Gerrard Beri Harapan bagi Liverpool tapi Tetap Tersingkir dari Liga Champions
Gerrard Gave Liverpool Hope But They Could Not Find the Winner
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
MEREKA harus angkat kaki, dan begitu juga Liverpool sekarang. Tersingkir dari kompetisi bergengsi Liga Champions musim ini dan mungkin pula pada musim depan kecuali mereka secara mengejutkan dapat kembali naik ke peringkat empat di klasemen Liga Premier Inggris.
Kalau Steven Gerrard bertahan di Liverpool hingga musim 2016-17 sebelum berpikir untuk bisa berlaga lagi di Liga Champions. Meskipun begitu dia tidak sendirian.
Meskipun tersingkir setidaknya Gerrard memberi perlawanan berarti. Bemain 10 orang dan harus menyesuaikan diri mengimbangi permainan agresif lawan, Liverpool akhirnya mampu memberi perlawanan karena kapten mereka menolak untuk menyerah, seperti dilansir MailOnline.
Setelah mencetak gol dari tendangan bebas di tepi kotak penalti dengan sembilan menit waktu laga tersisa, Gerrard menginjak bola dengan ujung sepatunya. Mampukah dia? Bisakah dia? Ternyata bola menggetarkan jala gawang Basel. Bola menembus sudut kanan atas gawang Basel yang dikawal Tomas Vaclik dan memberi peluang timnya untuk mengejar ketinggalan skor.
Dan lengkaplah sudah penderitaan Gerrard. Meski berakhir seri, Liverpool tersingkir.
Liverpool tersingkir dari Liga Champions dan ke Liga Europa setelah berada di tempat ketiga Grup B. Kalau menang maka Liverpoll maju ke 16 Besar dan Basel tahu diri bahwa bermain seri sudah cukup bagi mereka.
THEY ARE gone, and so are Liverpool now. Out of the Champions League and probably from next season’s too unless they can spectacularly reverse their trajectory in the Premier League.
If Steven Gerrard stays a Liverpool player it may be the 2016-17 season before he can think of playing in the Champions League again. He cannot soldier on alone.
That this ended in a grandstand finish is to Gerrard’s immense credit. Down to 10 men and ordinary in the extreme for much of the game, Liverpool ultimately took Basle to the wire because their captain refused to surrender.
Having won a free-kick on the edge of the area with nine minutes remaining, Gerrard stood over the ball. Could he? Would he? He did. He curled it inside Basle goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik at the near post and gave his team the puncher’s chance they scarcely deserved.
And right there is Gerrard’s agony. So close.
Liverpool out of the Champions League and in to the Europa League after finishing third in Group B. A win would have sent the Reds through and Basle knew a draw would be enough for them.
