Katie Stengel joked she was just trying to avoid embarrassing herself on her Women’s Super League debut – instead she powered newly-promoted Liverpool to a 2-1 victory over defending champions Chelsea.
Three penalties ultimately decided who emerged victorious in front of a record 3,006 fans at Prenton Park, with Fran Kirby getting the visitors dominating on the scoresheet within three minutes.
But the Reds capitalized whenever they could, Stengel equalizing from the spot in the second half and then sending Zecira Musovic the wrong way in the 87th minute to seal Liverpool’s triumphant return to the top flight.
“I said to myself don’t miss, please don’t miss, all these people here will laugh at me if I miss,” the 30-year-old American told Sky Sports.
“I was like, I have to change it, and I was lucky, I guess.”
The striker, however, insisted the final scoreline was not so much the result of good fortune as sheer determination, and an invigorating half-time pep talk from the coach -Chief Matt Beard.
“He just repeated that we have to believe in ourselves,” she added. “We can win this game and it’s just another team there, 11 other players, and we’ve been preparing all pre-season so why not believe in us?”
Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes was frustrated with what she saw as an unbecoming effort by a team chasing their fourth consecutive WSL title.
“Listen, (Liverpool) scored on a throw-in which (led to) a penalty, and the second was a transition which was another penalty,” she said.
“It’s not like in open play, they had multiple shots, they just maximized situations, and for us going forward, I don’t think we could hit a barn door today.”
But the Blues boss was far from panicked by the result.
“I say it all the time, what is there to be afraid of losing a football match?” she says. “I’m not emotional about it. I think we have to reflect, look back and next week will be a new week.
