These days, all kinds of international soccer teams come to the United States, but the games don’t always match what you see on TV.
That big-time star fans paid hundreds of dollars for an upper-deck seat to see? He only played a half, if that, on a squad of half-regulars, backups, and prospects.
On Wednesday at Lincoln Financial Field, two of the English Premier League’s most famous names actually put on a good show. Liverpool beat Arsenal, 2-1, in front of a sellout crowd of 69,879, the largest soccer crowd in the stadium’s history.
Mo Salah, Liverpool’s biggest star, opened the scoring in the 13th minute, and Fabio Carvalho doubled the Reds’ lead in the 34th. Kai Havertz cut the deficit in the 40th, and that woke up the Gunners faithful for the first time since before kickoff.
Many of the fans in attendance have helped Arsenal and Liverpool build up big fan bases in Philadelphia in recent years. They’re all over Center City bars on Saturday mornings, sporting jerseys, scarves, and other regalia. The Premier League knows Philadelphia well, since Comcast has owned its U.S. broadcast rights for years.
The atmosphere was festive on a hot night in South Philly. Liverpool fans enjoyed a pregame rendition of their club’s anthem, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” with its soccer version recorded by Liverpudlian band Gerry and the Pacemakers in the 1960s.
Arsenal fans had their own chants, too, and a section of big flag wavers in the north end of the Linc’s stands. But Liverpool’s early lead denied them the chance to sing their most famous song, “One-Nil to the Arsenal,” to the tune of the Village People’s “Go West.”
There were even a few Union jerseys scattered around the stands, though they were mostly lost in a sea of the red that both teams wear. And yes, for the record, a fan not far from the press box started an “E-A-G-L-E-S” chant late in the game, though it didn’t get much traction.
Salah’s opening goal came on a terrific fast break. The Egyptian forward was sprung by Harvey Elliott, then sprinted half the field before firing a dart past Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Karl Hein. (Usual starter David Raya wasn’t part of the Gunners’ U.S. tour because he played in the European Championship with Spain.)
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Elliott was the provider again on Liverpool’s second, this time from closer range: a short chip over Arsenal’s back line that Carvalho raced on to and slammed home.
Havertz’s goal was a pretty little flick on the doorstep, assisted by Martin Ødegaard after some fancy footwork by the Norwegian playmaker.
There were so many substitutions in the second half that if soccer had scorecards, one would barely have fit them all. New Liverpool manager Arne Slot made three at halftime and a whopping seven in the 72nd minute, and the crowd was excused for not having heard of most of the newcomers. (Some of the traveling English media barely did either, which proved the point.)
Arteta made eight subs of his own in the half, and they were more spread out. At the end of the night, his team was off quickly to a charter flight back to London, to get ready for the new season that starts in just over two weeks.
“It’s a beautiful stadium, I think it created a very good atmosphere,” Arteta said. “You can feel that there was something there to play for, it wasn’t just a friendly. I’m really thankful and grateful for all the people that turned up, and hopefully they are happy with the show they received.”
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Liverpool fans finished up with another rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and a salutary chant toward Slot, who succeeded the famed Jürgen Klopp. And while preseason results count for as little in English soccer as they do in the NFL, Slot was pleased to get the win.
“It’s been a good tour for us,” said the Dutchman, who noted that he took in Tuesday’s Phillies-Yankees game while in town. “The facilities are great, you can see the fans loving us playing here, and we love to play here as well — especially if the results keep on going like this.”