A packed Rajamangala Stadium got to see a game of mixed emotions. Liverpool started without their captain Steven Gerrard and injured midfielders Yossi Benayoun and Xabi Alsonso. Under hot and humid conditions, thousands of Liverpool fans saw a lively start to Liverpool's Asian Tour. The Reds took the lead five minutes into the match with a cross by stand-in skipper Jamie Carragher from his own half through the heart of Thailand's side to find connection with Ryan Babel who slotted it left past the goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool.
The rest of the first half stayed quiet, leisurely nearly, Thailand giving their opponents too much time and respect. The closer play got to the box on either side, it turned into close traffic, congested, which neither side was able to break through and threaten the goal. Carragher and Emiliano Insua impressed solid as always in the centre of defence.
Reds goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri nearly gave away a goal when he mis-kicked the ball on a couple of occasions in the early stages of the game. Damien Plessis, Dirk Kuyt and Babel worked hard and fine together and created a lot of chances, which came to nothing in the box - David Ngog and Krisztian Nemeth staying unnoticed in attack.
The players were soaking wet of perspiration and were more than happy to leave the field at half time. Only Babel stayed on for Liverpool in the second half which was disrupted with injuries and more changes, both sides not getting started and showing lack of penetration. Martin Skrtel and Nabil El Zhar came off just ten minutes into the second half with hamstring problems and not looking good.
The game looked more and more flat and chaotic. But Thailand got the equaliser they deserved with just under 20 minutes left on the clock, when substitute Sutee Suksomkit played a neat one-two with number 13 striker Teerasil Dangda and slotted it past substitute goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
Finally Liverpool have scored and broken the deadlock, but they did not show much penetration and did not put on enough pressure to dominate the opposition. The injuries did not help, but Rafael Benítez needs to learn and adjust his side fast and quickly if he wants to get them used to each other and the scoreboard ticking for his side.
The goalkeepers have not shown to be much competition of backup to Pepe Reina. The defence has been slow but held fine. Nice to see the first minutes of Fernando Torres back on the field, it livened up the crowd and play - but only for the last ten minutes, he could not and cannot change everything on his own.
Thailand Kosin (78 Kawin); Kiatprawut (66 Panupong), Nattaporn (78. Läng), Nattaphong, Suree (86. Suttinan), Rangsan (46 Sutee); Thonglao (c), Suchao, Narongchai (78. Pichitphong), Surat; Dangda (82 Winothai). Bookings 46 Surat, 90 Winothai.
Liverpool Cavalieri (46 Gulacsi); Insua (46 Johnson), Agger (46 San José), Carragher (c) (46 Skrtel, 55 Dossena), Degen (46 Kelly); Babel (80 Riera), Lucas (46 Mascherano), Plessis (46 Spearing), Kuyt (46 El Zhar, 57 Arbeloa); Nemeth (46 Voronin), Ngog (46 Pacheco, 80 Torres). Bookings 89 Mascherano.
1st half stats: Thailand-Liverpool
Attempts: 3-5
On target: 0-1
Offsides: 2-1
Corners: 1-1
Free kicks: 10-8
2nd half stats: Thailand-Liverpool
Attempts: 4-9
On target: 2-3
Offsides: 1-2
Corners: 1-3
Free kicks: 6-4
Referee: unknown
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