Players' reaction: "Watch out for Gonzalez, he's animal." So read a Liverpool fan's text message at around half five yesterday. Who's Gonzalez? He must have meant Mark Gonzalez Hoffman of Real Sociedad. Or just plain Mark Gonzalez.
How does a Liverpool fan know this guy? Eventually it sank in. This is the same Mark Gonzalez who landed on Merseyside last summer to cure the ills of the Liverpool left wing. Only problem is Gonzalez had no work permit.
By Christmas Rafa Benitez had loaned him off to Sociedad, where we are reliably informed he is seeking a Spanish wife which would allow him gain possession of a precious EU passport and duly return to England.
Gonzalez got his first run at a Premiership right back last night. He will hardly be quaking in his boots ahead of next season. Stephen Kelly had a first-half to forget, exposed continually by the failure of Stephen Reid to make the flexible 3-5-2 line-up (or was it 3-4-3?) work.
Early on Gonzalez spun off Reid before probing the ball into the danger zone. Seconds later he glided between the aforementioned duo to force a save from Shay Given. Then an in-swinger from the right was nodded into his path by Richard Dunne. After a neat chest-down and volley, he was denied a super goal by the post.
Given was quick to point out Kelly was making his first start for Ireland. "I was very happy for Stephen Kelly. He was a bit nervous initially and made a mistake very early on but he did okay after that."
On the other side Everton midfielder Kevin Kilbane filled the gaffer's former role and performed decently at fullback, overlapping Damien Duff with intent. Soon after the goal from Manuel Iturra, off a deflected Gonzalez free, Staunton resorted to the reliable 4-4-2 or as he described it 11 versus 11.
Kilbane survived a four-man cull only to move to centre back. John O'Shea departed with Graham Kavanagh adding immediate bite to the middle.
Gonzalez was guided onto his right boot for the rest of the evening. Premiership left backs took note.
So was the manager's formation to blame? "I don't think it was the formation," continued Given. "The passing was sloppy all night and we didn't hold onto the ball well enough. Even for their goal the initial free kick came from a poor pass, so somebody had to hack them down outside the box.
"Remember, this is not the most important game. That comes in September. It's all about getting it right then. If Stan doesn't experiment and take at look at a few formations when can he?"
Man of the match Kevin Doyle (he did well but this really should have gone to a Chilean) might get a bit of a ribbing for stressing Chile were a bit sharper as they are in camp for the World Cup. In actual fact they too failed to qualify.
"It's always disappointing to get beat. We didn't get out of the blocks early tonight. It's a bad way to finish the season, especially after beating Sweden. It's a sour taste in the mouth for the next three months.
"A couple of lads haven't been in training for the last three weeks, me included. They've been in training for the world cup, keeping on their toes. That had something to do with being a yard off."
An excusable error considering he raised his hand high in the air for a permanent place alongside Robbie Keane.
