The leading man starred. So too the hometown boy. The hero who might yet turn villain played his part. The support cast was excellent, as was the atmosphere.
In terms of sporting theatre, English Premier League giants Liverpool’s first visit to Australia produced a perfect night of entertainment.
And it ended with the ideal scoreline.
The 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory at a packed MCG on Wednesday night gave everyone – even the losing team – some kind of feelgood factor to take away.
Once the spine-tingling sound of 95,446 singing You’ll Never Walk Alone – the club’s long-time pre-match anthem – faded, the pre-season friendly proved just as memorable.
The wonderful Steven Gerrard, cheered at every corner by every corner of the packed MCG, scored a superb first-half goal to delight the Liverpool fans.
Liverpool’s Australian goalkeeper Brad Jones was forced into quality saves in each half.
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who apparently wants out of Merseyside, played the final 18 minutes to rousing cheers to suggest Liverpool aren’t seriously entertaining Arsenal’s overtures to buy him.
And an understrength Victory also held up the A-League’s end of the bargain, playing decent possession football and testing Liverpool at times, especially in the first half-hour.
But it was Gerrard who unlocked a seemingly watertight Victory in the 32nd minute.
His neat stepover allowed midfielder Joe Allen to run at the defence, then return a pass for Gerrard to hammer home from the poacher’s void just inside the box he fills like no other Englishman.
The Victory produced a much stiffer, more composed performance than the A-League All-Stars thrown together and battered by Manchester United in Sydney a few days earlier.
Andrew Nabbout and Connor Pain, among seven players under the age of 21 in Victory’s starting line-up, could have had goals against Liverpool were it not for excellent Jones saves.
Gerrard made way on the hour, and then Suarez made his way on to the ground among wholesale substitutions in the 72nd minute.
And he created the second goal in stoppage time with a delightful spin around a defender, before supplying a pass for Iago Aspas to tap in.
Victory goalkeeper Nathan Coe also made several memorable saves, while Pain’s performance tormenting England international Glen Johnson down one wing earned post-match praise from Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.
The Reds boss was also complimentary about Victory’s commitment to playing possession football under Ange Postecoglou, as well as the phenomenal atmosphere.
“The coach is outstanding. I’ve had a couple of chats with him, and to see his team play – he’s very similar to myself in he believes the game should be played a certain way,” Rodgers said.
“You can see the team are very well coached … the star of their team is the team.
“Performance-wise I was very pleased with our team. We kept good possession and waited for the moments to score.”
Postecoglou was pleased with his youthful side’s performance – particularly happy they weren’t overawed by the occasion.
“It would have been very easy for the boys to go into their shells,” Postecoglou said.
“I’m sure they’ll grow from tonight. That was our main mission – to make sure our young players got self-belief in themselves and what we do, and I think we got that in bucketloads.”
josh
Roar Rookie
No I was pointing this flaw of logic, "95000 people singing YNWA was out of this world and the other codes can only dream about doing". The AFL can achieve that for one off games (which is what Grand Finals are. It was the soccer die hard that started going off on angles. Talk about chips on your shoulders. As a sports fan in general. I enjoyed the game.
Punter
Guest
I was in NZ when the Swans v St Kilda played their first AFL match in NZ, don't think it was an exhibition game, can't remember. Not sure the best AFL players in the world created the same sort excitement as the best footballers in the world on our shores in the past week did or create the same sort of media attention. Maybe the Kiwis haven't realised what most Aussies below the Murray have known for years.
bryan
Guest
Yeah,there are usually supporters for both teams at an AFL game! A football game is more than an occasion for a nice singalong, The point is,people are quite good mannered at an Exhibition match,as distinct from an "A: League game between say,The Glory & Brisbane Roar ---(it's still a beep stupid name :) )! This game was more of a "feel good" exercise than anything else.but if it brought all the TV & Internet Football watchers out to experience the atmosphere of personally attending a match in a big Stadium,maybe it has done its job. Personally,if I was to personally attend a match with an English team,I'd want it to be Westham! I would definitely enjoy singing "I'm forever blowing bubbles" ! :)
Jukes
Guest
It was a Liverpool home game after all. Oh you have to love the irony, hence no tickets were allocated to MV I would imagine.
Kasey
Guest
First pre-season AUFC game is July 30th against a local State Super league team... By God I am keen for this domestic football season to kick off. If I wanted to see a European team, I'm in the same boat as Fuss, I'd go to Europe and see the natives in their home environment. Its not the same seeing the Lions at Monarto/Western Plains Zoo as it is in South Africa, I have seen both and preferred the authentic experience.
Ian
Guest
you just reminded me that 73 is high definition iwhich s why my standard definition STB did not register 73 and i recorded 72. interesting on the melbourne viewing audience for this game compared to the 128K from memory you provided for melbourne for the all stars. over double as the game was in melbourne and not the main channel.
Kane Cassidy
Roar Guru
95k people singing one song vs "Teams name!" *clap clap clap* "Teams name!" *clap clap clap* I know which one is better.
pablo
Guest
Whatever the reason for not having a few bays of mv supporters singing together i feel it was a missed opportunity to show a large number of plastics how good the a-league atmosphere can be, and maybe get them off their arses next season. I would be stoked if my team got to play against liverpool even in a meaningless friendly. Also means less chance my house gets robbed or my gran gets violated if the scousers are at the match.
Jane
Guest
+ 1. The rendition of YNWA moved me to tears.
striker
Guest
yeah thanks fuss i had a few mates that couldn't watch it due to being on 7 mate and not having the HD TV/
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Ratings were lower than ALeagueASvManU. 5-city ratings (via @MediaWeek) 7mate (Metro share 8.4%) 588k (Syd 158k Mel 262k Bri 57k Ade 64k Per 47k) But, despite the relatively low ratings, from what I've been reading, it's the highest ratings 7mate has ever achieved since it started broadcasting. It also compares favourably with the show on the main channel for the Seven Nework (70/71) which attracted ratings of 810k for Criminal Minds. Finally, people, who watch FTA TV via Foxtel boxes, could not tune in, unless they also subscribe to FoxtelHD. Additionally, there is some suggestion that people with digital non-HD TVs, also can't watch 7mate.
Kasey
Guest
I thought the game wasn’t too bad on the entertainment stakes, A very young MBV team didn’t park the bus and in some stages clearly had 'pool scrambling to retain their shape. Maybe it’s off season and I’m just desperate for some/any football, but I didn’t even mind ch7s coverage ‘that’ much. I still prefer Fox’s production but surprisingly (I remember the Nobody Screws Soccer like 7 days) ch7 didn’t completely c*ck it up.
striker
Guest
Fuss any idea how the rating were last night.
Cameron
Roar Guru
And they're for grand finals, not practice matches!
Andy
Guest
I have a great deal of appreciation for my side and I pay attention to what they're doing in pre-season. I have payed the subscription fee to watch all their pre-season matches so that the club gets the money rather than streaming. I want to know who plays and where. I want to see how the youth step up, what new formations may be used and who might be the next kid to come through. This game was a big deal. If it wasn't you would not have had 95k Kopites turn up to G and scream when Suarez cam on. Or sing YNWA. How often do Liverpool come to this country? Victory were not the drawcard last night, nor would an A League team draw such a crowd.. Honestly no Aussie side is going to sell out the G on their own, playing a big English club provides the impetus for fans across the country going to see their favourite premier league side in the flesh. That is a big deal, whether the result means anything to anyone is absolutely secondary. So ummm yes, this game was important, otherwise it would have been played at AAMI stadium, or behind closed gates and no person would have bothered paying for it.
realfootball
Guest
Well said.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I've got my 2013/14 MVFC season ticket - may even attend a practice match against a Vic Premier League team - but will never bother with a match against Euro teams, unless it's part of a decent preseason tournament. If I want to watch Euro teams, I'll make a trip to Europe & watch them play meaningful matches.
realfootball
Guest
MV did all Australian football fans proud last night. Ange is clearly weaving his magic once again. Very impressive. They went toe to toe with Liverpool and it could have easily finished 1-1. But where were the MV supporters? Am I alone in being both disappointed and embarrassed that the MCG was a sea of red in Victory's home town? I did look at that sea of red, and I could not help but think, in my xenophobic Australian way, well if Liverpool is so wonderful, why are you all over here? Was it really a stadium full of whinging Poms of the kind who ran the football club when I played for as a kid (and, trust me, they really were whinging Poms - this is not an exaggeration or a misrepresentation; they never stopped complaining about Australia), or was it a stadium full of bandwagoner Eurosnobs? Was it good for football, or kind of embarrassing in a cultural cringe, colonial-tug-the-forelock kind of way?
realfootball
Guest
You are obviously speaking from direct experience.
Kasey
Guest
170,000+ Aussie Sockah fans attend/watch live 2 meaningless mid-week friendly games in the middle of AFL/NRL season bringing nothing but positive news stories in the mainstream media. Now I don't know about you, but as a football fan, I'm pretty happy with that as a summary. Tonight the Socceroos play our fiercest Asian rival in Japan (9pm Fox2) and in less than 10 weeks the highly anticipated 2013/14 A-League season kicks off. This year with our first FTA TV deal. I'm as keen as mustard!