Thanks, Stephen Roche for the guest post!
When Ben Woodburn scored his first ever goal for Wales in their 1-0 win over Austria on Saturday night, many Liverpool fans were licking their lips. It was an explosive goal that made the young player a hero in what could have been the beginning of a failed Welsh campaign. And that is what makes the goal much more than just a shot in the bottom corner.
Woodburn’s goal was replayed on all social media sites dedicated to Liverpool, and rightly so. Of course, the goal can be only seen as a good thing among Liverpool fans. And of course, I loved it, as it shows that he can handled the pressure of a high-stakes match. However, I also hated it.
This writer received a text expressing how good the goal was, but the sender was soon in the same position. As many are aware, Liverpool has a global fan base, and being Irish, this goal impacted me in more ways than one. Ireland and Wales are both in the same qualifying group for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and his goal has now bridged the gap between the nations to just two points, putting Ireland’s chances in jeopardy.
Of course, I want Ben Woodburn to develop and be a benefit to Liverpool over the next few seasons; but let’s just keep it to Liverpool, eh Ben?