TO A group of young ball boys from Liverpool’s academy had the honor of parading the Carabao Cup trophy around the pitch before this match as Anfield celebrated an unforgettable victory.
However, those 12-year-olds were too young even for this makeshift Reds team.
But if the last fortnight has achieved anything, it is making those children believe that, with hard work and perseverance, they too will put on the red Liverpool shirt in the big stadiums, from Anfield to Wembley, and have the opportunity to carve a piece of the Reds. history.
After a handful of teenagers did just that in the Cup final last week, which Jurgen Klopp described as his most “special” achievement in two decades of management, last night it was Lewis Koumas’ turn to see his dreams come true .
Koumas not only made his Liverpool debut, he scored the first goal of a game that threatened to be a banana skin against a well-drilled Southampton, as Klopp’s men set up a delightful quarter-final clash against Manchester United in Old Trafford.
Lewis Koumas scored on his debut to give Liverpool the lead just before half-time.
Koumas’ shot from 20 yards past Southampton goalkeeper Joe Lumley
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Almost like a fairy tale movie, more dreams came true for the children at Anfield when Jayden Danns came off the bench in the second half and scored 11 minutes later with an elegant shot to end the tie, before Trey Nyoni, just 16 years old, will score. his Liverpool bow.
Just a fortnight ago, eight members of Liverpool’s matchday squad were playing together in front of just 169 punters in an under-21s match against Stoke at the AXA Training Centre. It has been a whirlwind for the Reds’ youngsters who have suddenly found themselves thrown into the deep end.
But Sunday’s Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley showed they are more than capable of staying afloat, and some of those who made impressive cameos against Chelsea were rewarded with starting places here, such as midfielders Bobby Clark and James McConnell .
Six of Liverpool’s eleven were aged 21 or under for this visit to Southampton, who made eight changes, with the latest Kindergarten Kop graduate being young striker Lewis Koumas, who has scored 12 goals in 15 youth games this season.
Koumas, a Wales under-19 international, like Clark, whose father Lee, a Newcastle legend, was in the stands watching, has a famous former footballer as a father. Jason, a former Cardiff and Wigan midfielder, has led a quiet life since his retirement, unlike his son, who made noise all night.
Jayden Danns scored two second-half goals to seal victory at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Danns burst in and flicked the ball over Lumley to score the second goal in the 73rd minute.
Koumas was the pick of the Liverpool colts group here, even before his goal to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time, with a lively performance down the left flank. Like many young forwards, he tried to make something happen every time the ball came his way.
After some tricky darts into the penalty area came to nothing, Koumas had the moment he had probably been dreaming of every week since joining the Reds from Tranmere aged 11 when his shot from 20 yards confounded the Saints goalie Joe Lumley.
It was not lost on him that the man who marked him for that goal was Clark, a year older than the 18-year-old Koumas, but a long-time teammate of the Chester-born star. The pair combined again minutes later and Koumas almost put a pass through Cody Gakpo, but the Dutchman’s shot was poor.
However, until that flurry at the end of the first half, the championship team was on the rise. The Saints had the ball in the net with less than 40 seconds on the clock and, although it was called for offside and disallowed, that set the pace for much of the early exchanges.
With star Adam Armstrong, who has 16 goals and 11 assists in the second division, starting the game on the bench alongside many senior colleagues, Russell Martin’s side were often left lamenting the lack of end product as they opened to Liverpool on numerous occasions.
Danns sealed a resounding victory for the locals with the third goal in the 88th minute
Koumas was hugged by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after his impressive debut.
Ghanaian winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, the fastest player at the 2022 World Cup based on sprint speed data, took advantage of the space behind the Reds’ defensive line and hit the post after five minutes, before Sekou Mara was rejected by Cup final hero Caoimhin Kelleher three times.
But a much-changed Saints team faded in the second half and Liverpool only seemed to want to extend their lead, which is what they did in the 73rd minute when Danns burst in and slotted the ball over Lumley.
The son of former Premier League footballer Neil, who is now assistant manager of local League Two side Tranmere, added his second to round off an evening of proud moments. in the 88th minute with a Poachers shot after a Conor Bradley shot was parried.