Liverpool wins Super Cup through shootouts

The UEFA Super Cup match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC took place at the Vodafone Arena (Beşiktaş Park) in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday.

Liverpool seemed to be gaining ground to win the match as Sadio Mane scored a goal at 5th minute in the first half of the overtime to bring the score 2-1. However, Liverpool’s lead was short-lived. Chelsea secured a penalty kick when its Tammy Abraham, while dashing towards the goal, was blocked by a hand of Liverpool’s goalie Adrian before falling down. Jorginho scored through the penalty kick to send Team Chelsea wildly cheering, and Adrian had to lower his head for the error.

However, Adrian reemerged as a “hero” in the shootouts that followed the overtime. When the two teams began shootouts, the Liverpool goalie instinctively blocked the shot kicked by Chelsea’s fifth kicker Abraham to enable his team to win the match 5-4. Liverpool has won the Super Cup for the fourth time over the past 14 years, as the team, the previous season’s winner of the UEFA Champions League, faced off Chelsea, the winner of the UEFA Europa League.

Having experienced hell and heaven at once, Adrian is not a member of the team’s starting roster. He played for West Ham United FC (England) until the last season, and was recruited just nine days before the latest match as backup for its ace goalie Allison Becker. Adrian was able to play in the match as replacement for Allison who had to rest due to an injury, but ended up becoming the shootout hero. “I feel like I have received a welcome gift from Liverpool,” Adrian said. “I am happy to play for Liverpool.”


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com