And here’s your match report:
“Not everyone wants Liverpool to win,” protests Gloria Greppi.
No, but no one wants to see the sort of injury that was inflicted on Larouci tonight, and it seems a failure of karma that Sevilla scored a late winner.
No matter -- Liverpool will move on with its preseason tour before welcoming its star players for the start of the season proper next month. They may wonder why they can’t do well whenever they visit their corporate brethren in Boston, but they have bigger trophies to chase and defend.
Thanks for following along with us tonight, and if you’re in the USA, may your air conditioning hold out for another week or so.
FULL TIME: Liverpool 1-2 Sevilla
If this were a Champions League game, Liverpool fans would worry about the result.
But it’s a friendly, which means they’ll just worry about the injury to Larouci on a horror tackle. And they’ll worry about their defense, which looked as shaky as it did before Liverpool broke open the wallets to shore things up at the back.
90 +4 min: Good ball in from Ryan Kent, and the Sevilla keeper fools no one by pretending to be injured on the routine catch. Boston/Liverpool fans are having none of it.
90+2 min: We’re into the second minute of a promised five, and Joe Gomez flings a throw-in well into the area.
GOAL: Liverpool 1-2 Sevilla (Pozo 90)
Direct ball, Liverpool apparently can’t locate a right back, the ball is quickly crossed, and Mignolet can do nothing to prevent an unworthy result.
89 min: A bit of optimism here for Liverpool ...
@duresport Young Ryan Kent may yet get chances to core. Albeit off limited evidence in a friendly, but he looks like he does Coutinho type things at 1/10th the cost of the actual Coutinho.
— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) July 21, 2019
87 min: El Haddadi sweeps the leg on Duncan. Liverpool might be happy to get out of this without another injury. In the first half, the commentators were complaining a bit much, but Sevilla have gone out for blood in the second half.
85 min: Sevilla have switched to the traditional 8-1-0 formation. Liverpool impressively pass around the defenders but can’t create a decent chance.
82 min: And yet, Liverpool’s defense have not impressed here. Young left back Adam Lewis has to scramble to keep a cross from being turned in from five years out.
80 min: Bobby Duncan will get a few minutes here under the sad circumstances of the Larouci injury. We’re back underway, and play is all in Sevilla’s half.
Red card! Joris Gnagnon (76 min)
Joris Gnagnon is sent off for for an MMA/kickboxing-style kick to Larouci’s leg.
The crowd groans with two replays of the incident. Gnagnon apparently hasn’t looked, as he spends a while arguing with the ref.
The stretcher has come out for Larouci. It was a simply outrageous play.
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73 min: Liverpool are off to the races, with Ryan Kent slaloming through the midfield and handing it off to Milner, who plays ahead for Jones. The young Liverpool prospect doesn’t have a great shooting angle, so he plays it back to Milner, whose shot is blocked.
70 min: Liverpool defender Ki-Jana Hoever gets the worst of an aerial collision and is down for treatment. The referee decides it’s a good time for a water break.
69 min: Chance for Curtis Jones, who brings the ball down nicely at the corner of the goal area and immediately shoots. Tomáš Vaclík, Sevilla’s entrenched starter in goal, makes the solid close-range save.
65 min: The Liverpool youngsters -- Larouci, Curtis Jones, Ryan Kent and Adam Lewis -- have strung together a few passing combinations. Not quite breaking through, but it’s engaging and may eventually lead somewhere.
62 min: But after bringing on a strong attacker, Sevilla go on the defensive, packing eight players at the top of the area. Liverpool still win a corner and then regain possession.
It’s Yasser Larouci who ends up with the ball, and like Kent, he shows off his capacity to make a strong run forward but might consider sending the ball elsewhere before running into trouble.
60 min: Two more changes for Sevilla, taking out two players carried over from the second half (Ocampos, Jordan), and bringing on leading scorer Wissam Ben Yedder.
58 min: Mignolet is called into action again, this time on a corner kick floating to an awkward spot near the back post.
Sevilla are simply picking apart the Liverpool defense at the moment.
55 min: Two big saves by Mignolet! Sevilla break forward, and El Haddadi takes a powerful shot from the top of the area. Mignolet parries. The rebound goes to Vazquez, whose shot is a little tamer and is smothered by the Liverpool keeper.
52 min: Ryan Kent makes a strong run between two defenders, one of whom decides he must be held back. Liverpool take advantage of the free kick to knock the ball around at the back. It’s a possession drill.
51 min: At last, confirmation that Banega’s evening is finished.
⌚️ Arranca la segunda mitad.
— Sevilla Fútbol Club (@SevillaFC) July 21, 2019
Lopetegui conforma ahora al #SevillaFC con: Vaclík, Corchia, Koundé, Kjaer, Escudero, Jordán, Óliver, Franco Vázquez, Ocampos, Munir y Dabbur. #WeareSevilla #SevillaFCUSTour pic.twitter.com/nSKPQ7ylVa
50 min: Ian Copestake has some insight into Sevilla’s substitutions: “You may see Klopp come on in the second half to take out Banega himself.”
I’d have to think Banega would have been sent off if this weren’t a friendly in which the ref was pretty sure Banega was leaving at halftime, anyway. might as well let Sevilla play with 11 in the second half.
Ocampos has NOT left the field, and Milner slides to block his shot at uncomfortably close range.
46 min: We’re underway and desperately hoping Sevilla’s Twitter feed informs us of their lineup changes.
Liverpool’s second-half lineup
Only 11.
Eleven changes at HT. Here's how we line-up for the second half 👇#LFCPreSeason🇺🇸 https://t.co/zrzz2tTfaO
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 21, 2019
@duresport "You can’t say that was coming, because it wasn’t."
— DJ Midlife Crisis (@waiworinao) July 21, 2019
Is it ever, with Origi? Liverpool can never sell him.
Fair enough. They can probably afford to keep him.
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Everyone ready for waves of halftime subs?
It’ll take a while for us to get to them all.
HALFTIME: Liverpool 1-1 Sevilla
Lonergan makes another save as a ball caroms to Ocampos, 20 yards out. That’s the last kick of the game.
We have confirmation that Wilson scored the goal against Borussia Dortmund:
45+1 min: We’ll get two minutes of added time, which is considerably shorter than the water break actually was.
Wilson cuts in from the right to unleash a powerful shot, but he’s developing a tendency of smacking the ball straight into defenders.
Then Wilson gets a nice unnecessary slap in the face from Banega as they race along the touchline. Banega may be lucky not to get a second yellow.
Our announcers say a few unpleasant things about South Americans.
GOAL: Liverpool 1-1 Sevilla (Origi 44)
You can’t say that was coming, because it wasn’t. It’s a scrappy set piece, with Alexander-Arnold’s corner kick finding the head of the rising Phillips. The ball bounds up into a Sevilla defender’s arm, but it’s safe to say Liverpool won’t argue with the referee allowing play to continue another second for the unmarked Origi to thump the ball into the net.
The crowd chant Origi’s name.
43 min: My theory of the half so far is that the teams have opted to play in Liverpool’s half because it’s in the shade.
Jon Faris writes: “I was at the match Friday. Wilson was wrongly credited with a goal, #40, Kent scored the goal. The announcer corrected himself after wrongly crediting Wilson, but, at halftime and after fulltime, Wilson was again wrongly credited. Granted Kent will not make the big club, but cut the kid some slack will ya? It may just be the highlight of his career.”
Did anyone writing about the match make the correction?
41 min: Liverpool’s second-half players must be relishing the chance to make an impression here.
Nolito’s stay at Manchester City included a quip about the weather changing the color of his daughter’s face. He didn’t stay long.
GOAL!! Liverpool 0-1 Sevilla (Nolito 37)
Liverpool’s defense watches a cross roll through the area to Nolito, who curls a powerful shot into the top corner. Can’t say it wasn’t coming.
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35 min: Booking for Diego Carlos for swinging his arms back into a Liverpool player’s face. The free kick from 45 yards out is cleared, and Wijnaldum is brought down as he attempts to keep the ball in Sevilla’s half.
Van Dijk responds with a hard challenge of his own, and he also sees yellow.
33 min: Terrific control from Nolito, bringing down a long pass at the left side of the area, but his quick cross sails over de Jong’s head.
Liverpool have had maybe one half-chance in the last 20 minutes.
30 min: We resume with a Sevilla free kick and an offside call.
The green in the numbers on Liverpool’s new third kit roughly match the goalkeeping kit.
26 min: Water time. Did we mention the heat?
Even the grass is taking on some water, thanks to some sprinklers and a few folks with hoses.
And this has gone on for a couple of minutes now ...
24 min: Liverpool awaken and go storming the other way, with Andy Robertson finding space on the left and Jordan Henderson pouncing on a poor clearance.
It’s a pity most of these players will depart at the half. We’re seeing some promising attacks here.
23 min: Free kick for Sevilla, headed clear by Phillips but not too far, and the ball is played back into de Jong, whose header goes just wide.
The first five minutes belonged to Liverpool. The next 18 minutes have not.
21 min: Sevilla with a strong, patient buildup, switching play to their left and then centering. Many of these players are new to the club, but they’ve figured out some intriguing combinations.
19 min: A decent spell of possession for the Reds, er, Navy-and-Green, but Sevilla keep them at bay.
16 min: Ball played in to Ocampos, whose first touch knocks the ball straight up into his own hand.
Another whistle, and another adventure in playing the ball out of the back for Liverpool.
13 min: And it’s a big save for Lonergan after some comical defending from Liverpool. A giveaway at the edge of the area, then a pass slipped through a defender’s legs, and it’s Lonergan making himself big at point-blank range.
And another failure to play out of the back gives Ocampos a chance, which he puts just outside Lonergan’s right post.
Well now. This won’t be as easy as it seemed in the first five minutes.
11 min: A foul, a whistle, and a spike that sends the ball flying about 30 feet in the air. The latter earns Argentine defender Ever Banega a booking.
Replay shows the challenge was rather brutal. Our announcers say he’ll think he won the ball, but that doesn’t matter if you also smack into someone’s ankle.
Updated
10 min: If you were thinking the heat would lead to a patient match, you’re mistaken. De Jong finds space against van Dijk but makes a mess of the half-chance.
In fairness, most of the players out here now will be removed from the game at halftime.
8 min: Harry Wilson takes a free kick straight into the wall -- or at least a Sevilla player who has jumped a bit in front of where the wall was supposed to be. Our observant referee asks for a retake, and Wilson duly thumps it into the wall again.
6 min: Chance for Sevilla, and it’s defender Diego Carlos finding far too much space on a corner kick. He’ll be disappointed with that header, and Jurgen Klopp will be disappointed with the defending.
Updated
5 min: It’s a touch for Andy Lonergan, as Wijnaldum takes it backward and the defense take it further back.
Andy Lonergan is not to be confused with Mark Lanegan, lead singer of Seattle band Screaming Trees.
4 min: Chance for Liverpool as Divock Origi scotts past the defense but can only put his shot at Sergio Rico. The ensuing corner is uneventful, but Sevilla look shaky.
Updated
Our man Joe Pearson checks in: “Where is this on the TV dial? Bleacher Report says TNT, but that sure looks like “Snow White” to me. Help!”
Priorities, priorities.
You’ll need to go to Bleacher Report Live. They have apps for a couple of different platforms.
1 min: Chance for Liverpool. No surprise -- it’s Trent Alexander-Arnold across the mouth of the goal.
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Kickoff
We’re off, and the camera looks like it’s perched on a blimp.
You might know Sevilla’s coach
A few hints ...
He was Spain’s head coach heading into the 2018 World Cup, until he wasn’t. He was fired after announcing he was headed to Real Madrid.
His stay at Real Madrid was shorter than some summer camps.
Yes, it’s Julen Lopetegui. Think he’s motivated to get Sevilla into the Champions League?
Excessive heat warning ...
Current temperature is 93 degrees, and the National Weather Service has warned everyone in Boston about it.
In Celsius, that’s 34 degrees. That doesn’t sound any better.
Funny how 32 degrees is the threshold for “too cold” in Fahrenheit and “too hot” in Celsius. Such symmetry.
How do you turn a baseball stadium into a proper football ground?
Very carefully ...
.@LFC, we’re ready for you!
— Fenway Park (@fenwaypark) July 21, 2019
🎟 https://t.co/rbaKGLhny4 pic.twitter.com/J78Tzseilq
In the old days of the NASL, they didn’t even bother to cover the dirt.
Why is this game at hallowed baseball stadium Fenway Park?
Corporate synergy. The Boston Red Sox, which endured generations of frustration before winning the World Series so often in the past 15 years that it’s become boring, are owned by Fenway Sports Group. Guess which European champion football club Fenway Sports Group also owns?
So, yes, Fenway Sports Group has been rather successful in the past nine months:
🏆 World Series Champions x Champions of Europe 🏆 pic.twitter.com/33iqbhFYAH
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 21, 2019
If you don’t know Fenway Park, it’s one of those old stadiums that has such a wonderful history that people don’t mind its quirks. Left field is short but prevents easy home runs with the “Green Monster,” a tall edifice upon which many a baseball has bounced.
It’s an odd fit for football, but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a game there. The park also has hosted a snowboarding “big air” competition.
Sevilla lineup
The perennial top-half finishers in La Liga have had a major makeover this season. The defense was reinforced with a pair of centre backs from Ligue 1 -- Jules Kounde (Bordeaux) and Diego Carlos (Nantes). A few new attacking players will compete to fill the hole left by Pablo Sarabia, who left for PSG.
Sevilla: Sergio Rico, Jesús Navas, Diego Carlos, Carriço, Reguilón, Fernando, Jordán, Banega, Ocampos, Nolito, de Jong
Jordán (ex-Eibar), Ocampos (ex-Marseille) and De Jong (ex-PSV) are the newcomers to watch in attack, while goalkeeper Sergio Rico has returned from a loan spell with Fulham.
🆕 Este será el XI que iniciará en @fenwaypark frente al @LFC: Sergio Rico, Jesús Navas, Diego Carlos, Carriço, Reguilón, Fernando, Jordán, Banega, Ocampos, Nolito y De Jong.#WeareSevilla #SevillaFCUSTour pic.twitter.com/w00EHTg8fH
— Sevilla Fútbol Club (@SevillaFC) July 21, 2019
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Liverpool lineup
It’s interesting, especially the inclusion of goalkeeper Andy Lonergan. You’d think the 35-year-old goalkeeper would be here just in case of emergency and that Liverpool would rather look at one of their youngsters instead, but the veteran of roughly a dozen English clubs gets the start tonight.
Other than that, most of the starters will look familiar to anyone who watched Liverpool last season. Welsh winger Harry Wilson, an academy alumnus who scored against Borussia Dortmund a few nights ago, will start again.
Liverpool: Lonergan, Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Woodburn, Wilson, Origi
Team news is in - here's how the Reds line up 🆚 @SevillaFC...#LFCPreSeason🇺🇸https://t.co/jmS4lpbZYF
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 21, 2019
The players who have been busy with continental championships -- Allison, Salah, Firmino and Mane -- are not here. Naby Keita and Shaqiri haven’t been traveling due to injury.
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Good evening to all in the UK, good afternoon to all in the USA, and thank you for joining us if you live elsewhere.
If you’re in the USA and have not yet downloaded Bleacher Report Live to the device of your choosing, then do so now if you want to watch the game. We’ll wait ...
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Andy Hunter’s pick of the Liverpool players to watch on their pre-season tour:
With Sadio Mané still involved in the Africa Cup of Nations, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino only just beginning their holidays after international duty and Xherdan Shaqiri injured, Bobby Duncan will get his chance to impress on the US tour, alongside the highly-rated 19-year-old, Rhian Brewster. Duncan formed a prolific strike partnership with Paul Glatzel for the under-18s last season, scoring more than 60 goals in total including the equaliser against Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup final (Duncan) and the winning penalty in the shootout (Glatzel). Duncan won’t be joined by his prolific strike partner, who picked up a knee injury in the friendly win over Tranmere. AH
And here’s reaction from another pre-season friendly, won by Harry Kane with an outrageous goal from the halfway line:
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