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| Toronto FC | 7.00 | 13.00 | 6.50 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 15.00 | 6.06 | 6.66 |
| Draw | 4.00 | 1.25 | 4.20 | 4.33 | 4.30 | 1.12 | 4.00 | 3.82 |
| Liverpool | 1.36 | 5.50 | 1.44 | 1.50 | 1.40 | 6.50 | 1.45 | 1.43 |
Toronto 1-1 Liverpool: Lucas returns for Reds as Rodgers starts with a draw
The 39-year-old's debut in the dugout of the Premier League side ended with a tie against the Canadians, with the return of their influential Brazilian midfielder a welcome sign
By Keeghann Sinanan
Getty Images
Brendan Rodgers' first game in charge of Liverpool ended with a 1-1 draw against Toronto FC in their World Football Challenge clash at the Rogers Centre on Saturday.
Chances remained at a premium in a tepid first-half, but the ex-Swansea boss' debut did not seem to be going according to plan after a 58th minute opener from Quincy Amarikwa.
However, Adam Morgan restored parity 11 minutes later, profiting from a great run by Raheem Sterling to salvage the result for the English side in the first game of ther pre-season tour of North America.
| Bet: | Returns: | New England £19.50 | Draw £34.00 | Toronto FC £42.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | New England £19.10 | Draw £34.00 | Toronto FC £40.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | New England £18.33 | Draw £34.00 | Toronto FC £36.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | New England £19.10 | Draw £32.50 | Toronto FC £42.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | New England £20.00 | Draw £34.00 | Toronto FC £34.00 |
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Chances remained at a premium in a tepid first-half, but the ex-Swansea boss' debut did not seem to be going according to plan after a 58th minute opener from Quincy Amarikwa.
However, Adam Morgan restored parity 11 minutes later, profiting from a great run by Raheem Sterling to salvage the result for the English side in the first game of ther pre-season tour of North America.
Rodgers opted for a mix of youth and experience to begin the match, with prospects such as Dani Pacheco and Nathan Eccleston starting alongside more experienced heads like Jose Enrique and Jamie Carragher.
Meanwhile, Toronto coach Paul Mariner named a strong XI featuring captain Torsten Frings in midfield, though leading scorer Danny Kovermans was absent after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in a league fixture last Saturday.
The former German international fashioned the first opportunity of the match after seven minutes, slipping in Ryan Johnson in space, but Brad Jones was alert to tip his effort around the post.
Liverpool survived the early scare and soon settled into a rhythm, adopting the comfortable passing game that was a hallmark of Rogers’ time as Swansea City.
However, their possession failed to reap rewards in front of goal, as Toronto’s numbers at the back prevented the Premier League outfit from finding a way through.
Mariner’s men were adept at closing down the space inside the 18-yard area, with Liverpool forced to play out the half patiently around the box in the hopes of manufacturing an opening.
The second-half saw Rodgers, as expected, send out an entirely different XI, with the likes of Martin Skrtel and Joe Cole making an appearance amid another crop of youngsters.
Mariner followed suit, making ten changes at the break, including forward Amarikwa, who only signed for Toronto earlier in the day as cover for the injured Kovermans.
And Amarikwa would make an instant impact with his new club just before the hour mark, pouncing on the rebound from a Peter Gulasci save to power the MLS side into the lead.
Liverpool would not be down for long though, and drew level in the 69th minute. Sterling did all the hard work, squeezing past three defenders before dragging a shot across goal that was turned home by Morgan.
There was more good news for the English side on 75 minutes, as Lucas was summoned from the bench to replace Krisztian Adorjan, his first appearance since a cruciate ligament injury suffered last December.
Liverpool almost snatched a winner with the last kick of the game, but Quillian Roberts held on well to Sterling's powerfully struck effort from distance.
Liverpool will square off against Roma next Wednesday as they continue their pre-season preparations, while Toronto returns to league action against the Houston Dynamo in one week’s time.
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1 | 0 |
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