THERE were times when it appeared too much for him, his gait suggesting the effort of lifting his little legs out of a cabbage patch pitch had left him exhausted.
Like a thoroughbred that needs fast ground to show its true form only to be forced to run on bottomless going, Mark Gonzalez would sporadically hug Lansdowne Road's left flank and cut a seemingly bewildered figure.
How deceiving appearances can be. Underfoot conditions may have been heavier than anything he has encountered in his career before but the winger who should soon join Liverpool showed why Rafa Benitez has been so desperate to add him to his squad.
If doubts had lingered around Anfield about the 22-year-old securing a work permit this summer, they should be banished now. If this was Gonzalez operating on a quagmire, defenders will be scurrying for cover once he gets his favoured conditions.
While internet chatrooms have been abuzz with reports of Gonzalez's progress for Real Sociedad, last night's friendly in Dublin between the Republic of Ireland and Chile offered many Liverpool supporters the chance to see whether the hype was justified.
He didn't disappoint, particularly during a golden period of 30 minutes in the first half. Having spent the opening exchanges shuffling here and there, languidly knocking the ball to his team-mates, Gonzalez burst into life in the blink of an eye.
Poor Stephen Kelly. With Steve Finnan ruled out with an injury, the Tottenham Hotspur full-back would have been overjoyed when manager Steve Staunton informed him he was making a first international start. It's fair to say his memories won't be happy ones.
An extravagant back flick which flummoxed Kelly and Blackburn's Steven Reid was the first sign of Gonzalez coming to the boil. From that point until the interval, he took every opportunity to tease and torment his marker.
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