UEFA Cup: Everton Tops Larissa in Group Play

Everton vs. Larissa—UEFA Cup, Goodison Park, Oct. 25, 2007

The match against Larissa was Everton’s first of four games in the UEFA Cup group stage.

If Everton finish in the top three, they'll progress to the knock-out stage of the competition.

The Greek team was no pushover. They proved themselves against English Premier League opposition, beating Blackburn Rovers in the last round. Their captain, Nikos Dabizas, was influential, with several years of experience of English football.

Also available for Larissa was former Everton player Ibrahima Bakayoko. The Ivory Coast striker joined Everton in 1998. He never really adapted to the English game and finally left in 1999 after only scoring four goals.

Evertonians will mostly remember Bakayoko for a fantastic strike against Bristol City away in the FA Cup. He is sure to receive a warm welcome from the Goodison crowd on his first return to the club.

Everton hoped to welcome some long awaited players back from injury. Possible inclusions in the squad were Tim Cahill, Thomas Gravesen, and James Vaughan. Any of these three returning would have been a huge boost for a team still reeling from the way they were defeated by Liverpool.

Victory against Larissa would go a long way to restoring some pride, but more importantly would be the start to the group stage Everton need.

The Match

Walking up to the ground, news started to filter through—and it was to be a big surprise. David Moyes was making five changes to the team that had played Liverpool on Saturday.

It’s a long time since an Everton manager has had enough players to make so many changes.

Out of the starting lineup went Alan Stubbs, Phil Neville, Phil Jagielka, Victor Anichebe and Yakubu, though most of these players would make the seven-man sub’s bench.

As well as a change to the starting lineup, Everton also changed their formation from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1. On the surface it seemed a defensive and negative change, but this tactic allowed one player to be incorporated into the team.

To say Tim Cahill is an influential midfielder is an understatement. The Australian has an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time.

This ability has made him one of Everton’s best attacking options since his move from Millwall in 2004.

His work rate on the pitch is second to none, although he would be first to admit his defending could use a little help.

With this is mind, the most effective way to use Cahill is in a 4-5-2 formation. This allows him the freedom to attack the ball anywhere on the pitch, while the rest of the midfield does the marking and defending.

It also allows him to do what he does best—arrive late and unmarked into the oppositions penalty area.

The goals he scores from this position have been greatly missed since he broke his foot back in March.

So Everton would line up with Tim Howard in goal. Right back was Tony Hibbert. This would be his last game for a while after his sending off against Liverpool. With Neville and Stubbs missing, Joseph Yobo was made team captain, a role he fills well for the Nigerian national team.

Joleon Lescott would partner Yobo in the center of defense, and Leighton Baines would make a welcome return to left back.

The midfield would have Mikel Arteta on the right. Lee Carsley would be the holding midfielder, Cahill the attacking midfielder, and little Leon Osman, would be filling in in-between them. Steven Pienaar would be on the left.

Up front James McFadden would be running the forward line by himself—a very difficult, and thankless task.

The Everton sub’s were Stefan Wessels, Nuno Valente, Alan Stubbs, Phil Jagielka, Thomas Gravesen, Victor Anichebe, and Yakubu.

After the trouble that the stadium announcer had with the Ukrainian names in our last UEFA Cup game, it was with some relief we realized that he had been practicing for this one.

Larissa lined up with Stefanos Kotsolis in goal. Their defense had Stelios Venetidis, Giorgos Galitsios, Marco Foerster, and their captain Dabizas.

They would also have five in the midfield: Silva Cleyton, Giorgos Fotakis, Elias Kiriakidis, Marcelo Sarmiento and Facundo Parra. Their sole forward was Bakayoko. On the bench they had Tassos Venetis, Panagiotis Katsiaros, Fotis Kipouros, Elias Kotsios, Dimitris Gikas, Andreas Labropoulos, and Christos Kalantzis.

After the obligatory hand shaking and posing for photographs, the teams lined up for the kick off.

It was evident straightaway that Larissa would try to be more defensive then Everton even though they were using the same tactics.

Everton started brightly but Larissa dealt well with the early pressure as both teams measured each other up.

Everton continued to push forward and finally made the breakthrough in the 14th minute.

After winning a corner, Arteta played the ball short to Osman who returned it back to the Spaniard. Arteta shaped up as if to cross the ball in to the box, but instead played it first time back to Osman, who turned and delivered a fierce, low cross into the area.

The Larissa defence had been pulled out of position and it was the diving Cahill who managed to head the ball home. Larissa tried to push forward, but the goal had given Everton the confidence to express themselves.

Most football games are very tight and only staunch supporters of the teams playing find them interesting. This was one of those increasingly rare occasions where entertainment and skill were on show.

Mikel Arteta displayed a perfect example of this. A Larissa defender cleared the ball high into the air after another Everton attack. The ball dropped towards the sideline and it looked like Arteta, the closest player to the ball, would let it go out for a throw in.

At the last moment he flicked his leg out to play the dropping ball over his, and his markers head, turned and charged down the wing to launch yet another Everton attack.

My description does not do the move justice. The ability to control such a high-dropping ball is amazing. The presence of mind to turn the opposition was outstanding. But what really stood out was the casual way it was done.

As the game approached the halftime whistle the flicks and tricks came in abundance.

It was a shame when the referee signalled for the end of the half. The only downside to the performance was the booking to Lescott. He had picked up a yellow card when the game had become a little feisty.

Larissa kept plugging away, but Everton had dealt with them comfortably. Many teams in Larissa's position would have had their players rolling on the ground trying to win free kicks and get players booked.

Larissa did none of this, except when Bakayoko ran straight into Lescott. After being knocked flat on his backside he stayed down, though this was probably more out of embarrassment then maliciousness.

Talk at halftime was when—not if—Cahill would be substituted. This was his first game for a long time and he had already got through a lot of work. It was only a matter of time until he started to tier.

The second half started with no changes to the teams or to the pattern of play. Larissa had come to Goodison with the tactic of packing the midfield out, and trying to do as much damage as possible on the counter attack.

This was exactly how the Greek national team had won the European Championships in 2004.

Unfortunately for Larissa, Everton were able to play the same way, only with more quality in the attack.

Shortly after the beginning of the second half came the moment worth the entrance fee alone. Cahill, on the far left of the center line, rode two challenges and played the ball to Baines who was overlapping on the wing.

His low cross found Pienaar running into the area. Pienaar looked for all the world like he would shoot for the first time. Instead he stepped over the ball, and with his first touch, backheeled it, wrong-footing the whole Larissa defense.

The pass was perfect for Osman who was running in, unmarked, at the edge of the area. Osman looked up, picked his spot, and curled a beautiful shot just inside the upright.

2-0 Everton.

Everton were in the driving seat. Finding more and more impressive ways to pass to each other.

While the skill on show was a joy to watch, Everton were not pushing on into the Larissa half. It’s great to watch nice football, but if you’re not being productive with the ball the opposition still have a chance.

The Greek’s changed their tactics taking off Parra for the forward Kalantzis.

And so it was that Larissa got themselves right back into the game. A simple ball was played to Yobo who slipped on the greasy surface.

Kalantzis picked up the loose ball and just as he was about to attack until Yobo brought him down. This earned the Nigerian a yellow card.

Larissa couldn’t covert the free kick, but in a moment of madness Howard threw the ball to the unsuspecting Lescott. He was unable to control the ball and the alert Brazilian Cleyton stole in.

His shot beat Howard.

2-1.

Larissa were right back in it and Everton seemed to lose all the confidence. As soon as the goal was scored Everton made two changes—Anichebe came on for McFadden and Gravesen replaced Cahill.

The changes didn’t do much for Everton and Larissa were in the ascendancy. All the nice football that Everton had played for the majority of the game was gone and it was the Greek’s that looked like they would be scoring.

Time and again they came forward and Everton were defending deeper and deeper. It felt as if Larissa would equalize at any moment.

But fortune was on Everton’s side. A clearance from the Everton defence was headed on hopefully by Gravesen. With Larissa committing most their players forward there was more space at the back.

The ball off Gravesen found Anichebe who shrugged off two challengers, broke into the box, and fired the ball into the Larissa net.

3-1 Everton.

The game was over. With only a few minutes left in the match there simply wasn’t enough time for Larissa to drag the score back.

With the other match in Everton’s group finishing 1-1 this result put Everton top of the UEFA Cup Group A.

Conclusions

For the majority of the game Everton, enjoyed themselves. But they showed weakness by allowing Larissa back into the match. A higher quality team would have punished Everton.

If Everton are to give this competition a real go they have to be more clinical in front of the goal and finish teams off.

That said, it was enjoyable to watch and can only improve the confidence of the team.

Everton now travel to Derby for a league game. Derby are having a tough time of it in the Premiership and Everton should be looking to get a result there.

After the league game it’s another cup competition, this time away to Luton in the League Cup. This is another game Everton will believe they have a chance in.

The next game I hope to be writing about is the league game at home against Birmingham.