Liverpool 1 - Atletico Madrid 2

Pre-Season Match 2009

Well, 'The Main (Stand) Man' has certainly clocked up his air-miles and he makes a welcome return back home to turn in his match report for the last pre-season game before the Reds mount their premiership campaign. It was a special occasion for Torres: the adopted son of the Kop, as it was the first time he's been pitted against his old club since joining two summers ago....

The final game of pre-season saw the strongest possible starting 11 named by Rafa for what was expected to be the stiffest test yet faced by a Liverpool side that has hardly shown scintillating form. The line-up of Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Ayala, Insua, Kuyt, Benayoun, Lucas, Mascherano, Gerrard and Torres took to the Anfield turf to face an Atletico team including ex-Manc Diego Forlan, who was roundly derided by the majority of the home crowd for the entire game, and Maxi Rodriguez, scorer of the Spanish side’s excellent goal at Anfield during the Champions League encounter of last season.

The opening exchanges saw some crisp passing and movement from the reds, and a looping first time cross from Kuyt soon had Asenjo at full stretch to prevent an easy chance for Torres. Liverpool settled quickly into their rhythm, a positive sign given the slow starts in all of the previous fixtures to date, and the visitors were unable to provide any real depth and penetration in the first quarter of an hour. Gerrard was finding some space in between the Atletico defensive and midfield quartets, with Benayoun and Kuyt providing good width although again the quality of balls into the box was often not of the required standard.

The promising start was soon to take a worrying turn, however, as Carragher went down after challenging Aguero for the ball. Having screamed at the physio who was loitering at the side of the pitch, the decision was taken to remove the influential centre half as a precaution. His replacement was Mikel San Jose, but before the reds could get him onto the pitch, Atletico went a goal ahead. The ball was worked onto the left flank, where Lopez picked it up and was able to approach the Liverpool box without a challenge. His pinpoint cross found Aguero unmarked on the edge of the six yard box, and his glancing header left Reina with no chance.

Liverpool looked to respond positively, perhaps the more senior players in the side recognising that attack was the best form of defence, particularly with such a young pairing now in operation at the heart of the back line. Within minutes Torres went through following a decent passing move. The threaded throughball from Mascherano left the ball slightly underfoot, however, and as the Spaniard dragged it forward the keeper was able to advance and smother the effort, with Kuyt unable to profit from the follow up. Again, Torres threatened moments later, some sublime skill close to the byline taking him clear of the defender. When he went down under the challenge, referee Phil Dowd turned down what appeared to be a decent shout for a penalty from the partisan Anfield masses. Johnson then found Gerrard surging into the box after cutting in from the right touchline, but the skipper’s first time effort could only find the side-netting.

The Torres-Gerrard combination then almost created another good chance, but the number 9 couldn’t quite find his colleague with his pass. Atletico then went down the other end of the pitch and almost extended their advantage. San Jose was beaten for pace down the left by Aguero, who cut into the box and attempted to slot home, but Reina was equal to the effort and fortunately for the reds the only benefit from the chance was a corner to the visitors. Just past the half hour mark, though, Atletico did double their tally with an annoyingly superb effort from our former ‘neighbour’ Forlan. His ball found Aguero on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, and he followed it up with a run behind his fellow striker into space. A clever backheel found him just inside the area and his deft first time shot into the top right hand corner left Reina flying through the air without any real hope of ever getting a hand on it. The only comfort for reds fans should be that Forlan never showed that kind of form for Man Ure. The inexperience in the Liverpool backline was being ruthlessly exposed by two top quality strikers.

Liverpool again looked to work their way back into the match quickly, and indeed they should have done. A slide rule pass from Gerrard sent Torres racing through with only Asenjo to beat, but while his shot did make it round the keeper the post denied Liverpool their first goal and the ball rebounded to safety. The clock then began to tick on towards half time, and a lack of chances in the remaining ten minutes of the half did nothing to calm the disquiet in the crowd at the scoreline. Some good running from the front pair showed promise but on each occasion the end product was missing as the final pass went astray.

Benitez made no changes at the start of the second half, choosing instead to let his key players develop their match fitness ahead of next Sunday’s season opener. Liverpool soon threatened from their first corner of the half, a pacy ball swung across and was glanced on by Lucas at the near post, but neither Kuyt nor Ayala behind him were able to get anything on the ball to divert it into the net. A Kuyt cross from the right then found Torres on the penalty spot, but his header was from a standing start and he could not get the required pace on the ball to seriously trouble Asenjo.

Some good work from Johnson down the right then left Torres in space on the corner of the Atletico box. His curling ball into the six yard area was almost diverted into the net by Gerrard, but his effort under the challenge of Ujfalusi. Gerrard then had a penalty appeal again turned down by Dowd, as his attempts to get clear of the defence were thwarted by an outstretched arm. In all honesty, a penalty award would have been harsh as the ball cannoned onto the outstretched limb with no chance for the defender to get out of the way. A cynical challenge on Gerrard then saw Heitinga booked but the reds captain was unable to make anything of the resultant set-piece.

So far, all of the reds’ efforts to reduce the deficit had been in vain, and Benitez decided to make a change in bringing Babel on for Dirk Kuyt with an hour gone. The chances began to dry up a little, though, and even the Kop was uncharacteristically quiet as time went on without further opportunities presenting themselves. Torres was trying to create space for himself, and after taking on four defenders with ease he attempted to drag the ball round the keeper when a cutback would likely have been the better option with Babel and Benayoun in attendance. A cross from Benayoun then found Torres again in the middle, and whilst the Spaniard was able to get more power on his header this time, the effort was still relatively easy pickings for Asenjo. Forlan then got himself booked for a ridiculous bit of time-wasting, kicking the ball away for no apparent reason, and the yellow card was met with delight from the Anfield faithful.

Martin Kelly, one of the most impressive of the youngsters during this pre-season, then came on for Glen Johnson. A nervous piece of play from Pepe Reina almost gifted another goal to Aguero, but the Liverpool keeper was able to recover just in time. The entrance of Florent Sinama-Pongolle then resulted in a warm reception from the crowd, still keeping in mind the match-changing substitute’s appearance he had made in the Champions League versus Olympiakos in 2004. Liverpool again began to come forward with more purpose, runners from midfield causing the majority of the problems. Both Benayoun and Mascherano went bursting through having stolen the ball from opponents, but Assuncao snuffed out one attack with an awesome bit of defending whilst on the ground and Mascherano was unable provide an assured touch and ending up running out of pitch. Spearing and Voronin were introduced just prior to Gerrard’s accurate pass through to Lucas providing the catalyst for a goal for the reds. The Brazilian, who looked offside but was later proven to have been played on by the last defender, controlled well and slotted home comfortably to make the last 10 minutes more interesting. Moments later it was Gerrard again whose pass found Insua bombing forward, and his cross was not cleared at the first attempt by the Atletico defence. The ball ricocheted up into the air, and the keeper flapped at the ball before it dropped at the feet of Ngog. The ball was just too far under his feet, though, and his effort ended up with a throw in for Madrid.

The clock was against Liverpool by this point, and a corner on the left provided the last significant chance of the game. It was swung in by Gerrard, and Daniel Ayala rose well to get his head on the ball but was unable to direct it on target. Mr. Dowd blew his whistle to signify the end of proceedings for the day.

So again, despite an improved performance, Liverpool fell to Spanish opposition, and I must confess to having concerns with the season now so close to us. There were plenty of positives to take away from this encounter, but the most worrying aspect is the failure to take more of the decent chances that were created. This proved to be our downfall last season, with creativity not being matched by clinical finishing during home games leading to dropped points against lesser opposition. Still some work to do then for Rafa and the coaching/medical staff this week, although the good news is that the injury to Jamie Carragher is not thought to be serious at this point and he should be available next Sunday at White Hart Lane.

FC Lyn 0 - Liverpool 2

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man has certainly been clocking up the air miles this pre season! Following the Reds friendly in AT-AT country, he was even sober enough to send his Nordic match report from the 'Hurdgurdy Flurgjurgersson Internet Cafe' in Oslo! Enjoy.

I hate airplane food. And when it’s followed/preceded by some of the performances that the reds have managed so far during this pre-season tour, it is literally even more difficult to swallow. So my hopes were high that after the disappointment of Espanyol, Liverpool could come up with the sort of football that would inspire optimism in the face of the red-faced one’s attack on our club earlier today. With the Alonso ‘saga’ coming to an end, and the imminent arrival of Alberto Aquilani to replace him subject to medical, it is hoped that the main distraction faced by the players thus far is now concluded and the football can begin.

The line-up for kick off consisted of Cavalieri, San Jose, Kelly, Johnson, and Dossena in the defence, Spearing, Babel, Kuyt and Lucas in the midfield with Voronin and Ngog spearheading the attack. A mixture of youth and experience then, which seemed quite strange given the proximity of the competitive season, perhaps indicating that again players will be rotated this season according the demands of the fixture list.

The reds began well against a Lyn Oslo side that has only won one game thus far in the Norwegian League. Some clever passing almost had Ngog through within the first two minutes, and a chip forward almost found Spearing bursting forward. The home side then produced a moment of worry, as they broke clear down the right flank and fired a shot on goal which Cavalieri could only parry for a corner. Little else of interest was to be seen in the first quarter of an hour, both sides surrendering possession far too easily and Liverpool’s full backs, whilst admirably trying to get forward with pace, overhitting crosses on several occasions.

The next Liverpool attack was to originate on the right wing. Some interplay between Johnson and Kuyt led to the former slipping the ball inside to Spearing. The youngster controlled well with his first touch and then struck a decent shot which curved just wide of the upright. Kuyt then went close with a scuffed effort and had a delicate chip plucked out of the air by the keeper just a minute later. The signs were promising and Voronin took a potshot moments later which failed to threaten the net, but soon Cavalieri was called upon again. The ball found its way to the left hand side of the Liverpool penalty area, and Cavalieri was tested down to his left hand side, and a rasping shot from Ohuba then sent the reds keeper flying through the air to tip round the post. Lucas then went close with a powerful effort from outside the box, and this was followed by an excellent save at the feet of Ngog when he was sent clear by a slotted through ball from Johnson. The young Frenchman then almost created a chance for himself with an excellent flick between the legs of a defender, but the ball travelled just too close to the keeper who gathered.

With ten minutes left in the half, a flowing, first time passing move following good work from Lucas led to Voronin being sent clear. The Ukrainian attempted to scoop the ball over the onrushing keeper, and to be fair he did, however the ball also found its way about three feet over the crossbar. The reds defence then lost concentration momentarily, allowing the home side far too much space as a shot fired against the post. Again Lucas was involved shortly afterwards, when a seventy yard ball from Cavalieri found Kuyt on the right wing. His instinctive pass inside the defender found the Brazilian surging forward, but he was just unable to take the ball outside the defender. From the resultant corner, the ball found Voronin whose initial shot ricocheted back to him off Babel, but his second proved a deft chip which would have sneaked in under the bar had the keeper not tipped it over. Soon after the reds were in the lead, and on the balance of play it was well deserved. Ryan Babel set off on a trademark twisting run, pushed the ball outside the full back and pulled the ball across the goal line to find Voronin in the right place at the right time.

The referee blew the whistle for half time, and Liverpool trudged off with a narrow lead which should have been more. Rafa made five changes, Riera, Benayoun, Mascherano, Plessis and Degen replacing Babel, Spearing, Lucas, Kuyt and Johnson.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half reflected those of previous half, dull. There’s no getting away from the fact that sometimes this Liverpool squad can make the game look more difficult than it should be. However, from nothing, the reds gave themselves a two goal cushion. A raking cross-field ball from Mascherano found Dossena racing forward. The Italian took it past the full back and slid a ball across goal to leave Ngog with a relatively simple finish, slotting home into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Soon after, Torres and Gerrard made their entrances alongside Ayala and Insua, with Voronin, Ngog, Dossena, and San Jose. The rapturous applause given to the two main attractions, though, did little to spur on the team in the immediate aftermath, and again the game descended into mediocrity for the next ten minutes. The next opportunity to extend the lead arose with just quarter of an hour remaining. Some slick passing between Torres and Gerrard was unable to break through the Lyn Oslo back four, but the ball fell to Martin Kelly who had ventured forward. The youngster showed good composure to lift his head up and he sidefooted a shot agonisingly wide of the post. Benayoun was then able to shift the ball onto his left foot and fire a shot towards goal, but the ball was too central and the keeper gathered with ease.

An injury to Albert Riera led to the introduction of Jamie Carragher as the only substitute remaining with 5 minutes left on the clock. Riera’s foot slid out from under him as he went to cross the ball and he was taken off as a precaution. The game wound down with little else of note, some potential chances being snuffed out at the last minute and some quick passing proving fruitless. At the final whistle, the reds had secured a comfortable victory against a generally poor Norwegian side.

Still, however, I find it perplexing that Rafa, in this penultimate pre-season game, found it better to go for the ‘pick and mix’ approach to his team selection. It is always nice to see younger players being given their opportunity, however with just the game against Atletico to come, I feel that the strongest side needs to be given more opportunity to rediscover their understanding in these semi-competitive fixtures before the season opener at Spurs. The performances of Ngog, Spearing, and Kelly in particular tonight were extremely pleasing, but the likelihood of any of these players getting a regular run out in the Premier League is minimal, so why are they spending so much time on the pitch now? I could understand better a decision to play the best team for the first 60 minutes and then effect a mass change to give a ‘second eleven’ a chance to show what they can do. With all this being said, we must have faith that Rafa has been through enough of these pre-seasons now to have a pretty good understanding of what is required.

To summarise then, hardly a scintillating performance at times, but two well created and well taken goals to look back upon. Perhaps the godawful Chicken Chasseur on the flight home might not be too bad now……….

Espanyol 3 Liverpool 0

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man has returned from sunning himself in Catalonia and delivered his match report on last nights disappointing pre season friendly against Espanyol.

Easily the strongest starting line-up of the pre-season so far took to the field for the first game at Espanyol’s brand new stadium. A packed house saw the line up of Reina, Johnson, Insua, Carragher, San Jose, Lucas, Mascherano, Gerrard, Kuyt, Benayoun and Torres begin the game, which was to prove the most disappointing of the games thus far. Given that the Spanish side only began training 15 days after the reds began their preparations, Rafa would have been expecting much more from this experienced eleven than they could produce on the night. The home side fielded some good quality and well known players of their own such as Ivan de la Pena, Shunsuke Nakamura and Ivan Alonso, who once scored for Alaves in that thrilling night in Dortmund in 2001.

The reds began positively enough, Glen Johnson surging forward from right back and almost finding himself in the clear after a clever passing move. Reina was soon called into action at the other end, however, after de la Pena set up Ivan Alonso, whose drilled shot was well held by the Liverpool goalkeeper without too much difficulty. A highly dubious freekick was then awarded following Glen Johnson’s ‘challenge’ on Nakamura, but the resultant cross from Luis Garcia (no, not the ex-Liverpool man) was ably defended by Liverpool’s new signing himself before the referee saw the linesman flagging for offside anyway. A Gerrard freekick for the reds was then swung dangerously into the box, but an excellent piece of goalkeeping saw off the challenge from Torres.

The game was being played in a very open manner, something which was always likely to suit the Spaniards rather than the compact operating system preferred by Rafa’s men. A corner on 10 minutes found Reina flapping at the ball without making contact, and Carragher was forced to nod the ball only marginally wide of his own post in order to retrieve the situation. A link up between Gerrard and Torres then threatened to provide Liverpool’s first real effort on goal before the move was eventually snuffed out, although the skipper went within a whisker of putting the reds in front after 18 minutes. Picking the ball up from Benayoun about 25 yards from goal, Gerrard was not closed by the defence and struck a beautiful shot with the outside of his right boot. With the keeper well and truly beaten, the ball smacked against the crossbar and rebounded to safety.

Within moments of this scare, though, Espanyol went down to the other end of the pitch and scored the opener. A hopeful ball from the back found men in blue and white pouring forward, and while Carragher was able to head the ball back, it fell to Nakamura. His ball into the box found Luis Garcia whose deft control and turn left the Liverpool defence for dead and he was able to slide the ball past Reina into the bottom corner. Liverpool’s passing had been OK for the first 20 minutes, but it must be said that the home team had shown far more adventure in their forays forward and deserved to take the lead.

The reds were looking to make a quick response, and when Gerrard’s pass sent Torres racing forward his touch put the ball past Pereia who promptly bundled him over. Had it been a competitive match, it is likely that he would have been sent off as he was clearly the last defender. The freekick was taken by Gerrard who, with the Espanyol wall clearly encroaching within the required ten yards, was still able to bend the ball round the side of the onrushing players. Again the keeper was well beaten but again the woodwork proved an effective last line of defence, the upright this time denying the Liverpool captain his reward. Soon Benayoun initiated another attack when he picked the ball up in his own half. Sprinting into the opposition half, he slid the ball to Gerrard who soon returned it. The Israeli’s quick one-two with Torres on the edge of the box then looked to have set him through, but he tried to turn back inside onto his right foot which gave the defenders time to recover and clear.

Espanyol had the ball in the Liverpool net again with five minutes left in the first half. A cutting throughball from Pereia found Raul Tamudo who had turned San Jose with too much ease to latch onto the pass. A dubious offside flag, though, rendered his superb shot academic as the referee accepted the linesman’s decision. The rest of the half then wound down without further incident, and in all truth the score could have been 2-0 either way or even 2-2, however the home side walked off with the single goal advantage. Benitez will have been happy with the way his team reacted to going a goal behind, as well as with the fitness benefits undoubtedly brought by playing a relatively high-tempo 45 minutes in the Barcelona heat.

Just four changes for the second half, with Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena, Philippe Degen and Jay Spearing all coming on, replacing Benayoun, Johnson, Insua and Mascherano. Perhaps the use of Spearing ahead of Xabi Alonso can be taken as an indication that the Spaniard will certainly be leaving the club following his transfer request last week. The changes, however, did not make the impact that Rafa would have been looking for in the early stages of the second period. Indeed, it was Reina who was called upon first, tipping over a 25 yard strike from Verdu. The reds found themselves chasing the ball too often as the assured first touch and accurate passing play of the home side ensured that Liverpool spent long periods looking to regain possession. Some more good approach play led to a chipped ball from Callejon looking for the run of Ivan Alonso. Again the inexperienced Mikel San Jose was caught too stationary, and the Spaniard was only just unable to latch onto the pass with his outstretched foot.

Liverpool were finding it difficult to get their rhythm going in the second period, failing to add to their shots tally in the first 15 minutes of the half. Shortly after the hour mark, this poor period was made worse as the home team scored a relatively easy second. Some good work from Chica just inside the right hand side of the Liverpool half eventually saw him cut inside and slide the ball to Callejon. His pass along the ground was inch perfect for Sahar who calmly slid the ball past Reina with the keeper exposed. In truth, Philippe Degen was far more interested in appealing for offside than continuing to close down the striker and make the finish more difficult, a fact that will not have escaped the watchful eye of Mr. Benitez. Such a lack of concentration and endeavour cannot be seen as the mark of a player worthy of the red shirt, and in truth his all round play throughout the pre-season has done nothing to encourage me to say otherwise.

From this point onwards, there was only ever going to be one winner of this match, with The ‘Paraquitos’ (Parakeets), as they are nicknamed, dominating statistics for both possession and chances. The introduction of Riera, Ngog, Voronin and Plessis with 20 minutes remaining did little to change this, particularly as they were replacing players that Liverpool turn to for inspiration in times of trouble such as Gerrard, Torres and Kuyt. Whilst acknowledging that these mass substitutions do not make it easy for those entering the fray to make an impact, the resultant eleven left on the field will hardly be one that strikes fear into the hearts of many opponents.

From this point, the game began to drift aimlessly towards the final whistle. Liverpool were unable to provide any clear chances, and Espanyol continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack without being able to add to their tally, but the fragile looking Liverpool rearguard was unable to hold out until the end of the match.

Just three minutes were left of the 90 when Espanyol netted for a third and final time. It was San Jose who lost possession to Chica on the edge of his own box and when his shot ricocheted off Reina straight into the path of Sahar who scored slotted home his second of the night. The forward could have had his hat-trick shortly afterwards, but San Jose was able to get back and clear off the line after Sahar had rounded Reina.

The referee called a halt to proceedings with barely twenty seconds of injury time played, and Liverpool had been well beaten by a side that should not have been able to show more energy and creativity than a visiting side who will begin their Premier League campaign a full two weeks before La Liga restarts. Worrying signs for Rafael Benitez, with the performance of San Jose showing that he is not yet ready to take the step up into the first team as cover, and others, in particular Degen, not showing either the desire or talent of players looking to establish themselves as first team regulars.

In all truth, the first half was played by a team which will not be far away from that to start against Harry Redknapp’s side on 16th August, and this was by far the better period for the reds. Again the strength in depth of the squad has to be called into question, however, given the performance of the replacements brought on before and during the second 45 minutes. At this point in pre-season, Liverpool should be looking to improve results rather than concentrating on fitness which should by now be approaching the levels required of the Premier League, a point which will make this result even more disappointing for Rafa. Of particular interest will be the recovery times for Agger and Skrtel to return to the squad. If Daniel Agger has even half of the injury worries that he has over the past season and a half, then the absence of Sami Hyypia will begin to show. Reliance on Jamie Carragher as an almost ever-present in the side cannot continue forever, and the lack of qualified cover should worry Benitez even if there are other areas of the pitch that need recruitment more urgently. It is to be hoped that this result gives a wake up call to the Liverpool side, who will now travel to Norway to face Lyn Oslo on Wednesday night. Only this match and the home fixture versus Atletico Madrid now stand between Liverpool and the opening League fixture, and plenty of improvement is needed before the reds can go to White Hart Lane with any great deal of confidence.

Match time and date: KO 20:00. 2 August 2009

Singapore 0 Liverpool 5

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man has finally returned from Singapore and his own Far East tour, so enjoy his educational report of Sunday's Pre-Season game:

Again humid conditions greeted the Liverpool players as they took the field for the second game of the ‘Kop Comes To Asia’ tour, meaning another good workout for the team before their return to England. A good sized and enthusiastic crowd was present, with the vast majority draped in red although this, it must be said, is also the colour of the Singapore side, leaving Liverpool to play in their black and gold away kit. Rafael Benitez went for a strong side with plenty of first team experience, including players such as Carragher, Mascherano, Agger, Lucas, Babel and Benayoun, whilst there was still some representation from the younger members of the squad in Ngog and San Jose.

The game began with Liverpool, as should be expected at this stage of the pre-season, dominating possession although again the first ten minutes saw them worryingly unable to provide too much penetration. As might be expected, the strong line-up was able to subdue the Singapore side relatively easily, but it took until the 10th minute for Liverpool to really threaten. The ball was sent out to Benayoun on the right flank, and a pinpoint cross found Babel in the area. The Dutchman, though, was too static and his header was too weak and directed straight into the arms of the Singapore goalkeeper. In the 21st minute, Liverpool again came forward and, thanks to some woeful control by the keeper, were able to gain a fortunate corner kick. The set-piece itself was headed clear but as the ball was pumped back into the box, Ngog fooled the defender with a deft bit of control, but could not steer the ball back across the goal for the waiting Voronin.

The reds began to make more of their possession pay following that, often working the ball well down either flank and looking for late runs into the penalty area from the midfield. A particularly pleasing aspect to the play was the running of Lucas, showing signs of continuing with the confident form he was able to display towards the end of last season. It was his run and pass after 25 minutes that almost set Ngog clean through on goal, but a questionable flag from the referee’s assistant made the keeper’s eventual save irrelevant. A worrying moment occurred shortly afterwards, with Agger falling heavily after being ‘tipped’ whilst in the air going for a header. With Martin Skrtel already out for three weeks, Benitez can ill afford injuries to either Carragher or Agger at this point, particularly with no Sami Hyypia to provide cover.

The game began to drift again, though, with no more chances created until the half was all but over. With the stubborn Singapore defence again providing a strong challenge, the ball fell to Voronin about ten yards outside the penalty area. Following a shimmy to get himself past two defenders, the Ukrainian forward took a speculative shot towards goal. It was deflected from its original course and the despairing dive of the Singapore keeper was not enough to prevent the effort from trickling into the bottom corner of the net to put Liverpool one up.

The goal masked another half of worrying lack of creativity, although to be fair the reds had dominated possession and just about deserved, on the balance of play, to go in ahead. Rafa made just three substitutions during the break, with most of the Spanish nationals were left on the bench for the restart given the shorter time they had been back in training. Gulacsi replaced Cavalieri in goal, Emiliano Insua replaced Mikel San Jose and Albert Riera was brought on for Ryan Babel on the left wing.

The first effort of the second half took seven minutes to materialise. Some good control from an impressive David Ngog allowed him to turn and pass to Benayoun. The Israeli’s mind, however, was not made up as to whether to shoot or cross and his effort drifted ineffectually over the bar. The reds soon began to press forward with more urgency than in the first half and shortly extended their advantage with an excellent move. Lucas played the ball back to Mascherano on the right hand side, and the little Argentinian was able to look up and float a pinpoint cross to Riera on the far side. He controlled brilliantly on his chest and flashed a left foot shot underneath the oncoming goalkeeper, leaving the net bulging.

Liverpool were now running the show, and the noise of the crowd was amplified by the sight of Fernando Torres warming up on the touchline. The absence of Steven Gerrard has been noted by some, given his involvement on the advertising for the tour, but the Spaniard has earned himself his own level of worship from the Asian crowds. Again Lucas turned provider as the threaded a ball through for Benayoun, but his delicate chip to the far post found no-one their to convert.

On the hour mark, Benitez decided to shuffle the pack. On came Spearing, Torres, Kuyt, Plessis, Nemeth, Pacheco and Kelly, with the likes of Benayoun, Carragher, Ngog and Voronin making way. Torres was soon causing concern for the Singapore defence, although he was just unable to get a pass from Pacheco out of his feet quickly enough to get a decent shot on target. A cross from Spearing then almost let Torres in for an easy goal, but an excellent touch from the defender just took the ball away from the Spaniard.

The third goal, though, was not long in coming. Dirk Kuyt pounced on a wayward defensive header to advance on the Singapore goal. His simple ball across to the penalty spot found Nemeth piling forward, and the youngster put a side-footed shot wide of the keeper’s dive for his first of pre-season. This brought about the final changes of the match from Benitez, and one of the most notable. Xabi Alonso was introduced onto the pitch for what any sane Liverpool fan will hope is not one of his last appearances, and the fans in the stadium wasted no time in letting him know how much they want him to stay at the club. He was joined by Dossena and Pepe Reina on the field.

With ten minutes remaining, Kuyt again turned provider for the goal that the crowd really wanted to see. Nemeth’s quick thinking found the Dutchman clear of the full back’s attentions, and his slotted ball across the edge of the six yard box was side footed home by Fernando Torres with the keeper stranded at the near post. The fifth for Liverpool arrived with eight minutes left of the 90, and Kuyt again played a major part. Pacheco found himself with the ball on the edge of the area as Singapore struggled to clear. He found Kuyt just inside the box, whose cross was headed home by Nemeth for his second of the night.

Kuyt could have had one of his own shortly afterwards. Some more woeful defending left him ten yards out, but his well struck effort was straight at the goalkeeper. As the clock passed the 90 minute mark, Torres again threatened but his shot was deflected into the ground off the leg of a defender and ended up going over the crossbar. With the reds bypassing the Singapore back line at will, the referee decided that enough injury time had been played and blew the final whistle for a well-deserved 5-0 triumph.

Three highlights stand out from the game for me. Firstly, and possibly most importantly for our prospects of silverware during the upcoming season, was the appearance of Alonso in a Liverpool shirt again. A post match press conference from Rafa indicated that Xabi will have to request a transfer if he truly wants to go to Madrid. We should all hope this does not happen.

Secondly, the performance of Lucas Leiva gave real hints at his improvement. The more collected manner of his performances towards the end of last season was mirrored during this encounter, and it is my belief that he is finally starting to play the game in the same way that he does when captaining the Brazil Under-21 side. His composure and willingness to play the easy ball, whilst being able to find space during a difficult first half, showed what he is capable of in the centre of midfield. I’m still not a fully paid up member of his fan club, but credit where its due and let’s hope he can continue to improve from this point on.

Finally, the domination of the game from Dirk Kuyt, having pulled on the captain’s armband when entering the game, was outstanding. His positional sense, passing acumen and ability to bring other players into the game should be a real asset to the side as we attempt to bring the league back to Anfield.

Overall, then, a good night for the reds before they returned to home shores following the game. They then fly out to Spain to face Espanyol on Sunday, before fixtures against FC Lyn and Atletico Madrid to take us into the new campaign.

Thailand 1 Liverpool 1

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man Match Report:

A 70,000 crowd awaited the Liverpool starting line-up upon their emergence from the tunnel to face Peter Reid’s Thailand national side. Rafael Benitez chose probably the strongest initial XI of the pre-season so far, none more so than in defense where Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher teamed up for the first time. Insua and Degen were again chosen to continue in the full back positions, Lucas Leiva and Damien Plessis began at the heart of the midfield flanked by Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt with David Ngog and Kristian Nemeth completing the outfield line-up. A strong bench included many of the Liverpool’s international contingent after joining the rest of the squad just three days earlier,

The game began with a worrying moment for Diego Cavalieri, his first clearance of the match going straight to one of the Thai midfield. The resultant shot, however, was poorly hit and the Liverpool keeper breathed a sigh of relief as it drifted aimlessly wide of the mark.

However, after just 6 minutes, the reds finally got their first goal of the pre-season. Picking the ball up in his own half, Carragher lifted his head and saw a run inside the Thai right full back from Babel. The chipped through ball was not immediately controlled by the Dutchman, but he got enough on it so that he could simply run onto the bouncing ball and slot home past the onrushing keeper. It was a goal that seemed to expose a little naivety in the home side’s defensive strategy, with the central defenders having pushed out in search of an offside decision, leaving room at the back for Babel to run into.

There were shortly to be chances at either end. First, Thailand fashioned a clever move which, had the linesman’s flag not gone up immediately, would have required the good save that Cavalieri produced. Momentarily, Babel was clean through on goal, although the ball ran slightly too far ahead of him and the goalkeeper was able to smother his effort relatively easily. A jinking run from Nemeth then almost left him with a simple tap in, but again his final touch was a little too heavy and the danger passed. Insua then won the ball by his own corner flag, and following a swift interchange of passes down the left, Lucas floated across an excellent ball, finding Babel again in space at the far post. Babel’s effort on the volley, though, was weak and went well wide of the post.

After this promising initial period, the game began to get more scrappy as the half progressed. In truly difficult circumstances thanks to the downpour that beset the game halfway through the first period, the quick passing and attempted through balls were replaced with poor control and mistimed challenges. It took until the 42nd minute for Liverpool to threaten again, largely thanks to some tenacious work from Dirk Kuyt. As a Thai defender looked to let the ball run out of play for a goal kick, Kuyt caught him napping and was able to hook the ball free with his right foot. A delicate chipped ball almost found Ngog at the back post, but he was blocked by one of the home defenders.

After a mystifying three minutes of injury time at the end of the first half, the referee called a halt and some tired legs trudged off, the combination of the humid conditions and wet playing surface serving to provide probably the best workout for the Liverpool players so far during the pre-season.

Ten substitutions again took place, the team for the second half including Glen Johnson, Jay Spearing and Javier Mascherano playing his first full half since returning after international exertions in the close season. The Pacheco/Voronin pairing was again given the responsibility up front to try and extend the Liverpool lead from the first half.

A setback shortly into the half saw El Zhar injure himself in a bizaare attempt at an overhead kick on the edge of the Thailand box. He could only kick the defender who had gone up for a header to clear the ball, and the impact left the young midfielder on the floor. Martin Skrtel was forced out of the game moments later, with a suspected hamstring injury, and he was soon followed by El Zhar who looked in genuine pain. Martin Kelly came on for Skrtel and a welcome return for Alvaro Arbeloa was the result of El Zhar’s enforced withdrawal.

Overall, however, the second half proved to be a dour affair, punctuated only briefly by some promising passing movements and half-chances. The sight of Fernando Torres warming up on the touchline was greeted by a massive cheer from the Thai crowd (some of whom were in protective masks, presumably to guard against swine flu), who had little else to shout about for much of the half. The home side defence was not put under anything like enough pressure, with long range efforts providing the only real threat to the opposition net. Perhaps the best of these came from Javier Mascherano just after the hour mark, a fierce effort met with two fists from the Thai goalkeeper.

The setback in losing Martin Skrtel was then compounded when the Thai’s were able to fashion an equaliser. With 72 minutes on the clock, a superb move sliced through the makeshift Liverpool backline, a one-two leaving Sutee racing clear and he provided a neat finish down to Gulacsi’s left which rolled into the net off the post. As the rain became even heavier and was joined by some gusty winds, the umbrellas went up in the crowd and Liverpool at last began to venture forward with more consistency and Benitez decided that Reina, Torres and Riera should be introduced. The substitutes, in particular Albert Riera, though, had to wait longer than expected as the fourth official struggled to get the numbers correct on a Velcro board to indicate who was coming off. Torres immediately went running through the Thailand defence, but unfortunately his shot was a weak one that proved easy for the keeper to save. Torres again then became involved and threaded a superb throughball on to Voronin who held his head in his hands after putting the ball wide with only the keeper to beat.

The second half ended as it has begun, though, and petered out with some of the reds players tiring visibly. Johnson found time for one more effort, however, cutting in from the left hand side to get the ball on his right foot, he curled a dangerous looking shot just wide of the upright. The whistle went with another disappointing result, but the most strenuous workout for the Liverpool players thus far on their travels. The injuries to Skrtel and El Zhar will be worrying for the reds camp, as will the large periods of ineffective play which peppered the match. Coming so soon after a 10 hour flight as it did, perhaps this result should not be viewed with too much scepticism, though, and we can all hope that the reds can gain their first victory of the pre-season when they play the national side from Singapore on Sunday.

Match time and date: KO 14:00. 22 July 2009

Ground: Rajamangala Stadium

Goals: Babel, 6 (Liverpool). Suksomkit, 72 (Thailand)

Benitez looks to improve on last season

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes that the arrival of Glen Johnson could give The Reds the extra bit of quality to win the Premier League. Speaking ahead of the match against Thailand tomorrow the Kop boss said:

"We've really improved with Glen [Johnson] so hopefully we can be a little bit better and it will be enough," reports the Guardian.

When asked if Ronaldo’s departure would give Liverpool an advantage over United, he said:

“I don't know. I'm sure that they will have some money and they will buy some players so they will be strong."

"I think that every club now in the Premier League is trying to improve – City is one of them so you never know."

"At least I would like to be there at the top of the table and be contenders but I cannot say too much about the other teams."

Benitez has also been impressed with Ryan Babel since returning to pre-season training.

“We have been really impressed with Ryan,” said Benitez in the Post.

“He worked hard in the summer and he came back really fit. He’s trying to do his best and that’s very positive when you have a player with his talent. The first two years in a foreign country are always difficult. Now he has the right mentality and I’m sure he will improve.”

"For us this is a really important stage of the season. Everything we do is preparing the players for the first Premier League game. We must spend this time getting them match fit and working on tactics."

“We analysed what happened last year and know what we can improve on. This time is crucial to what we achieve when the season starts. We will continue to prepare them well this week and look to play well in the games."

“It was disappointing to lose in Vienna and you can’t be happy when you don’t win but there were lots of positives to take from the game."

“Hopefully we can keep working well and keep working hard over here.”

“We have a lot of respect for our fans here so we will try to use all the senior players."

“But the Spanish players and Dossena and Mascherano arrived back late because of the Confederations Cup and internationals, so they will probably not play as much as the other players.”

Rapid Vienna 1 - Liverpool 0

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man Match Report:

Another full house in Austria for the reds visit to play a club who unfortunately once lost a European Cup Winners Cup Final against Everton. Again Liverpool fielded some of the up and coming talent from the reserve team squad in addition to some more familiar faces. Daniel Ayala was selected to partner JC at the heart of the defence, with Insua and Degen completing the back four. Gerrard was this time accompanied by Damien Plessis in the centre of midfield, flanked by Babel and El Zhar. The same combination began up front as started the St. Gallen match, namely Voronin and Nemeth.

As with the match on Wednesday night, the reds began brightly and soon carved out their first chance. Just three minutes were on the clock when El Zhar found space on the right and crossed for Nemeth, however the young striker could not make the required contact in front of goal.

Liverpool were then saved by the flag of the referee’s assistant. A ricochet took the ball in behind the Liverpool defence and Hoffer was the first to react. His shot flashed past the advancing Cavalieri and hit the back of the net but the home supporters’ joy was shorted lived. The game then descended into some scrappy midfield play, although with the reds full backs looking to get forward, the two centre halves were in danger of being exposed by the energetic Vienna strikers. Liverpool were now offering little in attack, with Voronin and Nemeth being hustled off the ball too easily by the home defence, although the midfield was not giving them the required service with possession being surrendered weakly. With the presence of the returning Spanish armada on the bench, some of the opportunities for the younger players to make an impression may be limited during the upcoming friendlies in the Far East, and yet no-one seemed to be really set on making a name for themselves. Some solid defending by Ayala proved to be the only high point throughout the team in the first half hour.

Gerrard then began to exert his influence on the game, some typically surging runs beginning to hint at a better spell for Liverpool without a definitive end product. However, the half time whistle arrived with just one more significant chance having been created. Again the reds were on the wrong side of an unfortunate bounce in their own penalty area. The ball fell to Hoffer who rushed his shot as Cavalieri advanced having reacted quickly.

The Rapid Vienna management team would have been happier with their side’s performance than their Liverpool counterparts. It should be noted, however, that the Austrian side have already played some competitive football, the qualification round for the Europa Cup, and so perhaps Benitez and co would have been expecting to be under pressure for periods of the game. Another wholesale set of substitutions at half time saw only Insua and Degen reappear for the second 45 minutes, their continued presence largely necessitated by slight injuries to Glen Johnson and Stephen Darby. Lucas, Kuyt, Benayoun and Skrtel were again joined by the likes of Spearing, Pacheco, Ngog and Kelly.

The home side started the brighter of the two teams in the second half, with some neat one touch passing threatening to break through the Liverpool back line. Skrtel was soon called upon to put in a last ditch tackle to prevent Hoffer going clear again, showing the tenacity which has put him ahead of Agger in Benitez’ plans over the last year. With ten minutes gone in the half, Vienna implemented their own mass-replacement exercise, six players being changed at one time including the goalkeeper who had lamentably little to do in his time on the pitch. The changes took immediate effect, with the home side going ahead in the 58th minute. A freekick on the edge of the penalty area was taken by Hoffer, and as the ball went round the Liverpool wall it seemed that Gulacsi would have it covered. However, the ball skipped up off the turf and went over his hands into the far corner of the net. With a spring in their step, Rapid went looking for a second and had another effort ruled within two minutes. Replays showed that two Vienna players were at least two yards offside when the ball was played across, and the flag went up accordingly.

An easy save from a Benayoun free kick was the only real action for the Rapid Vienna keeper, and before long Rafa saw fit to replace Degen and Insua. One of the oncoming substitutes was Javier Mascherano, a sight which will no doubt be welcomed by all Liverpool supporters after a summer of media speculation about a move to the Nou Camp. Spearing was moved to full back along with Mikel San Jose who was also brought on, leaving only Martin Skrtel with any real experience in the back four.

Some good interchanges in the midfield led to a half chance for Kuyt in the 71st minute. The ball fell to him wide of the goal and for a moment it seemed that he was in the clear. An excellent piece of recovery, however, allowed Rapid to hurry Kuyt and his shot hit the side netting. Pacheco was looking like the only player with the capability to really challenge the Rapid defence, however, his quick feet allowing him to twist and turn inside the box but his shot struck the leg of a defender and rebounded to safety.

The final ten minutes went by with just one more opportunity for the reds to draw themselves level. Excellent work from Pacheco set Kuyt free down the right hand side. Had he been able to find a more accurate ball into the middle, David Ngog was in position for an easy finish. As with so often during the overall match, though, the pass was easily blocked and the danger passed with no equaliser.

As the final whistle was blown, many reds fans will have been wondering, given the lack of clear chances that have been created during the two matches so far, about the need for more experienced cover to be brought in for Fernando Torres. As our only recognised out-and-out striker likely to score 20 goals a season, the non-performance of the likes of Voronin, Nemeth, and Ngog will be causing many a brow to furrow as we find ourselves a little over three weeks before the start of the new Premier League season. Of course, the absence thus far of recognised internationals such as Arbeloa, Aurelio, Torres and of course Xabi Alonso should, if they all stay at the club, improve the overall team performances dramatically. Alonso’s own transfer saga needs to be put to bed as soon as possible by Benitez, hopefully culminating in him remaining at the club. His presence should return the team to the same kind of creative, forward looking outfit that finished last season so strongly. The reds fly off to the far east this evening to face the Thai national side, currently managed by ex-bluenose Peter Reid, on Wednesday.

Match time and date: KO 18:15 (UK). 19 July 2009

Goals: Hoffmann, 58

St. Gallen 0 Liverpool 0

Pre-Season Match 2009

The Main (Stand) Man has delivered his always insightful match report for last nights pre-season friendly. Read on:

The pre-season began tonight in a sunbathed St.Gallen, Switzerland with a capacity crowd and the travelling reds fans in good voice. Rafael Benitez selected a starting line-up with a good mix of youth and experience, with the likes of Mikel San Jose, Jay Spearing and Kristian Nemeth taking the field alongside the likes of Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and the returning Andriy Voronin and Phillipe Degen, who will be looking to re-establish themselves within the squad following a year on loan and long term injury respectively.

Liverpool began the game quickly, with brisk passing movements accompanied by some strong forward running from the midfield by Gerrard and Ryan Babel. It was the Dutchman, in fact, whose jinking run gained a freekick just outside the opposition box after four minutes, although the resultant shots on goal from Gerrard were easily dealt with by the home defence. Shortly afterwards, some hesitant defending allowed Nemeth to get deep inside the penalty area, but the ball dropped just too far in front of him and the stretched shot was sent wide by the goalkeeper.

The reds were able to settle into their rhythm surprisingly early for the first game of the pre-season, and it took until the 15th minute for the home side to offer anything of note going forward. Some slick interchanges down the right flank allowed the Frei to get to the byline and cut the ball back, but the danger was well anticipated by Phillipe Degen who cleared. The Liverpool defence was caught short again within the next five minutes, a poorly hit cross somehow finding its way across the six yard box. With only Diego Cavalieri to beat, the effort was hurried and brushed the outside of the post.

There was little more of note until the reds defence again came under pressure just after the half hour mark. A disputable freekick awarded to St. Gallen was swung deep to the Liverpool back post. The ball was nodded back across the face of goal and Carragher had to be sharp to clear the ball over the bar before any of the St. Gallen forward line could tap home. Jay Spearing began to see more of the ball during the period that followed, playing in a holding midfield role as well as looking to get forward. The young midfielder was the focal point for many of the passing moves, although little penetration was found as the reds continued to look for the intricate final ball too often. St. Gallen had a goal from Costanza ruled out for offside with 5 minutes remaining in the half, again finding the Liverpool defence a little static before the final ball was delayed a fraction too much.

All in all, the first half proved typical of so many early pre-season friendlies, with some good effort but little of note to show for it. Degen and Insua showed good energy to get forward but on too many occasions the crossing was ineffectual against a tall St.Gallen backline. The midfield huffed and puffed but overall the passing from Gerrard, Babel and co was not of the required standard to trouble the home side, who in fact finished the half stronger than their visitors.

As most people would have predicted before the match began, the team that emerged for the second half bore little resemblance to that of the first half, despite the continued absence of the Spanish contingent following their efforts in the Confederations Cup during the summer. A debut appearance for Glen Johnson, a new centre back partnership of Skrtel and Martin Kelly, and the introduction of some more established first-teamers in Lucas, Benayoun and Kuyt were complemented with more promising talent in the form of Damien Plessis, David Ngog, Stephen Darby Daniel Pacheco, and David Martin in goal.

The half began in much the same way as the first, with some incisive passing from the reds, although within five minutes the reds had managed their best chance of the match. A clever ball found Glen Johnson bursting through into the box, but he dragged his shot wide from about ten yards. A great first-time throughball from Kuyt then encouraged Pacheco to surge forward, only to be robbed of the ball as he twisted and turned inside the box looking for an angle.

Benayoun was the next to threaten, a pass from Pacheco finding him on the edge of the box. After a trademark turn, he shot high and the ball was turned over the bar by the St. Gallen keeper. A glimpse of the future was the next moment of note, a thunderous but entirely fair challenge from Martin Kelly calling an abrupt end to a run from Pamarou. Again Johnson then came forward, turning inside onto his right foot on the angle of the penalty box. His delicate cross looked tantalising but unfortunately none of the Liverpool forward line had gambled and the ball drifted wide for a goal kick.

A flowing move at speed from their own corner flag then enabled Liverpool to create their next chance. Johnson, Benayoun and Pacheco opened up the home midfield and surged forward looking for an opener. Perhaps inexperience meant that Pacheco chose not to play Benayoun in on goal, but he opted for the shot himself which deflected off a defender and created an awkward save for the St. Gallen goalkeeper.

Liverpool were looking far more comfortable at the back than they had in the first 45 minutes, which had the effect of allowing some creative and penetrating moves from the reds further up the pitch. A couple more youngsters in Ayala and Gulacsi were introduced with ten minutes remaining, a move in all probability decided prior to kick off. Yet again Johnson turned provider, some neat passing creating space for him on the left hand side of the opposition goal. Another teasing cross almost found Lucas flying in at the far post, but his dive was in vain and the ball rolled out for a throw in.

The pace of the game began to slow, with both sides looking more and more tired as the clock ticked into the final five minutes, hardly surprising at this stage particularly with young players. However, there was still time for the home team to create the best chance of the entire game, as a curled centre found Frick totally unmarked in the Liverpool area. Perhaps surprised at the abundance of time he had to pick his spot, the Swiss forward contrived to direct his header agonisingly wide of the upright. Another cross shortly afterwards required Dirk Kuyt, typically energetic having tracked back from the opposition half, to divert the ball away from Pamarou who was lurking dangerously at the back post. There was still time for Benayoun, pouncing on a wayward clearance, to fire a fierce volley towards the St. Gallen net, only for the keeper to pull off a decent save.

The final whistle confirmed the stalemate, with the match having provided a good workout for the team if not the goals they would have hoped for. High points were Glen Johnson’s impressive debut, full of powerful running and creativity whilst being solid at the back, and some professional, though not exhilarating, performances from many of the younger members of the squad. Liverpool fans will be hoping for their side to keep the ball a lot better as pre-season progresses, with the next outing coming in Austria against Rapid Vienna on Sunday at 6.15 p.m.

Match time and date: KO 19:00 (UK). 15 July 2009

ST GALLEN: Bolli, de Souza, Schenkel, Nushi, Vitor, Caceres, Frei, Zellweger, Koubsky, Costanzo, Merenda.

(second half): Bolli, Oehri, Lang, Jagne, Frick, Graf, Ciccone, Hammerli, Abegglen, Martic, Frrokaj.

LIVERPOOL: Cavalieri, Degen, Carragher, San Jose, Insua, El Zhar, Spearing, Gerrard, Babel, Voronin, Nemeth.

(second half): Martin (Gulacsi, 80), Darby, Skrtel, Kelly (Ayala, 80), Johnson, Kuyt, Plessis, Lucas, Benayoun, Pacheco, Ngog.

REFEREE: Cyril Zimmermann.

Liverpool squad fly to Swiss training camp

The Liverpool squad have flown out to Switzerland for six days of intensive training at ‘Bad Ragaz’ ahead of their 2009-10 campaign reports the official site.

They will play their first pre-season friendly with St Gallen on Wednesday before crossing the border to Austria for Sunday's clash with Rapid Vienna.

Reds pre season friendly with Tranmere announced

Liverpool have announced a pre season friendly with Tranmere Rovers. Newly installed Rovers manager John Barnes said: "This will be a great chance for my squad to show what they can do and hopefully both sets of fans will enjoy the game. I look forward to welcoming my old club to Prenton Park ahead of the new season." The match at Prenton Park will take place on Friday, July 24, at 7.45pm, with Liverpool receiving an initial allocation of 500 tickets. The prices are:

Adults - £12. Seniors (60 and over) - £6. Young persons (aged 17 to 22) - £6. Juniors (under-16) - £4.

Liverpool XI pre-season friendlies:

Saturday, July 18. Aberystwyth Town (A). 3pm.

Tuesday, July 21. Chester City (A). 7.45pm.

Friday, July 24. Tranmere Rovers (A) 7.45pm.

Tuesday, July 28. Cambridge United (A). 7.45pm.

Friday, July 31. Notts County (A). 7.45pm.

Monday, August 3. Bristol Rovers (A). 7.30pm.

Thursday, August 6. Dunmanway Town (A). 2pm.

Reds reveal pre-season programme

The Reds have revealed their pre-season programme for 2009, which includes trips to: Switzerland, Thailand and Norway

July 15 v St Gallen – AFG Arena, St Gallen. Switzerland (8pm).
July 19 v Rapid Vienna – Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria (7.15pm). (pictured above)
July 22 v Thailand – National Stadium, Bangkok (8pm).
July 26 v Singapore – National Stadium, Singapore (8pm).
August 2 v Espanyol – Cornella-El Prat Stadium, Barcelona, Spain (kick-off tbc).
August 5 v FC Lyn – Oslo, Norway (7pm).