Source: Daily_Mail
Malaysia XI 3 Liverpool 6: Clarke vows to cut out the defensive lapses
Charlie Adam scored his first goal for Liverpool as the Premier League team beat the Malaysian national side 6-3 in the second match of its pre-season Asian tour on Saturday.[LNB]Adam, who joined from Blackpool earlier this month, made his starting debut for Liverpool and was at the heart of the team's first-half attacking moments. He scored with a twice-taken penalty in the 24th minute at Bukit Jalil Stadium. [LNB] Opening salvo: Charlie Adam (left) celebrates scoring Liverpool's first goal[LNB] [LNB] It was the Reds' first visit to Kuala Lumpur. The team defeated China's Guanghong Sunray Cave 4-3 on Wednesday.[LNB] Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish made 11 substitutions at the break, and David Ngog and Maxi Rodriguez both scored twice with Dirk Kuyt adding the other goal for the visitors. [LNB] 'We still have a lot of work to do. It's early in the preseason and the players are not quite sharp yet,' Liverpool assistant coach Steve Clarke said. 'It was a great game and the Malaysian boys were very aggressive but fair.[LNB] [LNB]Evasive: Liverpool's Jay Spearing attempts to avoid the challenge of Mahalli Jasuli[LNB] [LNB] 'We let in another three goals todaybut it's not just the defense we have to work on. I'm sure the boys will be up to the mark in four weeks' time when we kick off the season.'[LNB]Adam showed off an array of passing skills and created chances for his team, showing why Dalglish had been chasing his signature since January.[LNB] The breakthrough came after striker Andy Carroll was bundled over in the box. Adam stepped up to convert the penalty, but referee Nagor Amir Noor Mohamed ordered him to retake the spot kick. The Scot kept his cool to again send goalkeeperMohamad Nasril Mat the wrong way. [LNB]Level pegging: Malaysia's Shario Rahim (left) celebrates scoring his side's equaliser against Liverpool[LNB] [LNB] The goal woke Malaysia up and the hosts finally began to show some aggression. They were duly rewarded when captain Shafiq Rahim equalized near halftime with a superb free kick, and almost took the lead through Baddrol Bakhtiar's header two minutes later.[LNB] [LNB]Athalftime, Ngog came on for Carroll. He put Liverpool ahead in the 67th minute, taking advantage of a defensive lapse to knock the ball home from close range. If his first goal had an element of luck, the second was a beauty - blasting the ball into the net while on the run two minutes later. Maxi Rodriguez made it four for the Reds in the 74th, coming in from the right to convert a cross from Emiliano Insua.[LNB]Malaysia's top striker, Mohamad Safee Mohamad Sali, was a reserve as hewas carrying an injury. But he came on to make it 4-2 in the 79th minute after added another goal two minutes later.[LNB][LNB]Well-backed: Liverpool fans were out in force for their friendly against a Malaysia XI[LNB] [LNB] Rodriguez, however, nodded the ball into the net in the 90th minute from close range off a cross by Kuyt, who burst through the defense in injury time to score the last goal for the five-time European champions.[LNB]Malaysia was thrashed 4-0 by Arsenal earlier this week, and its coach K.Rajagopal said his team had learned a lot from both games in preparation for a two-legged World Cup qualifier against Singapore on July 23 and July 28. [LNB] 'I told the players we had to be aggressive and we worked real hard,' he said. 'There will be some players who will be elated that we scored three times against a top club, but others will be sad we conceded six times. There were sloppy goals and I'm not too happy about that.'[LNB][LNB] Malaysia XI 3 Liverpool 6: Adam opens his account as Reds earn thrilling friendly winLiverpool chief Ayre questions legitimacy of Manchester City's ?400m stadium deal CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME [LNB] [LNB]
