Matchday 1: What sayeth ye, Rafa?

Tuesday's Champions League openers offered much in the way of uninspired English play, as both Liverpool and Chelsea came away with 1-1 draws and singe marks from the bullets dodged.

It's to be expected that upsets will happen in group play. What wasn't to be expected was the all-around shoddy performance of the Reds, who — with the exception of striker Dirk Kuyt — appeared almost ambivalent at the prospect of getting an early leg up on their group, despite coach Rafa Benitez's stated goal of earning a road win off the top, as to allow his side to concentrate on the goal of a Premier League title. And while Chelsea's draw, earned on the back of maligned striker Andriy Shevchenko's 53rd-minute header, was surprising, the lackadaisical play was at least somewhat expected with the Blues missing both Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

No, Liverpool is alone in being forced to wonder if it really has the heart for a serious run in the competition, as unfathomable as it may seem.

Porto came out as if it smelled blood in the water, controlling every aspect of the game in the first half, with Liverpool managing to earn a halftime push thanks only to a flukish header opportunity by Kuyt in the 17th minute. It would go down as the Reds' lone scoring opportunity of note, and one of the few times that a Liverpool pass actually found its intended target in the first half.

The second half was notable only for the fact that Porto responded to Jermaine Pennant getting sent off in the 57th minute — more on that in a second — by removing its foot from Liverpool's throat and apparently settling for an almost embarrassing home tie, considering to what degree the Dragons outclassed the Reds on the night.

Both teams ended up losers on the night, but it's Liverpool that appears worse for the wear despite earning a point in its toughest match, on paper, in group play. Pennant's second yellow card was what one would expect of a churlish amateur, not the brilliant winger who put on a show in last year's CL final against Milan. In addition, Torres — a complete non-factor in his much-awaited CL debut — Kuyt and Mascherano were booked; the only reason Gerrard didn't draw a yellow is because he didn't get involved in the game whatsoever until a centering pass from inside the box in the game's final minutes, which went unrequited, unsurprisingly. As if that weren't cause enough for a slack jaw, Benitez left two strikers on the pitch for a good 15 minutes after going a man down, as if he were baiting Porto into the additional two points it rightly should have earned.

Benitez has made no secret of his priorities this season, clearly stating that the Premiership title is the Reds' primary goal. That's understandable, considering the heat he's taken in the media for Liverpool's relatively poor showings in league play under his guidance, but it's also foolhardy. The reason the Reds have a legitimate shot in the EPL is precisely because of their recent dominance in European competition; the heralded offseason pickup of Torres was made possible because of the striker's desire to play in the Champions League, and he's probably not alone in that regard. Yes, it's difficult to ignore idiotic comments like these. But Benitez, of all people, should be the first to realize that while the next few domestic fixtures for the Reds are unlikely to decide his team's chances of domestic supremacy, that's not the case with the Champions League.

In other words, it's time for Benitez to drop the cavalier shtick when the subject of the Champions League comes up, because it's apparent that his team is willing to follow suit.

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Uh oh

The idea of the Reds being eliminated by Toulouse in their third-round Champions League qualifier just got a little less outlandish.



Yes, Liverpool still out-classes the French side by a factor of 10, even without Gerrard and defender Jamie Carragher, but few teams rely on its skipper to the degree that the Reds do, and one has to wonder if Torres has had enough time with his new side to actually set the pace for the offense. Factor in the fact that Rafa seems unwilling to ever let Peter Crouch feel like he's a valued member of the team, and one couldn't ask for a better setting for a stunning upset.

The Gerrard injury might have big consequences for England's national squad as well, which was already limping though its summer slate of friendlies and Euro Cup qualifiers. Rooney's already out for the next few matches, Owen is what he's always been (gimpy, but supposedly close to being fit), the keeper situation is up in the air, a once-left-for-dead Beckham is still suffering from his ankle sprain, and Steve McLaren is looking no more competent at the helm of the Lions than the near-lynched Sven.

Essentially, within the next month or so, England could find itself without representation by either its most historically prolific club and its national team in the two most important European competitions.

In a word: Wow.

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