Liverpool vs. Everton: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More
By
(Featured Columnist) on April 12, 2012
Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
The Merseyside Derby is often not given its due credit, especially recently, but surely stands as a rivalry like few others. Though this FA Cup semifinal will be played at Wembley Stadium, you can expect plenty of red and blue to be present as Liverpool and Everton are two of the best supported teams in the whole league.
Liverpool comes into the match in poor form, needing a last-minute goal against Blackburn to keep them from going winless in five straight. Things were further complicated this morning by the long-time coming departure of Damien Comolli, the club's football director.
Everton on the other hand is enjoying a nice spell of form. They are unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 matches, keeping seven clean sheets in that span and giving them the best defensive record, apart from those two teams from Manchester. However, that one loss did come against Liverpool.
The winner of this matchup will face off in the FA Cup final against the winner of Chelsea and Tottenham game. Though both teams were probably hoping for more this season, they will happily take the game's oldest trophy.
Here is everything you need to know about the match
Where: Wembley Stadium, London
When: Saturday, April 14, 7:30 a.m. EDT
Watch: Fox Soccer Channel
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Player to Watch: Andy Carroll
It may have not been the kind of performance Liverpool was hoping for, but Carroll's last-minute header got them a vital win heading into this FA Cup semifinal. The striker has been a bust since his £35 million move from Newcastle, but shows signs of getting back into form.
He improved the past few games and has been known to score when it is most needed. With a stingy Everton defense, he could get the start with the hope that he will continue his form and bolster his confidence with perhaps his most important match in a Liverpool jersey thus far.
With that said, he may also be benched as Kenny Dalglish would not want to take a risk on him suffering another poor 90 minutes. Even then there is a good chance of seeing him come on late to either find a goal or secure the win.
Stats Tell the Story
Despite Liverpool's superior history in relation to Everton, neither side has ever been able to fully get the upper hand in the FA Cup. Their overall record in the competition is nearly split at nine wins for Liverpool, seven wins for Everton and six draws.
What They're Saying
The departure of Comolli is something many saw coming. However, the time when the club chose to do it was odd given the upcoming fixture. The team would seem to want as little distraction as possible ahead of the semifinal. Captain Steven Gerrard has commented on the recent events by asking his team to remain focused:
Who will make the FA Cup final?
· Liverpool
79.2%
· Everton
20.8%
Total votes: 414
It's another important game for us players, we need to try and forget it's Everton and just focus on a really tough game on the day. We realise that it's important not to get ahead of ourselves.
Well spoken from the mouth of a true legend.
Prediction
Everton 2-0 Liverpool
Liverpool will again find themselves faltering as the defense for Everton becomes too much and frustrates them into giving up easy goals at their end. David Moyes has his side playing some of their best football right now and totally focused on the task at hand. Expect to see them in the finals.
No comments:
Post a Comment