Liverpool beat Malaysia 6-3 in a thrilling match

David Ngog’s double, which was squeezed in between Charlie Adam’s penalty, a brace for Maxi Rodriguez and a late blast from Dirk Kuyt, was the highlight of an entertaining 6-3 victory for Liverpool over Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, played out in front of an 84,000 crowd that embodied the word ‘hysteria’.

If his first on 69 minutes was slightly fortuitous – he was the beneficiary of a breakdown in communications in the Malaysian defence – there was nothing lucky about his second which arrived 60 seconds later, as he unleashed a powerful drive that fizzed into the top corner.
With Liverpool’s squad top heavy following the arrivals of Stewart Downing, Adam and Jordan Henderson, Dalglish will be looking to offload a number of his squad but Ngog may earn himself a reprieve should he continue in this manner.

If they were effortlessly brushed aside by Arsene Wenger’s men, the constant scurrying and harrying they performed during the opening 45 minutes was admirable and it enabled them to go on in all square at the break.

Liverpool had looked set to saunter to victory when Adam converted a twice-taken, rather generously awarded penalty, sending Malaysia’s keeper Mohd Nasril Mat Nourdin the wrong way in the 23rd minute after Andy Carroll had been brought down.

Adam impressed with his use of the ball and looks as if he won’t have any trouble adjusting from life after Blackpool, while there was encouragement to be taken from the display of Joe Cole, who was caught on TV before the game cheerily greeting a Malaysian dignitary with the words 'Alright, Bruv.'

While this was nothing other than a training exercise for Liverpool, the Malaysians were taking things a good deal more seriously and were determined to showcase their abilities better than they had done against Arsenal on Wednesday.

But that did not deter Malaysia and they responded with a terrific goal of their own just before the break captain Shafiq Rahim curling a free-kick that arced away from Brad Jones before nestling in the roof of the net.

Thoughts that Malaysia would pull off a famous victory, however, were dashed after the break. Liverpool fielded a completely new line-up and went through the gears to put their opponents to the sword.

Ngog set the wheels in motion, Rodriguez made sure of victory before two goals from Mohd Safee Mohd Sali thrilled the local crowd. Any chance of an equaliser, though, was snuffed out in injury time as Rodriguez headed Kuyt’s cross in.

Kuyt completed the scoring and ended a successful stay in Kuala Lumpur, blasting in from eight yards just before the final whistle. Liverpool now head to Singapore for a training camp before returning to Europe to step up their preparations for the new Barclays Premier League campaign.

Scorers:
Malaysia: Safiq Rahim (42nd minute), Mohd Safee Mohd Sali (79th, 81st minute)
Liverpool FC: Charlie Adam (26th), David Ngoc (57th and 58th), Maxi Rodriguez (74th, 90th ), Dirt Kuyt (3rd minute of added time).

MALAYSIA:
Mohd Sharbinee Allawee (GK) (Khairul Fahmi Che Mat), Mahali Jasuli, Mohd Asraruddin Putra, Mohammad Fadhli Mohd Shas (Mohd Rizal Fahmi), Shafiq Rahim (C) (Ismail Faruqi), Amar Rohidan (K. Gurusamy Govandar), Ahmad Fakri Shaarani (Shahrizal Mohd Saad), Abdul Hadi Yahaya (Izzaq Faris Ramlan) (Mohd Safee Mohd Sali), S. Kunalan, Baddrol Bakhtiar, Mohd Muslim Ahmad.

LIVERPOOL FC:
First half:
Brad Jones (GK), Jonathon Flanagan, Raul Meireles, Daniel Agger, Andy Carroll, Joe Cole, Jack Robinson, Jay Spearing, Conor Coady, Jamie Carragher (C), Charlie Adam.

Second half:
Martin Kelly, Christian Poulsen, Jonjo Shelvey, Alberto Aqualini, Maxi Rodriguez, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Dirk Kuyt, Emiliano Insua, Dany Wilson, David Ngoc, Peter Gulacsi (GK) (Martin Hansen)