Soccer: Benayoun scores stunning winner for Liverpool

By JEREMY LAST
Yossi Benayoun did his best to silence his critics on Saturday, scoring the only goal in the Reds' defeat of Tranmere Rovers in their first preseason friendly match of the summer. There has been intense speculation over the Israel captain's future in recent weeks, with reports in Israel claiming he turned down a move to Dutch team Ajax Amsterdam. However, on Saturday he showed Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez just how useful he can be for the team, floating a shot into the top corner of Tranmere 'keeper Danny Coyne's goal two minutes before half time. The official Liverpool Web site had no qualms praising the former Maccabi Haifa attacking midfielder, with the headline "Benayoun brilliance wins it for Reds" splashed across its front page. Liverpool will travel to Switzerland next week for a training camp and a series of games which will include a fixture against Polish champion Wisla Krakow, the team drawn to play Betar Jerusalem in the Champions League qualifiers at the end of this month.