además de alguna parada de mérito durante el partido, detuvo dos penaltis en la tanda. Eso sí, se sobró bastante con los escoceses que fallaron sus tiros e incluso el árbitro le llamó la atención. Todo un caracter.

El Milan fué tercero; el Ajax quedó cuarto; el R.M. quinto... el anfitrión quedó octavo y último. En su partido por el séptimo y octavo puestos, la selección de Japón le metió un 0-5, jurjurjur.

Pues eso, que enhorabuena por el título, te aseguro que los chicos lo celebraron como si hubiesen ganado la Copa de Europa, no te exagero.

Basically says the crowd were supporting Celtic due to the good relationship they have, that the best player of our team was our keeper Oldfield, that it wasn't a beautiful final. And that Liverpool won a tournament in which Celtic was second, AC Milan was third, Ajax was fourth, Real Madrid was fifth, and Villareal the hosts were last in the standing table.

Each half time was a 30 min one, and our keeper stopped 2 penalties in the penalty shoot out. If what my friend is true, our keeper took the píss of the two scotts that missed the penalties, and the ref warned him for that. Apparently we have a young keeper with a strong personality.


According to my friend, our lads were in heaven when they won it, it was a very important victory for them.

[GYBS]

Yeah seems to be a big scalp for the young kids when you see the other teams that are there - hoping will give them great confidence for the coming season

[heimdall]

But will any of them ever feature in one of Rafa's teams? doubtfull when there is so much quality out there like Wash and Voronin 

[aCe']

[bigmick]

that the best player of our team was our keeper Oldfield,

The law of averages surely dictates that at some point we're going to sign a good young keeper. If you shoot at the stars with grapeshot, you might not hit em but you must hit something sooner or later.

[GYBS]

Anyway - Congrats to the young lads - its a good tournament to win and will give them confidence - both ecclestone and ince seem to be progressing well and Oldfield seems to be living up to his hype as a keeper for the future .

[GYBS]

Action from the Academy is on LFC Tv at the moment - some good little players there at that level

[GYBS]

watching this academy game three players are sticking out by a mile with their quality - Amoo looks very lively , Dawson looks a very good right winger , very direct pacy and good balls into the box but the best of the lot seems to be Della Valle - scored two goals and looks a very very promising prospect

[bigmick]

but the best of the lot seems to be Della Valle - scored two goals and looks a very very promising prospect

What chances do you think he's got of eventually playing in the first team on a regular basis 

[GYBS]

Well the lad can finish from what i can see , very clinical , he has every chance if he keeps going like that - seemed to be in the right place at the right time , very impressed with him , hopefully he will step up to the reserves and see how he does there and if successful then the next challenge for him willbe firest team . from what i saw he has a great chance.

[bigmick]

Well the lad can finish from what i can see , very clinical , he has every chance if he keeps going like that - seemed to be in the right place at the right time , very impressed with him , hopefully he will step up to the reserves and see how he does there and if successful then the next challenge for him willbe firest team . from what i saw he has a great chance.

Fair enuffski   

[GYBS]

the lads were saying that the return of kenny has just given the whole academy a massive boost and they young kids are busting a gut to impress kenny - i guess his prescence cant be under estimnated at the academy .

[bunglemark2]

Anybody got the latest score ?

[Owzat]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N165590090827-2055.htm

LATE PENALTY DEFEATS RESERVES
James Carroll at Leigh Sports Village 27 August 2009 
  A late penalty from Josh Morris condemned Liverpool Reserves to a 3-2 defeat against Blackburn Rovers in John McMahon's first competitive game in charge. 
Nathan Eccleston fired the Reds into an early lead with a fantastic curling shot, but Aaron Doran levelled for Rovers against the run of play before the break.
 
Eccleston claimed his and Liverpool's second with a smart near post finish in the early stages of the second period.
 
However, an unfortunate late own-goal by Daniel Ayala restored parity before Morris' injury-time penalty ensured the Reds began the 2009-10 Barclays Premier Reserve League North season with an undeserved defeat.
 
New signing Sotirios Kyrgiakos was given his Liverpool debut at the heart of the defence alongside Daniel Ayala, while injuries meant McMahon was forced to hand young scholar Liam Jacob his first appearance for the Reds in goal.
 
Meanwhile, Blackburn fielded a summer acquisition of their own in the form of former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado.
 
McMahon's men made a busy opening to the game, crisply zipping the ball around the immaculate pitch at Leigh Sports Village.
 
Their bright start was rewarded inside three minutes when Eccleston cut inside after collecting the ball on the right and drilled an unstoppable shot into the top corner of Frank Fielding's goal from the edge of the area.
 
It was the dream start to the season for the reserves and it almost got even better when Daniel Pacheco released Eccleston through on goal. The youngster did well to hold off the challenge of Salgado, but his effort was smothered by Fielding at close quarters.
 
The visitors were dominant and Ayala's dangerous goal bound header was plucked out of the air by the Rovers 'keeper from a Jay Spearing free-kick, before Fielding denied Pacheco's chipped effort.
 
At the other end, Kyrgiakos was enjoying an encouraging opening to his Liverpool career. The Greek international was proving to be a commanding presence in the backline as he expertly marshalled his fellow defenders.
 
Blackburn's first chance of note did not arrive until the half hour mark when Andrew Haworth fizzed a dangerous free-kick narrowly wide of Jacob's far post.
 
It proved to be a sign of things to come as, seconds later, Aaron Doran collected the ball midway inside the Liverpool half before firing a powerful 25-yard drive into the bottom corner to claim an undeserved equaliser.
 
David Ngog flashed a shot over prior to Eccleston stinging the palms of Fielding as the Reds went in search of a quick riposte.
 
With half-time looming, the lively Pacheco produced a fantastic piece of skill to skip past Philip Jones on the edge of the box, but the Spaniard's final effort flew the wrong side of the post and the two teams went into the break on level terms.
 
McMahon withdrew impressive debutant Kyrgiakos during the interval, with Martin Kelly taking the place of the 30-year-old stopper.
 
Within moments of the restart, Liverpool had restored their lead. Pacheco's incisive pass allowed Eccleston to surge into the area, who then breezed beyond Josh Morris and hammered a shot past Fielding at his near post.
 
It should have been 3-1 soon after when Ngog collected Philipp Degen's dink into the box on his chest, but the French striker blazed his volley high over the bar from 10 yards.
 
Gerardo Bruna came within a whisker of further extending the visitors' advantage on 67 minutes when the winger drilled wide of the far post following excellent work by Pacheco once again.
 
But Rovers pegged the Reds back with 15 minutes remaining when Jacob palmed a dangerous low cross from Haworth against the unwitting Ayala and the ball bobbled into the back of the net.
 
Then, in stoppage time, Blackburn were awarded a penalty when Julio Santa Cruz went down inside the box and Morris made no mistake from 12 yards to claim all three points for the Lancashire side.
 
Blackburn Reserves: Fielding, Salgado (Morris 46), O'Connor, Flynn, Jones, Morrissey, Haworth, Lowe, Rigters, Doran (Santa Cruz 58), Marshall. Subs: Kean, Hall, Hanley.
 
Liverpool Reserves: Jacob, Degen, Kyrgiakos (Kelly 46), Ayala, Darby, Eccleston, Spearing, Plessis (Palsson 79), Bruna (Amoo 84), Ngog, Pacheco. Subs: Belford, Irwin.
 
Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Daniel Pacheco - Lively throughout and a constant threat to the Blackburn defence

[Ben Patrick]

Didnt see it as i was out having a meal last night but sounds promising for Eccleston with two goals and a lively performance.
I will look forward to watching the reserves this season.

They are playing there home games at Tranmere arent they ?