Free Kick

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Before Liam Carter stepped onto the pitch, he was confident about how he would attack and showcase his skills.

But once the game started, he found himself spending most of his time defending.

Although Liverpool didn't field their strongest lineup—since they already had a comfortable lead from the first leg—they were still a level above. Dundee United, outmatched in quality, could do little more than defend.

In the 47th minute, Liverpool's new signing, Joe Cole, drove forward with the ball, forcing Liam to sprint back and help defend.

In the 53rd minute, Gerrard and Lucas exchanged passes in midfield. Liam, despite being an attacking player, had to step in, pressing and disrupting their rhythm.

For ten minutes straight, he was locked in a defensive role. It wasn't until the 64th minute that he finally got a chance on the attack.

Lucas had a long-range shot blocked outside the penalty area. Armstrong reacted quickly to the loose ball and sent a diagonal pass toward Liam's position.

"Armstrong plays it diagonally to Carter! A promising link-up between the two young players, though that pass looks a little heavy," noted commentator John Mortensen.

Armstrong's pass was indeed slightly overhit. His nerves were evident—understandable given that this was Anfield. He was more concerned with avoiding an interception than delivering the perfect ball.

But Liam had been waiting for this moment. The instant the ball was played, he burst into action, sprinting forward and reaching it just before Liverpool's Spanish midfielder, Dani Pacheco.

With Pacheco still turning to face him, Liam took full advantage, accelerating past him in one fluid motion.

"Liam Carter—brilliant footwork! That pass turned out to be spot-on, and the two youngsters seem to have an understanding!" Mortensen exclaimed.

In reality, Mortensen had no idea that Liam had only joined Dundee United a little over a week ago. There was no prior understanding—just natural instinct.

Liam pushed forward, but soon Liverpool's full-back, Martin Kelly, stepped in to challenge him.

At 6'3", Kelly had the physical edge, but Liam—standing at 5'9"—relied on his agility. A quick feint to the right, followed by a sharp cut left, threw Kelly off balance, allowing Liam to glide past.

"Liam Carter has dribbled past two defenders in a row! Liverpool's backline is struggling against him!"

Reaching the corner flag, Liam took a moment to set himself and whipped in a high cross.

In the center of the box, Dundee United's Irish striker, Jon Daly, leaped for the header. But under heavy pressure from Jamie Carragher, his effort sailed harmlessly over the bar.

"Damn it!" Dundee United's manager, Peter Houston, cursed on the sideline. Liverpool wouldn't give them many chances like this. If they couldn't capitalize, there was no guarantee another opportunity would come.

But he still encouraged his players: "Good job! Keep pressing forward!"

"As a forward, if you can't pose a serious threat when facing a defender one-on-one, it's a problem," Mortensen analyzed.

"But Liam Carter has impressed. He's tested Liverpool's defense and exposed weaknesses."

"Kelly was a center-back in Liverpool's youth system but was shifted to left-back due to a lack of options. It's a weak point in their lineup—his size makes him vulnerable against agile wingers."

Houston still regretted the missed chance, but five minutes later, Liam created another opportunity.

Armstrong, encouraged by their earlier success, passed to Liam again. They executed a quick one-two, allowing Liam to take on Kelly one-on-one once more.

With swift footwork, Liam breezed past Kelly again and delivered another cross before the rest of Liverpool's defense could react.

The delivery was excellent, but once again, Dundee United failed to capitalize. Liverpool's Slovakian center-back, Martin Škrtel, outmuscled the attackers and cleared the danger.

"The 17-year-old from Dundee United is proving to be a real handful with his dribbling!"

"I just checked his background—he came through Crystal Palace's youth academy and was loaned to Dundee United this summer. Incredibly, this is his professional debut!"

"I don't know why Crystal Palace loaned him out, but based on this performance, he certainly looks capable of playing in the Championship—or higher."

While Mortensen continued praising Liam, things became more difficult for him on the pitch.

Getting beaten twice by a 17-year-old clearly irritated Liverpool's manager, Roy Hodgson. From the sideline, he barked instructions at Martin Kelly.

Liverpool's vice-captain, Jamie Carragher, took Kelly aside, offering advice. As a result, Liam found himself tightly marked.

Whenever he got the ball, Kelly pressed aggressively, using his size and strength to knock him off balance. Liam could no longer breeze past him as he had before.

Clearly, Carragher had instructed Kelly to use his physicality to dominate Liam.

Liam's 5'9" frame made him elusive, but Kelly—6'3" and weighing nearly 200 pounds—had the power advantage. At just over 130 pounds, Liam simply couldn't hold his ground.

"Looks like Kelly has figured out how to handle Carter. The physical mismatch is hard to overcome."

"But based on what we've seen, Liam Carter has a bright future. He's a natural winger with excellent dribbling skills. Once he gains more strength, he could thrive in the Premier League."

Mortensen's words seemed to summarize Liam's night. Frustrated by being beaten earlier, Kelly now stuck close to him, using his physicality to neutralize him.

But as the match neared its conclusion, Liam spotted another opportunity.

Dundee United lacked an intricate attacking system, relying mainly on long balls.

In the 86th minute, full-back Sean Dillon launched a long pass toward Jon Daly. The Irish striker positioned himself well, forcing Liverpool's right-back, Glen Johnson, to foul him. Dundee United won a free kick in a dangerous area.

"Dundee United have a free kick on the left, about 34 yards from goal. A bit far out, and close to the wing, so it's not the most threatening position," Mortensen noted.

Dundee United's usual free-kick taker, midfielder Scott Robertson, was unavailable. Armstrong and striker David Goodwillie stood over the ball, ready to take it. But Liam stepped forward.

"Let me take it," he said.

Neither Armstrong nor Goodwillie backed down immediately. Normally, the players would decide among themselves, or the coach would step in.

"Let Liam take it!" Houston called from the sideline.

Liam had spent extra hours practicing free kicks since joining the club. Although he wasn't officially the designated taker, his hard work had earned the coaching staff's trust.

"Liam Carter is stepping up to take the free kick. Is he their set-piece specialist?" Mortensen wondered.

"His dribbling has already made an impact tonight. If he can score from this, it would cap off an incredible debut."

"Of course, this might just be a cross—after all, Carter has already shown great delivery from wide areas."

Liam placed the ball down, took a deep breath, and prepared for his biggest moment of the night.

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