Brad to start in a match at Ewood Park that Rovers need to jump-start their season. Preview from The Beeb: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3122918.stm Not sure on the TV options in the USA (I'd assume it's not on, since it's going on concurrently with the Charlton v Liverpool game), but Fulham's website has free audio, with no registration required. http://www.fulhamfc.com/displayContent.asp?id=643103&intAreaID=7 From there, click on the banner right from kickoff (6 a.m. PT, 9 a.m. ET, etc.)... I hope it's a free webcast at those times... if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. EDIT: My bad... one hour later than above. 7 a.m. PT, 10 a.m. ET, etc., that's the correct time. It's a 3 p.m. local start time there...
Other links of note... [*]Preview, from Soccernet: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=107806&cc=3436 [*]Team news, from Blackburn's site (includes lineups): http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~430011,00.html [*]Team news, from sportinglife.com (note comments from Graeme Souness about the defence needing to tighten up): http://www.sportinglife.com/footbal...URN--ROVERS&RH=Blackburn--Rovers&PREV_SEASON=
Lineups... BLACKBURN ROVERS 1. Brad Friedel 4. Martin Taylor 5. Lorenzo Amoruso 11. Markus Babbel 3. Vratislav Gresko 23. Brett Emerton 24. Barry Ferguson 7. Garry Flitcroft 20. David Thompson 9. Andy Cole 10. Matt Jansen Subs: 8. Kerimoglu Tugay 14. Nils-Eric Johansson 18. Corrado Grabbi 19. Dwight Yorke 13. Alan Kelly (GK) FULHAM 1. Edwin Van der Sar 2. Moritz Volz 24. Alain Goma 16. Zat Knight 18. Jerome Bonnissel 7. Mark Pembridge 6. Junichi Inamoto 11. Luis Boa Morte 10. Lee Clark 14. Steed Malbranque 8. Louis Saha Subs: 4. Andrew Melville 17. Martin Djetou 22. Dean Leacock 25. Malik Buari 12. Mark Crossley (GK)
Game about to start: Flitcroft back in the midfield, Tugay to the bench. Jansen and Cole in attack. Taylor at right back for the suspended Neill.
"A dream start" for Fulham, says the webcast commentator. Sounds like there was nothing Friedel coulod have done, that the defence gave the Fulham antagonists listed above lots of space to make the goal happen. Goal was in the fifth minute, incidentally.
Inamoto booked for Fulham, 25th minute. No word of any saves by Friedel yet, either via the webcast or in any text updates (via sportinglife.com).
Knight booked for Fulham, in the dying moments before the break. Gresko's resulting free kick from just outside the box covered well by van der Sar. Halftime... BLACKBURN ROVERS 0 FULHAM 1 Boa Morte 5 Not much for Friedel to do-- in fact, Rovers had much of the attacing play after the goal. Fulham defending in numbers.
Halftime stats (from sportinglife.com): Code: [size=3]Blackburn----------------------Fulham 2 Shots On Target 1 4 Shots Off Target 2 5 Fouls (Conceded) 4 2 Corners 0 0 Yellow Cards 2 0 Red Cards 0[/size]
Saha puts Fulham 2-0 up, on 56 minutes. "Great finish by Saha... nothing Friedel could have done," said the webcast commentator.
I worry about Blackburn. I really thought they could have taken a step up to join the Chelsea (until they bought everything in sight) and Liverpool second tier behind Arsenal and Man. Utd. I underestimated the sale of Duff on the team apparently and overestimated what was left in Amo's tank. They have not been quality this season. Poor Brad.
Amoruso has always sucked. I never rated him as a player. He looked good against crappy SPL sides, but can't hang in the EPL.
The only think Amoruso seems to be able to do is score headers on set pieces. I have only seen one Blackburn game this year (the one against Man City) but I haven't heard many good things about Amoruso.
Other way round. He usually looked quite poor against the bad SPL teams (blamed on a lack of concentration), but usually played very well against Celtic. Souness figured that Amoruso would not suffer from concentration issues while playing against good players every week. It just turns out that he has aged and that his form against the bad SPL teams was not due to concentration, but his normal level that he then raised when faced with Larsson, etc.. NB I would have said that the first goal was partly Friedel's fault. Gresko was badly beaten on the wing, Malbranque got to the byeline, squeezed a cross by Amoruso, but Friedel should have intercepted it at six yard line. I think Friedel was distracted by Fulham forward just in front (Saha?), ball rolled gently through to Boa Morte who slid home from six yards. Most fault to Gresko, a little to Amoruso and some to Friedel. Second goal was embarrassing for Amoruso. Beaten for pace over the top by Saha, who then allowed him to get back as he gained control of the ball. Saha then turned him inside, left with a clear sight of goal (middle, 18 yards out) and curled the ball into the far bottom corner. Minimal chance for Friedel.