FC Toronto 1 Liverpool 1: Reds youngster Morgan rescues Rodgers in first game

Posted Sunday, July 22, 2012 by Dailymail

Brendan Rodgers first game in charge of Liverpool ended in stalemate as a goal from England youth striker Adam Morgan rescued a draw here in Toronto.

Magnificently billed as a decider in the World Football Challenge, the grandiose title did not reflect the status of the game and Rodgers made no secret that his first 90 minutes in charge was simply a fact-finding mission.

Still, no manager enjoys losing and it need a poacher’s goal from Morgan, an Academy graduate who has enjoyed a prolific strike rate at age-group levels, to cancel out Quincy Amarikwa’s opener and ensure that Rodgers’ big day was not spoiled.

FC Toronto 1 Liverpool 1: Reds youngster Morgan rescues Rodgers in first game
My ball: Liverpool's Suso, left, skips past Toronto FC's Matt Stinson and Aaron Maund

FC Toronto 1 Liverpool 1: Reds youngster Morgan rescues Rodgers in first game
The first half, in terms of action, was instantly forgettable. Eager to give a good account of themselves, Toronto were all hustle and bustle, keeping their shape and harrying their more exalted opponents whenever they lost possession.

Sitting on Liverpool’s bench with his arms casually resting behind him, Rodgers was simply happy to soak up the action that was unfolding in front of him; only rarely did he feel compelled to leap from his pew to exhort some orders or bark his displeasure when a move broke down.

Quite frankly, the result did not matter a great deal. What Rodgers was most concerned about was seeing how players such as Charlie Adam and Alberto Aquilani fitted into his system or how young talents like Jordan Ibe, Andre Wisdom and Dani Pacheco would fare.

Of all the midfielders Liverpool possess, it would seem that Adam’s position is vulnerable and few would dispute that he will struggle to hold down a regular spot going forward. Though he showed some nice passes, more will be required in the coming weeks to impress Rodgers.

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