Alvarado stayed down for a moment with his arms wrapped tightly around the ball. The referee jogged over but gave no signal. The goalkeeper finally rose, cradling it like a trophy, then walked slowly to the edge of the 18 yard box.
He waited.
Then waited a little more.
And finally sent it long with a booming kick.
Skrtel climbed again, rising above Altidore to nod it back toward midfield.
Henderson got there first. Took it calmly on his thigh, then volleyed a sharp pass to Gerrard. Gerrard turned—no look—and sprayed it wide to Downing, who was hugging the sideline.
[Still Liverpool.]
[And they're not slowing down. They want it all.]
Downing's first touch was perfect. He killed the ball dead, then drove toward the 18 yard box. Viergever stepped up to meet him, but Downing shifted inside, chopping the ball onto his right.
He shaped to shoot.
Didn't.
Instead, he rolled it across to Suárez, who had found space in the channel.
