FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Three quick thoughts after the U.S. overcame plucky Haiti on Friday night at Gillette Stadium on Clint Dempsey's goal two minutes into the second half, winning another physical game, 1-0, and advancing to the knockout stage of the 2015 Gold Cup with one first-round match to spare.
1. It wasn't pretty, but the U.S. is on to the quarters
As was the case in Tuesday's opener against Honduras, the Americans were mistake-prone and disconnected for much of the match. And once again, they could easily have found themselves down a goal early. But goalkeeper Brad Guzan and striker Clint Dempsey came to the rescue for the second consecutive game, this time against a Haitian team that was every bit as tricky as advertised.
Had the visitors' finishing been just a little sharper, things could've turned out much differently. None of it matters now. Jurgen Klinsmann's team still managed to pull out the win, and the U.S. booked its place in next weekend's quarterfinals in Baltimore in the process.
Before that comes the Americans' Group A finale against Panama on Monday in Kansas City, a tilt that is now meaningless for the hosts as far as the standings go. That won't be the case for los Canaleros, however, who will have everything to play for at Sporting Park.
It's an ideal situation for Klinsmann, who will be able to rest Guzan, Dempsey and Michael Bradley if he chooses, while giving others another chance to put forth a better effort and improve on what they showed in the first two games. That's important because ...
2. Reserves fail to grab their opportunity
Only three outfield players who started the Americans' Gold Cup opener against Honduras -- Bradley, Dempsey and Jozy Altidore -- started against the Haitians. Yet the seven newcomers in the lineup did little to convince Klinsmann that they must be in the lineup when the competition knockout stage begins next weekend.
The performances weren't all bad. The defensive line of Brad Evans, Omar Gonzalez, Tim Ream and Greg Garza -- a group that had never played together before and the 13th different back line the U.S. has used in the 15 games since last summer's World Cup -- settled down after allowing the visitors two golden chances inside the first 20 minutes. Garza -- who unfortunately for him appears to be competing this month with automatic starter Fabian Johnson for the left-back job -- picked up a gorgeous secondary assist two minutes into the second half with a beautiful ball to Gyasi Zardes (who had replaced Altidore at halftime), who set up Dempsey for the opener. And Ream, making his first U.S. start in over four years, acquitted himself well in place of John Brooks.
Aron Johannsson, middle, showed flashes of what he can bring to the U.S., but failed to make his mark on the match.
But Mix Diskerud was dispossessed repeatedly on the right side of the midfield, and Graham Zusi barely got a touch on the ball on the left until after the U.S. had taken the lead. And while Aron Johannsson showed flashes and was denied what should have been a goal by an erroneous offside call in the 36th minute, he didn't officially register a shot on goal all night.
3. Altidore still nowhere near his best
His first career match against his parents' homeland was supposed to be a special moment for the 25-year-old. Instead, it was a night to forget.
It's no secret that Altidore came into the tournament lacking match fitness after being slowed by the hamstring injury he suffered in May. But while Klinsmann talked about using both games and training sessions to build his target striker back up, one has to wonder how much Altidore -- who admitted to still being sore on Thursday, two days after the Honduras game -- will be able to help the U.S. given his performance on Friday. His mobility was clearly limited, both in making runs on the rare first-half occasions the home team was able to keep possession of the ball inside the Haitian half, and in pressuring defenders.
It was no surprise that he was yanked at the break. And given the immediate impact Zardes was able to make up front (he was deployed on the wing to much lesser effect on Tuesday), will the coach go right back to Altidore against Panama next week? If Klinsmann does, it's fair to question how much of an impact Altidore can reasonably be expected to make.
The Manhattan Supreme Court has ordered 50 Cent to pay Lavonia Leviston, Rick Ross' baby mama, $5 million in damages for uploading her sex tape to the internet in 2009. According to reports, $2.5 million of the sum is for "violating her civil rights for using her image without her permission," and the other $2.5 million is for "intentional infliction of emotional distress." Leviston's lawyer originally sought $20 million total in damages.
50 was absent during the court proceedings, not attending to testify nor hear the verdict. He has denied publishing the tape online, though it undeniably features 50 Cent in his "Pimpin' Curly" outfit providing commentary from start to finish.
An Arizona grandfather and grandson who went hiking in the desert near Gila Bend were found dead Thursday, The Arizona Republic reported.
A spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said that Thomas Gillespie, 64, and Robert Miller, 12, were reported missing around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday by the boy’s mother after she had not heard from them in over 24 hours.
A manager from the hotel where pair was staying told authorities that he saw them head out on Tuesday around 9 a.m. He believed they were headed to hike and take photos of the Mormon Battalion trail, named after a part of the U.S. military during the Mexican-American War.
Deputies found Gillespie’s car around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The pair was believed to have walked about 5 or 6 miles before turning back toward the trailhead.
The spokesman said that Gillespie collapsed within a half-mile of the turnaround point while the grandson was found collapsed 1 1/2 miles from the trailhead.
When deputies discovered the grandfather and the grandson, neither had a phone, food or water with them. It was not clear if the pair started the hike with supplies.
As part of his plans to actualise his campaign promise to free funds for the delivery of democracy dividends, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo have reduced their salaries by 50%.
The current annual salary of the President as published by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, is N14,058,820.00 but with the reduction, he will earn N7,029,410 a year or N28,117,640 in four years. According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the letter detailing the presidential decision was delivered by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi.
The letter reads
“I write to forward the completed IPPIS registration form of Mr. President and to draw your kind attention to Mr. President’s directive that only 50 per cent of his salary be paid to him”.
The move is expected to be emulated by a host of Nigerian leaders in due course. Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu,also slashed his salary by 50 % in view of the dwindling economic fortunes of the country.
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, on the other hand, ordered that the salaries of political office holders in the state to be suspended until civil servants have been paid. He gave this order last Thursday.
Last week, President Buhari directed the release of about N414 billion as bailout to states to pay the backlog of salaries they were owing civil servants.
SOUTHAMPTON will not take legal action against Atletico Madrid over the transfer of Toby Alderweireld to Tottenham, according to executive director Les Reed.
Southampton will not take legal action against Atletico Madrid over the sale of Toby Alderweireld
But it soon became clear to Reed and the club that the 26-year-old preferred to move to White Hart Lane and Southampton were powerless to stop it.
Reed told Sky Sports: "There's nothing to sue Atletico for because we could have had a deal in place, and I have to say Atletico have been exceptionally professional all the way through.
"Whilst the legal representatives from both sides were discussing the pros and cons of a legal argument, I was having very good conversations with them about the potential of making a market price offer and sealing a transfer for Toby.
"But it was the fact that Toby had decided to go to Spurs, regardless of contract salary and everything else, that meant that it was pointless trying to take any more legal action, because our argument was then not with Atletico."
FORMER Chelsea man Frank Lampard's debut for New York City FC is set to be delayed.
Lampard was due to make his debut for NYC FC in their clash against Toronto FC on Sunday, however the former Chelsea midfielder will miss out after picking up a calf injury during training.
“I’m hugely disappointed to be missing out on Sunday’s game, which I have been really looking forward to," Lampard said.
“I’ve been feeling great in training and have loved working with the squad. Unfortunately I sustained a small strain to my calf during a session.
“Whilst I’ve been taking it day by day since then and have been involved in light training, I’ve just been advised by the medical team that it needs a few days’ rest for it to heal fully.
Frank Lampard's debut for NYC has been delayed because of a calf injury
“As I say, it’s personally very disappointing for me but these things happen in football. The good news is that I should be back in full training next week.
“While I was desperate to play a role on Sunday, I have to take the advice of our medical team to let it heal and not risk further injury so I can get back on the pitch and play a full role as soon as possible.”
45-year-old rapper and business mogul Jay Z was seen walking to a private jet with his daughter Blue Ivy as they were headed to the Hamptons. He threw Blue Ivy into the air as they both laughed. Too cute! More photos after the cut..
The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ohanaeze Youth Council, has said that the All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is behind the plot to remove Ike Ekweremadu as the deputy senate president.
In a statement issued in Umuahia, the OYC National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, asked Tinubu and other “anti- Igbo forces in APC” to retrace their steps or face the wrath of Igbo youths.
Isiguzoro said the plot to remove Ekweremadu was an affront on the Igbo nation which would not be tolerated.
He said, “Being fully aware that the present plot is being orchestrated by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, we ask him to re-trace his steps forthwith or we shall declare him an enemy of Ndigbo.”
Isiguzoro, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to caution Tinubu and other anti-Ekweremadu forces in order to avoid actions that might further overheat the polity.
He said, “We are aware that Buhari is under intense pressure to endorse the ‘Ekweremadu must go plot.’ This is the time for the President to prove that he belongs to nobody, Tinubu inclusive, but that he belongs to everybody, Ndigbo inclusive.”
Also, another Igbo group, Izu-Umunna Cultural Association, asked the APC to accept the election of Ekweremadu as the deputy senate president as the will of God.
The association also asked the Federal Government to relocate the Boko Haram detainees from Ekwulobia prison facilities in the South-East because their presence had been creating tension in the region.
According to him, the presence of the Boko Haram detainees is like spreading the virus of terrorism to a region not known to such a trend.
In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Ugo Ihekuna, and Secretary-General, Chief Elvis Chukwu, the association attributed the crisis in the senate to the handiwork of politicians who wanted things to always go their own way.
No fewer than 12 persons suspected to be oil workers have died in a pipeline explosion in Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Also, three unidentified persons were injured in the explosion, which occurred on Thursday night along the Tebidaba-Azuzuama trunk line belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company.
The explosion took place at an oil spill site operated by Agip where a joint investigation visit was ongoing.
Officials of Agip, representatives of the host community and Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment were investigating the cause of a recent oil spill in the area.
According to a statement by an Eni spokesperson, Mr. Filipo Cotalini, the parent company of NAOC, the cause of the explosion is being investigated.
Cotalini said, “An explosion occurred on Thursday, July 9, 2015, late afternoon, at the site of the repair works of the Tebidaba-Clough Creek line, an oil pipeline in Nigeria’s onshore Niger Delta, previously damaged by acts of sabotage.
“The explosion resulted in the death of 12 members of the maintenance team of a local service company, with three others being injured.
“The causes of the incident are still under investigation by both Eni and the local authorities.
“The company expresses its deepest condolences to the families involved in this tragic accident.”
But community sources said the explosion occurred during a joint investigation visit for the official clamping of a spillage site along the route of the Agip pipeline.
They said the victims of the explosion were burnt beyond recognition.
Though no one could confirm the identities of the victims, it was gathered that the joint investigation team was made up of officials from the Ministry of the Environment, Department of Petroleum Resources, NAOC, representative of the Azuzuama Community and the NOSDRA.
It was further learnt that two soldiers attached to the team for security cover might have also been killed in the explosion.
A former Vice-Chairman, Azuzuama Community Development Committee, Dennis Dumde, confirmed the recovery of 12 bodies from the explosion site between Thursday night and Friday morning.
He said though the source of the fire was still unknown, the identities of the victims could not be ascertained as they were burnt beyond recognition.
Also confirming the incident, the State Coordinator, Environmental Right Action, Mr. Alagoa Morris, said a team of government officials had been deployed to the community by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Inuro Wills.
The police spokesperson, Mr. Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident.
He said the incident occurred while Agip workers were carrying out routine maintenance at Gbaraun/Tebidaba.
He said 12 persons, including a soldier were burnt beyond recognition. According to him, six other bodies were recovered while four persons were rescued alive and were undergoing treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
Nemesis in the mythology of ancient Greece was known as the goddess of vengeance. In more contemporary terms, nemesis is defined as the principle of retributive justice. It can also be described as a punishment or a defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided. Karma, which in many ways is similar to nemesis, can be simply defined as what you sow is what you will most certainly reap. I’m a firm believer in both tenets as all religions in the world are based solidly on these principles.
A large dose of both have been introduced in the matter of Stephen Keshi and his erstwhile employers the Nigeria Football Federation. The facts of the issue that broke the proverbial camel’s back are not in dispute. Keshi’s name somehow cropped up on a not so shortlist of 59 coaches. All of whom happened to be applying for the post of manager of the Ivorian national team. The second clear set of facts is that the said application was submitted on June 11, a couple of months after Keshi signed a contract to coach the Super Eagles and two days before the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad in Kaduna on June 13.
The facts end there where speculation and conjecture take over. Both Keshi and his agent Emmanuel Ado vehemently denied ever applying for the Ivory Coast post. However, subsequent investigations by the NFF’s Disciplinary Committee show an application was submitted, purportedly on Keshi’s behalf by another agent Herman Bruce Da Silva. Ado claims he is Keshi’s sole agent/representative and the only person that hold’s Keshi’s power of attorney. Thus implying Da Souza is a fraud. Where does the truth lie?
I have been hugely critical of Keshi in the past but on this matter I have some empathy for him. Right now the Ivorian job is as attractive, if not more, than the Eagles job. After all, they are the reigning African champions. Every man has the right to better his circumstances. I work withSuperSport now, but if ESPN or Sky Sports came calling, I’d be off like a flash! Inexplicably (and most unfortunately for Keshi) the Ivorian FA decided to make the list of coaches who applied for the job public. The essence of such complicated manoeuvering is that the applicant (if already employed) is usually guaranteed a measure of confidentiality. Once the confidentiality is removed, you’re exposed to being labelled a malcontent, a disloyal employee and open to any form of censure your employers deem fit. That’s where nemesis and Karma come in to play. Why did the Ivorian FA decide to go public with the list? Why did Da Souza apply on Keshi’s behalf if not instructed to do so?
The reality of the Keshi situation nevertheless is a wrong has finally been righted. This murky situation gave the NFF the perfect excuse to dispense with his services. They never wanted him anyway. The NFF rightly sacked him after the Sudan game last September but were forced into a humiliating volte face shortly after by political exigencies, way too complex to go into here. Just like a goat being prepared for a barbeque, Keshi decided to douse himself in palm oil.
Although better late than never, Keshi’s sacking in my opinion is almost a year overdue.
I’ve been accused in certain quarters (even by some of my readers) of having a personal vendetta against Keshi. Nothing of the sort, I have immense respect for the man for his exploits on and off the pitch. But as Super Eagles coach he has been found wanting. As a football pundit I’m obliged to be both objective and dispassionate in my analysis of events. Keshi should have been sacked on his return from Brazil. I watched all the Eagles’ games in Brazil and apart from our game against Argentina in Porto Alegre (where we played really well but still lost) were a veritable shambles. His selection was suspicious and tainted. Some of the players he took to Brazil have disappeared completely off the radar.
Even though I campaigned relentlessly against his getting a new deal, I was ready to support him but I guess Big Boss was too set in his ways. The lure of imposing strange players on the national team was too strong. A clubless player Gabriel Okechukwu actually sat on the bench for our last game, wearing the number 10 jersey. How he got to be there is anybody’s guess.
I’m not gloating about Keshi’s sacking but I won’t shed any tears about his departure.
Rather I heave a huge sigh of relief.
I really don’t care who coaches the Super Eagles, be he indigenous or foreign. I would like the new coach to instill the three Ds – Discipline, Dedication and Desire back into our national team.
Raheem Sterling is pushing for a move to Manchester City
But despite the strong interest from City, and Sterling's recent behaviour, Liverpool's owners are desperate not to let him leave.
And according to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group want £50m or nothing and could make him stay in the reserves after his recent antics.
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale says he “cannot wait” for the new season and is determined to challenge for the Champions League again.
The world’s most expensive player lifted the trophy in his first campaign with the Spanish giants after scoring in the 4-1 final victory over neighbours Atletico Madrid, according to Goal.
Madrid endured a tough campaign in 2014-15, however, finishing empty-handed while watching Barcelona romp to the treble, and Bale himself came in for some stinging criticism for his form after the turn of the year.
But the Wales forward is determined to challenge for continental supremacy next season under new coach Rafa Benitez, writing on Twitter, “Had a great summer but can not wait to get back in to the season and challenge for Undecima.”
Bale notched 17 goals and 12 assists last season as Madrid finished second to Barcelona in La Liga and were knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals by Juventus.
CARSON, Calif. -- For the second time in eight years, the Los Angeles Galaxy has signed England's former soccer captain, but for anyone seeking a version of David Beckham 2.0, Steven Gerrard is not your guy.
Beckham is a friend of Gerrard, a stalwart of English Premier League side Liverpool and the national team for more than a decade, and the pair spoke before Gerrard completed his deal to join the Galaxy for 18 months, starting with a friendly game against Mexico's Club America on Saturday.
Yet despite a similarly lofty status in the soccer world, the two Brits are likely to discover their experiences in Tinseltown to be very different.
Because while Gerrard has found his early days in Los Angeles equal parts appealing and confusing - wonderful weather, miserable traffic - amid wondering whether the rumors of a local burger chain having a "secret" menu are true or a practical joke from his teammates - there is one immediate plus in settling into a city he had never even visited.
"It has been nice for the first time to take the kids to a fairground on Santa Monica pier," Gerrard told USA TODAY Sports. "It is something I've never been able to do in England. It's good that not many people notice me out here, because away from training and the games it is nice to go and spend some quality time with your family as well. That has been a surprise for me."
Anonymity was never going to be an option for Beckham, not after his arrival in the summer of 2007 was kicked off with a spectacular ceremony attended by 600 photographers, quickly followed by a party thrown by Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, appearances on the couches of Jay Leno and Ellen De Generes and an ill-fated reality television show featuring his wife Victoria, aka Posh Spice.
Such was the nature of the Beckham show, and such was the reality of American soccer back then, before big name arrivals of this stature ceased to be such a novelty and when breathless delirium was still the customary response.
Gerrard's media unveiling this week was more about friendly and functional than festival. His reasons for coming to America are plain and forthright and carry no empty promise to have a transformative effect on American soccer. Simply, the 35-year-old was told he would no longer be first choice at Liverpool and felt he had more to offer than a role off the bench. He's here to contribute, and to win.
New Galaxy midfielder Steven Gerrard can enjoy long walks on the beach without much hassle in Los Angeles.
"I had conversations with [Liverpool head coach] Brendan Rodgers, who handled the whole situation really well and was very respectful to me," Gerrard said. "The conversations were along the lines of 'I want you to become more of a squad player and maybe play less time on the pitch.'
"That was the key to me. I don't feel as if I was ready for that. I wanted to be a regular and carry on playing. It was time for a change. I needed a new challenge and a fresh start."
Discussion with Galaxy coach Bruce Arena and the front office were markedly different. Arena sees Gerrard as pivotal asset, both in terms of being a midfield creator and a senior voice of reason in the locker room.
He told Gerrard that such responsibility would be expected. It was the right sales pitch. "I still want that on my shoulders," Gerrard said.
Beckham's tenure in L.A. ultimately came to be considered a success after a pair of demoralizing early years was followed by two titles to cap off his stint in MLS. Gerrard comes into a far more stable situation where the Galaxy is the reigning league champion, having beaten the New England Revolution in last year's final. While teams like the Seattle Sounders, Toronto FC and MLS newcomers New York City FC are scattering money to bring in star names, everyone is still chasing the Galaxy's coattails.
Having won the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup - but never the Premier League - during his career with Liverpool, Gerrard has no plans to allow his switch to sunnier climes be viewed as a vacation.
"I just don't want my last couple of years to fizzle out and go into that comfort zone of plodding along," he said. "It was important that I come in to an environment where they are used to winning, a successful team. I want to go out with a win and make sure I add some trophies to my winning collection."
City have already had two bids rejected for the striker and are holding out for their £50m valuation of the England international.
The Daily Mirror report the Reds' owners Fenway Sports Group are prepared to leave the wantaway attacker in the reserves after his recent antics rather than let him leave on the cheap.
And Roma are reportedly considering a move for Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah.
Salah spent the second half of last season on loan at Fiorentina.
Panama held on to secure a 1-1 draw against Honduras in their second Group A game at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Friday.
Luis Tejada opened the scoring for Panama in the 21st minute with a close-range effort into the bottom-right corner of Donis Escober's net off a set piece.
Panama tried their best to keep hold of the three points, but Honduras snatched a share of the spoils just nine minutes from time.
Off another set piece, Andy Najar's left-footed effort from the center of the box couldn't be saved by Panama's Jaime Penedo.
Panama, with two points, will play the United States in their final group match on Monday, while Honduras (one point) will play Haiti in the finale.
Ahead of each Premier League campaign, various players are supposedly set for a "make-or-break" year, according to season previews.
The player in question is usually a young footballer who has been around for a few seasons but hasn't fulfilled his initial promise, prompting questions about his long-term future. Jack Wilshere, for example, has had at least three "make-or-break" seasons in succession, which essentially summarises how the situation doesn't make sense for a player of his age. There's always another year, another chance.
Make-or-break years apply better with veterans. Then, there's often no second chance, no opportunity to redeem themselves. When it comes to achieving their career goals, it's now or never -- or, if you like, make or break.
A perfect example was Steven Gerrard's 2014. It's difficult to think of an established player enjoying, or enduring, such a tumultuous year. Gerrard's legacy as a Liverpool legend was confirmed long ago. The events of 2014 would decide Gerrard's true standing in football: as a widely admired club legend with a couple of asterisks against his name, or an undisputed champion.
As Gerrard woke on the morning of Jan. 1, 2014, he had no idea how eventful the year would be. At that stage, Liverpool were fifth in the Premier League, one point behind city rivals Everton, and therefore roughly where everyone expected. There were few signs a title challenge was around the corner.
Gerrard's first league start of 2014 was significant. For the trip to Stoke City, Brendan Rodgers planned to use his captain in an all-new role: at the base of a three-man midfield, the position popularised by Andrea Pirlo. Gerrard had played in a defensive midfield role as a tough-tackling, energetic youngster, but gradually became more comfortable higher up the pitch, showcasing his dynamism, creativity and goal-scoring ability.
This was an enormous transformation. As rumours of Liverpool's tactical shift gathered on the morning of the game, it was difficult to believe a player frequently criticised for his lack of tactical discipline would be trusted in the deepest midfield role. When the team sheet was released, and Lucas Leiva started, it seemed unlikely the Brazilian would be deployed in a box-to-box role with Gerrard behind him.
Steven Gerrard impressed in his debut as Liverpool's deep-lying playmaker.
But that's precisely what happened, with Lucas returning to the role where he made his name in Brazil, and Gerrard as the deep-lying playmaker.
That contest at the Britannia was bonkers -- there was no shape to the game, it was end-to-end throughout and featured four goals in either half. It was 2-2 by halftime and 5-3 Liverpool at full time. Liverpool had prevailed, not necessarily because they functioned better as a team, but because they had superior individuals in the final third. This match defined Liverpool for the rest of the season: it was all-out attack. If you score three, we'll score five.
For Gerrard, too, it set the tone. Defensively he was suspect, narrowly avoiding an own goal thanks to a superb Simon Mignolet save. Yet his attack-minded mentality suited Liverpool's offensive game plan, and he also scored a penalty, a key theme of his 2014: on the score sheet despite contributing little in open play. Of his 17 goals in the calendar year, 12 were penalties, three were free kicks and another was a header from a corner.
Nevertheless, Gerrard was widely praised for his performance. "He has got the personality to play in that controlling role," said Rodgers after the game. "He gives us great variety in his passing. We saw today he picked it up from deep and stretched the game with his vision and quality."
That was now Gerrard's role, and for all his defensive inadequacies, his leadership was vital throughout this period, especially considering the retirement of Jamie Carragher the previous summer. Liverpool's captain was substituted only three times until the end of the campaign, always at a stage when Liverpool were at least three goals ahead.
The following match, at home against Aston Villa, displayed the problem with Gerrard in front of the defence. He didn't position himself well enough to receive passes to start attacks (something Lucas is very good at, even if he lacks Gerrard's passing range) and Villa dominated, going 2-0 up. Then, Rodgers rejigged and pushed Gerrard further up. Here, he inspired a fight back from his more traditional position, and inevitably scored the equaliser from the penalty spot in a 2-2 draw.
At some point, Rodgers decided Liverpool would attempt to blitz opponents in the opening minutes. This suited Gerrard; although he didn't have the mobility of his younger years, he could still turn in excellent short bursts, help put Liverpool on the attack and then sit back and conserve energy.
Liverpool's key victories during this period came in staggeringly open matches, but this suited a side with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, the Premier League's two top goal scorers that campaign. There's an element of chicken and egg here, of course, but Rodgers' system almost felt accidental, an attempt to cram all his best attacking talents into the team at the expense of discipline.
For the 4-0 win over Everton, for example, he played Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, Suarez and Sturridge. That's basically three attacking midfielders and three forwards.
The opening blitzes worked incredibly well, though. They were 3-0 up vs. Everton inside 35 minutes, 4-0 up vs. Arsenal inside 20, 2-0 up vs. Swansea inside 20, 2-0 up vs. Tottenham inside 25. Sometimes they faded in the second half, but they'd already won the game. The pattern continued, with a few exceptions, right up until the 3-2 victory over Manchester City, one of the most intense games in Premier League history, almost forgotten because of the subsequent match against Chelsea.
Even when Liverpool were winning, however, there was a concern about Gerrard in that deep role. Liverpool somehow managed a 3-0 victory over Southampton in St Mary's on a horrible, cold Saturday evening despite Gerrard being given the runaround by future teammate Adam Lallana. Had Lallana scored, rather than hit the post, from point-blank range toward the end of the first half, Gerrard's problems might have been highlighted more widely.
The 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal summarised Gerrard and Liverpool. Gerrard's main contribution was from dead balls, curling in two excellent free kicks for Martin Skrtel to head in. But he was actually the least important member of Liverpool's midfield or attack and struggled defensively, bringing down Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with a clumsy tackle, for a Mikel Arteta consolation from the spot.
Yet it was still working. Liverpool had won 5-1, after all. Football isn't always about logic; it's also about emotion, determination and maybe even fate. And those three things were on Gerrard's side, right until the infamous match against Chelsea.
Liverpool went into that game, typically, with two consecutive 3-2 wins when they'd started strongly, gone ahead, lost control but squeezed over the line. Against Chelsea, however, they faced a challenge they hadn't really encountered all season, against a team determined to sit back, soak up pressure and presumably play for a 0-0. This appeared to be something no one had truly considered.
Steven Gerrard's mistakes in Liverpool's hosting of Chelsea cost him his best chance at a Premier League trophy.
It's questionable whether Jose Mourinho's ultradefensive strategy was genius. Ultimately, it's impossible to ignore Gerrard's mistake for Demba Ba's opener, which will, somewhat cruelly, become one of the Premier League's most replayed moments. This mistake has widely been termed a slip, but it's actually a little more than that. The slip was only the second part of the error.
The first was Gerrard letting the ball roll under his foot, failing to trap the ball as he'd intended. The reason for that unsuccessful trap, the most basic piece of football control, is that he was already looking upfield, ready to launch a long diagonal pass.
Unfortunately, at that point he was also acting as Liverpool's primary defender, and it was somehow symbolic of Liverpool's downfall that Gerrard was caught napping defensively while trying to attack. The slip itself was unfortunate, perhaps the result of simple panic. The fact Gerrard had celebrated the victory over City by huddling his teammates together and warning them "this doesn't slip" was an irony not lost upon rival supporters.
The killer was Liverpool's 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace the following Monday night. The effect of this game has been both overstated and understated by various parties. On one hand, yes, even had Liverpool won that match, they still wouldn't have won the title, because Manchester City had a superior goal difference.
However, at that stage Manchester City still had two matches to go, and while they were both winnable home games, City had a deserved reputation for bottling it spectacularly against weaker sides, to the extent that even their dramatic title victory two years before, against a relegation-threatened QPR, was essentially a ludicrous escape from a position they'd never been on. A Liverpool win would have piled on the pressure.
Liverpool probably drew that Crystal Palace match, having been 3-0 up, because they were trying to make up goal difference on Manchester City. Although the deficit was considerable, Liverpool were scoring goals at a rate the Premier League had rarely seen before, and their final day opponents, Newcastle, were regularly losing 3-0 and 4-0 against teams with little to play for. It wasn't inconceivable that Liverpool could run up a record score line on the final day, and against Palace they went for more goals. They ended up conceding three, and again, this served as a metaphor for their failure.
Gerrard had one consolation. Rather than spending the summer ruing his mistake, he was off to captain his country at the World Cup. This represented a huge opportunity: the international retirement of John Terry meant Gerrard was the side's undisputed leader, while he'd also emerged ahead of Frank Lampard in the decade-long debate about the two. This was Gerrard's time to shine.
Steven Gerrard's 2014 only got worse as he captained England to a humiliating group-stage exit.
His role was different. Having experimented with Gerrard in his new role, Roy Hodgson instead paired him with Henderson in a two-man midfield. While frequently cast as a defensive-minded manager, largely because of his unhappy spell at Liverpool, Hodgson's actual crime in Brazil was being too adventurous. The stunning form of Raheem Sterling meant Hodgson ended up playing four attackers, and England were too open, which helped to expose Gerrard.
Gerrard was underwhelming in the 2-1 defeat against Italy, then truly awful in the 2-1 defeat to Uruguay. Oscar Tabarez gave Edinson Cavani a man-marking brief, a role he played magnificently, following Gerrard across the pitch and completely nullifying England's midfield creativity. If Gerrard wasn't playing long passes, he wasn't doing much. Defensively, he'd struggled in the Premier League and was found wanting at the World Cup, and made mistakes for both goals. He lost a tackle against Nicolas Lodeiro for the first goal, then accidentally nodded on a long clearance for the second. Both goals were scored by Suarez. AS, the Spanish newspaper, considered Gerrard so bad that it refused to award him a mark out of 10.
Gerrard struggling against the man-marking was so obvious, that by the time he returned to Premier League action for Liverpool for 2014-15, his card was marked.
In the early-season defeat to Manchester City, he was pressured by Stevan Jovetic, who also scored two goals. Others followed: Gabriel Agbonlahor, Stewart Downing and Moussa Sissoko all performed man-marking jobs for Aston Villa, West Ham and Newcastle respectively in victories over Gerrard's Liverpool.
The previous season, the situation was clear: Gerrard was a benefit when Liverpool had possession, but a liability without the ball. Now, the man-marking negated any benefit and Liverpool were now simply carrying a player. Meanwhile, supporters of almost every Premier League club sang about Gerrard's slip.
The sad thing about Gerrard's exclusion from Liverpool's trip to play in the Bernabeu is that, by that point, he probably wasn't in Liverpool's best XI anyway. That doesn't necessarily excuse Rodgers' defeatist team selection, but the reason to include Gerrard was now solely about sentiment -- a veteran player wanting to play on a big stage.
Come the autumn of 2014, Steven Gerrard could hardly be considered in Liverpool's best XI.
And, when you've reached that point, when there's a strong call for the manager to actually weaken his XI for a big match simply to include a club legend for the sake of it, you're past the point of no return. Liverpool and Gerrard were done.
With Gerrard struggling in the deeper role, Rodgers experimented by playing him in a more advanced position again. He performed well higher up the pitch, with Lucas behind, in a 3-1 win at Leicester. From there, he scored his only goal from open play in 2014, but the reaction was startling -- the focus was on Gerrard, not the team. The BBC's match report was literally interrupted by a feature asking whether Gerrard was "back to his best," which was plainly ludicrous when you consider quite how good he'd been between 2004 and 2009.
The final nail in the coffin, fittingly, came in Liverpool's final game of 2014. This was the only match that year, in Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and World Cup, in which Gerrard didn't play a single minute. While he sat on the bench for the duration, Liverpool played their best football all season in a 4-1 thrashing of Swansea. Everything worked: Lallana and Coutinho drifted inside dangerously, Lucas held in midfield while Henderson, with the captain's armband, galloped forward. It was now official. Liverpool were better without Gerrard.
On the second day of 2015, Gerrard announced the inevitable: he was leaving Liverpool, to start a new adventure with LA Galaxy. The agreement had probably been in place for a while, but the timing couldn't have been more apt.
In the space of 12 months, Gerrard found a new position, epitomised the most unlikely title challenge for years, scored crucial goals from the penalty spot to make himself a hero, committed the error widely considered to have cost Liverpool the title, took England into a World Cup as captain, was England's weakest player as they were the first side eliminated, returned home to find everyone had sussed out his weakness, found himself out of the Liverpool team and eventually felt compelled to leave the club he'd been with since the age of 9.
That, more than anything else imaginable, is a make-or-break year.
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