http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N145462040727-0303.htm
CISSE AT THE DOUBLE AS REDS THRASH CELTIC
Mark Platt in East Connecticut 27
July 2004
Liverpool kicked off
their tour of the United States and Canada by thrashing Celtic 5-1
in the Rentschler Field Stadium in Hertford, East Connecticut in
the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Djibril Cisse (2) and Stephane Henchoz both scored their first
goals for Liverpool to wrap up the game in the second-half after
John Arne Riise and Michael Owen had powered the Reds into a 2-nil
lead after just 16 minutes of the first-half. Celtic scored a late
consolation goal from the spot after 73 minutes when Craig Beattie
picked himself up from a foul by Salif Diao to put his penalty
beyond Chris Kirkland but Cisse's second after 76 minutes restored
the four-goal cushion.
Celtic's USA tour opened with a 4-2 defeat to Chelsea at the
weekend in Seattle and they could have been behind tonight within
the first minute as Rafael Benitez's side started the match in
blistering form.
After great work from Michael Owen - starting his first game for
Liverpool since Euro 2004 alongside Milan Baros in attack - Harry
Kewell was unlucky not to open the scoring when he saw his
close-range shot somehow blocked inside the area.
The Liverpool fans inside the Rentschler Field Stadium in Hertford,
East Connecticut didn't have too long to wait for the opening goal
however and when it arrived after four minutes, it was rather
special. Igor Biscan, brilliant in midfield, helped win a free-kick
and from all of 35 yards, Riise unleashed a rocket that was never
going to be stopped. If you thought Riise's free-kick against
Fabien Barthez at Anfield was good, you're going to love watching
this one.
Liverpool continued to attack with style and pace and when the team
switched to a more direct style after 16 minutes, the lead was
doubled. When the ball was played through the middle, Owen
controlled the ball expertly and then chipped David Marshall in the
Celtic goal.
Benitez started the match with four players who travelled to
Portugal in Dietmar Hamann, Vladimir Smicer, Owen and Baros but it
was the revitalised Igor Biscan who caught the eye most often with
a stunning performance in the centre of midfield. The new Liverpool
manager has only had good things to say about the Croat since
taking charge at Anfield and the midfielder who struggled to win
the confidence of the fans last season looks like a totally
different player this term.
Benitez, as expected, shuffled his pack at half-time with Steven
Gerrard, Danny Murphy, Salif Diao, Stephane Henchoz, Djibril Cisse
and Florent Sinama-Pongolle replacing Biscan, Smicer, Hamann, Sami
Hyypia, Owen and Baros respectively.
Cisse, the club's record signing, made an immediate impact after
just one minute on the pitch when he found space in the Celtic area
to unleash a shot which cruelly rebounded back off the post with
the goalkeeper beaten.
His first goal came after 62 minutes though and after Stephane
Henchoz had sent a right-footed volley into the back of the net,
Cisse scored his second of the night after great work from Danny
Murphy.
Celtic did score a late consolation goal from the spot after a foul
in the area by Salif Diao but it was never going to be enough to
take the shine off tonight's electrifying performance.
Full-time: Liverpool 5 Celtic 1
I have to correct the report: this is not Henchoz's first goal
at Liverpool, he has scored own goals before 
