Liverpool suffer South China seizure

(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-07-24 23:46

HONG KONG - Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez was left frustrated on Tuesday after red tape and an injury to Steven Gerrard forced him to field a makeshift side in an unimpressive 3-1 win over South China.

New strikers Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel were both refused international clearance for the Asia Trophy match while England star Gerrard was ruled out with an unspecified injury.

"After that we had to put Sami Hyppia and Daniel Agger as midfielders, we just had to manage," Benitez said.

"It was a pity but I hope it will be okay on Friday. The game was too close because the other team worked very hard."

Liverpool went 2-0 up from a John Arne Riise free-kick and a Xabi Alonso penalty but were made to work for their win after South China's Li Haiqiang crashed home a spectacular effort from 40 yards.

Agger eventually put paid to the Hong Kong FA Cup-holders' growing hopes on 74 minutes, setting up a final against Portsmouth who beat Fulham 1-0.

Benitez was hopeful of fielding a full-strength team on Friday, saying Gerrard's injury was "not serious" and Torres and Babel should both get permission to play.

Despite the gulf in class, Liverpool needed a set-piece to open the scoring and it was Riise who obliged with a trademark left-foot thunderbolt on 10 minutes.

The Norwegian crashed his shot from a central position past the wall and into the top right-hand corner with goalkeeper Zhang Chunhui doing better to stay out of the way.

Pony-tailed Ukrainian import Andriy Voronin could have made it two on 14 minutes but his hard work paid off near the half-hour mark when he was up-ended in the box.

Alonso calmly stepped up to slot Liverpool's second from the spot, beating Zhang to his left.

But South China were far from done and Li provided the highpoint of the night with his sensational effort on 34 minutes.

The captain looked set to cross but instead embarrassed Liverpool 'keeper Scott Carson with a magnificent curling effort which crept in to the top left, bringing the near-capacity crowd to their feet.

Coach Rafael Benitez introduced Jermaine Pennant and Dirk Kuyt shortly after half-time and the Dutch striker had a hand in Liverpool's third, touching off Riise's cross to Agger who finished accurately.

Kuyt missed an open goal in the dying minutes, summing up an indifferent performance from Liverpool, who will hope for better in the final.

Earlier ex-England goalkeeper David James won rave reviews in Portsmouth's narrow win.

Zimbabwe international Benjani Mwaruwari struck just before half-time but Pompey had the livewire James to thank as he kept Fulham at bay with some electric saves.

"It's what we've come to expect from David James -- he's just the most fantastic goalkeeper," said Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp.

"I've said all along I don't think there's a better goalkeeper in the Premiership than David James. He's just fantastic and he showed that again today."

With eight new signings starting in humid conditions, it was ex-Aston Villa man Steven Davis who almost broke the deadlock after an intelligent Alexei Smertin backheel.

Davis picked out the unmarked Dempsey from the right on 43 minutes but the midfielder's point-blank header was straight at James.

The former Liverpool man denied Dempsey again almost immediately afterwards when he tipped his shot round the post.

But Portsmouth landed a sucker-punch on the stroke of half-time when Nico Kranjcar's speculative shot was parried by Zat Knight into the path of Mwaruwari, who gratefully buried the easy chance.

Fulham's six-million-pound striker Kamara stole in to the six-yard box on 56 minutes but James again saved brilliantly by diving at his feet before stopping Papa Diop's effort from distance.