Full-time stats show comfortable possession and key area dominance for the visitors - 58 - 42 % possession for Liverpool with 25-odd shots (8 on target) besting the Roar’s two.
Still, Brendan Rodgers wouldn’t have enjoyed watching the Roar take that early lead, and you feel there might be a few players doing extra hill sprints next training session (presuming 1980s park league training methods are still in practice on Merseyside).
Roar showing glimpses of their fine short-passing game, which will no doubt make Aloisi happy, but a lot more to come, especially at the pointy end, if they’re to take the fight to the Victory’s and Sydney FCs of the league.
Thanks as always for your emails and tweets - we’ll have more live coverage tomorrow night as Manchester City take on Melbourne City.
Only negatives for the Premier League side perhaps their final third execution.
A lack of cohesion at times perhaps understandable with a swag of new faces - devotees will want to see a bit more from Ings down the track, but Milner and Ibe in particular look likely to have a positive impact as the season goes on.
For John Aloisi and the Roar, a great opportunity to blood some youngsters against world class opposition and perhaps something to aspire to down the track.
Not an absolute belter, but certainly some fine moments and a couple of good goals to delight the reported 50,000+ crowd.
Full time: Brisbane 1 - 2 Liverpool
And that’s all we get. A comfortable showing from Liverpool and some positive signs from many of their fresh signings.
Brisbane players disappointed to hear the whistle but they’ve done their fans proud.
92 min: Free kick - a foul from Toure and here’s a last chance for the Roar.
Whipped in nicely to the far post - it finds Donachie who rises well - but pretty straightforward for Mignolet.
And, as has been the pattern of the last little while, it’s now with Ibe down in the corner.
Updated
90 min: Liverpool keeping comfortable possession - the Roar shuttling furiously side-to-side as the minutes tick away.
The youngster Yango finds the ball at his feet, before a rugged challenge on Clut from Clyne earns a booking.
Brisbane need to get a good cross in here if they’re to get something from this match.
88 min: Ooh.. A great shot from Ricky Lambert. I swear I haven’t left my chair for the last 90 minutes, but I didn’t even see the former Saints man sneak on the pitch.
He’s a Liverpool fan, so he would have enjoyed that one, had it found a way past Young.
86 min: A bit of zip perhaps out of the Roar attack with Broich and Brattan off the pitch. Not to mention the absence of Socceroo Matt McKay - he’s sorely missed here today.
Mignolet in no hurry with this goal kick - which unsurprisingly makes its way to Ibe. He’s been the excitement factor for the last twenty minutes or so. Seems a lively prospect.
83 min: The onus is on Brisbane now to really chase this game, as Liverpool sit reasonably compactly and comfortably when not in possession.
Petratos almost finds D’Agostino with a fine incisive pass. Sakho deals comfortably with the youngster.
81 min: It’s back down this left flank again - it seems everyone in the Liverpool team is looking to pick out Ibe since he’s come on.
A nice attempt, but this time Polenz gets an outstretched boot on it. Behind for a corner, which is comfortably dealt with.
78 min: Nice reward for Milner, he’s been almost the best on the ground so far. He’s worked hard, and Brendan Rodgers will be pleased the decision to give his new signing extra minutes has resulted in a confidence booster.
Ibe has now skinned Polenz and only an excellent block from Young prevents a further goal. Great run from the much-hyped Liverpool youngster, a jinking run that deserved more but the Roar keeper stood tall.
Great play by both.
Goal! Brisbane 1 - 2 Liverpool (Milner)
75 min: And just like that - Liverpool take the lead!
Some awful work at RB from Polenz - almost showboating there with a low-percentage backheel. Ibe recovers and feeds Milner, and the one-time youngest ever Premier League goalscorer makes no mistake with a curling effort just outside the box.
Hard on Young in goals, a slight deflection made that loop helplessly beyond the Roar ‘keeper.
Aloisi won’t like that at all - you might expect that type of move from a Premier League star, but when you’re a German journeyman trying tricks like that on the massive stage.. Well.
73 min: Clut fancies another one from distance, but that one falls into the category of ‘speculator’. Liverpool need someone to provide a spark here, just to curb this petit Roar-naissance.
(Apologies).
70 min: A really lovely passage from the Roar, stringing about six passes through the Liverpool midfield with Henderson left sprawling. A foul on Petratos and the momentum is lost. Still, ‘growing confidence’ is the go-to description for this.
Broich comes off for Abraham Yango; Bowles and Brady also coming on for Hingert and Borrello respectively.
68 min: Ibe causing some havoc down the left flank - shows half-time substitute Jerome Polenz a torrid time, and it looks like Young may have just got a tiny touch there.
Good to see the Liverpool youngster looking hungry and keen to show his wares in front of this excitable Brisbane crowd.
67 min: A nice passage of play for the Roar - Borrello falls to the ground in the box, perhaps theatrically, under a challenge from Toure.
Replays suggest a forearm across the face - perhaps grounds in retrospect.
64 min: A host of changes for Rodgers now - Toure, Ibe, Maquire and Kemp by last count all enter the fray.
And just as Liverpool almost take the lead, now it’s Roar’s turn!
And would you believe it, it’s the youngster Clut. We built the hype, and the Villarreal-slayer has Mignolet beat, only to see his driven effort just sneak over the crossbar.
Wow, what a response that could have been.
61 min: Debutant Jamie Maclaren makes way for teenager Nicholas D’Agostino for Brisbane. Very quiet the former Perth Glory man - he’ll look for more in future.
Jordan Henderson with a real chance here and another great save from Young!
The captain looking to put his side ahead, but strong hands once more from the former Reading man, who the match commentators assure me, was once an England U21 player.. Well tickle me with a feather. Tell Roar fans from last season that.
59 min: First boos we’ve heard all night. A seemingly cynical clip from Milner goes unpunished. Nothing malicious, more professional would be the categorisation.
Brisbane looking to make the running down the right flank here. Borrello does well to bring the ball under control, but the danger in sniffed out. A fine counter-attack from the hosts.
57 min: Ohh no!!
They’ve hooked the ‘Rows!
Aloisi, Brisbane fans, and the world, have apparently seen enough. Brattan off for Clut.
For those who don’t know much about this kid, he’s scored a few screamers already in his young Roar career. Chief amongst these the winner against Villarreal.
54 min: Milner almost slipping a lovely ball to Ings, but the skipper North reads it brilliantly to intercept.
The talk being JM was looking for more action centrally with his switch from City, and already he’s looked influential.
51 min: Brisbane’s turn to drop off here. The Liverpool halves given plenty of time to pick their passes. They haven’t done a lot wrong thus far, and yet it appears there are still some question marks over Skrtel and Sakho.. Hyypia and Henchoz they ain’t.
48 min: Roar again looking to caress it around the back, but it breaks down. Gomez doing well to win possession for Liverpool.
Milner popping up on the left now, but the impetus is lost.
Not to bang on about it, but really massive expectations on Henderson - every time you look up all you see is a shadow in the Reds’ engine room. I’ll probably never get over Stevie G not being there.
Pffft! Second half: Brisbane 1 - 1 Liverpool
45 min: And we’re back underway, and straight away it’s Liverpool on the attack.
Do you reckon they copped a touch of a hairdryer at half-time?
Here’s your selection of snaps from inside the stadium:
The ‘local’ Kop out in force.
And that’s not too shabby either.
A lovely trip down memory lane from Ian Copestake:
As my 45th birthday is fast approaching (and may or may not be dominating my thoughts) seeing your mbm of a preseason game put me in mind of the times myself and my brother would search for the results of such games when we were on a family holiday. We’d have to scour the small print of lists of matches amid horse race results and all sorts of sports news detritus on page 16 of the Daily mail or whatever was handy. That was when “internet” was a just a northern way of describing having scored a goal.
Ahh, sports detritus - the best bits of the newspaper.
From the Australian perspective, it’s flicking to the small print section and running through the old division three results to see how a team you’ve never actually seen play but have supported for twenty plus years has fared. Oh look. They’ve lost to Halifax again.
Happy Birthday Ian!
1-1 a fair measure of the open play, but the statistics very much favouring the visitors.
55-45 % possession - 13 shots to 3; but only 3 on target. Too soon to harken back to the Suarez era surely, but don’t the Reds still seem to miss his 847 goals/season average.
The other big talking point from the opening 45? This:
Brisbane's Luke Brattan obviously did his pre-season preparation in Bali. #LFCTour pic.twitter.com/l1UwFnfp8T
— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) July 17, 2015
Inexplicably, no live-game snaps so far of the ‘Rows in action. He may not be an offensive midfielder, but the Roar’s Brattan has brought an offensive do to the ball.
And doesn’t twitter love it.
WTF is going on with Brattan's hair? Is he a 12 year old girl on holiday?
— Daniel McBreen (@djmcbreen) July 17, 2015
Is Luke Brattan's hair the worst thing that has happened to Australian football since the decline and collapse of the NSL?
— Iain Strachan (@IainStrachan) July 17, 2015
Yep, you’re doing something right when even the pros turn their canons on you. Shout out to Scunthorpe and York fans - you might recognise that name Daniel McBreen.
Half-time: Brisbane 1 - 1 Liverpool
And that’s that. A nervy finish to the half for the hosts but all in all a reasonably solid showing.
Glimpses from Lallana and Milner especially for the hosts. Ings has worked hard, but will look to make that count numerically after the break.
Not too much to change for the Roar, but you’d suspect some new faces in the second half among Rodgers’ chargers.
45 min: Milner with a fine swivel and turn - he’s nutmegged the veteran Steffanutto, but North comes across to clear.
Liverpool with a ‘training ground’ special from the corner, and the Roar comfortably clear. A wall of orange at the back, really keen to preserve a share of the points.
43 min: And in the shadow of half-time some good pressure from Liverpool. They’ve won their first corner of the game, and..
Cleared off the line! A great header from Sakho - that’s an absolutely cracker, but Captain Cornrows on the near post heads clear.
Brisbane survive - in fairness that might have been harsh to cop just before the break.
40 min: A nice passage of passing for the Roar here. Broich with a lovely ball to put Borrello halfway through a gap. A weak shot fails to overly test Mignolet though.
36 min: It’s not a lull, but that goal has seen the visitors slow the tempo a touch. Henderson and friends are relatively comfortable in the middle of the pitch here.
Milner and Ings combine excellently though, and Ings with a really great chance!
Doesn’t quite control with the chest, and Youngs intercepts. Another warning shot - and Ings certainly looks keen to get on the scoresheet.
Updated
32 min: It’s not 90,000 but it’s a nice atmosphere inside the ground. For a lot of Australian’s growing up on Craig Johnston, Harry Kewell, or perhaps Brad Jones, it’s the chance of a lifetime to welcome such a famous club too our distant shores.
Not all are loving the extent of the love-in though. An early correspondence from (presumably) an Aussie abroad. And Phil Withall is miffed.
May I go on the record ad being slightly miffed? As a Brisbane Roar supporter the fact that the TV guide lists the match as Liverpool vs Brisbane Roar is bad enough, but add the fact they’ve renamed Caxton Street as Anfield Road and I admit to feeling, well, slightly miffed.
I’m sure I’m just be overly sensitive.
I’m with you, Phil. It’s neo-colonialism happening all over again. First you send us your refuse, and then two hundred years later you send us your refuse a still very good Liverpool squad.
30 min: Milner gets a talking to here. It’s not been a spiteful game, but Milner’s gone in late and put a reckless challenge in on Brattan. A yellow in a regular season fixture perhaps.
Brattan keen to return the favour next time Milner’s on the ball, but let’s face it - it’s the very least he deserves for that haircut.
Goal! Brisbane 1 - 1 Liverpool (Lallana)
28 min: And like that - the Merseysiders are level!
A brilliant finish from Lallana - he comfortably controls a long, raking, cross-field ball before jinking far too comfortably past poor Hingert at right back.
The nutmeg, the shimmy - some great feet and an even better curling finish.
26 min: Jamie Young may have come in for some local flak during his mixed bag of understudy appearances last season, but one thing about him is he has strong hands.
Resisting a Ron Manager style ‘catlike’ reference, but certainly some fine reflexes there.. Mmm, Stan Collymore, David James.. Isn’t it?
24 min: Some nice early showings from Joe Gomez - keen to get forward from left back and putting in one or two handy balls.
Some signs of a lack of familiarity up front; no surprises there with Origi, Milner and Ings essentially introducing themselves on the pitch.
Great spin from Ings there though - and he’s drawn a wonderful save from the Brisbane keeper! A strong right hand, and he prevents the former Burnley man from opening his Liverpool account.
A definite lift post-goal from the visitors.
20 min: Lallana with a fine ball in and Ings gets on the end. The header sails comfortably over Jamie Young’s crossbar, but it’s the hint of a rapid response.
The crowd now very much in this, first chorus’ of oohs and aahs.
For those racing for the record books for giant-killing performances - remember that the Roar did account for Villareal in a similar fixture over the last twelve months.
Apart from that? The now-defunct Gold Coast United is the only Australian club side to have beaten Premier League opposition in the A-League era. Is there a Queensland curse about to continue?
19 min: A nice little turn up for the neutral - the game was settling into a reasonably dull tempo, but that will no doubt fire some kind of response from the hosts.
A terse gum-chewing close up for Rodgers. He’s acting calm, but you can tell he’s steaming on the inside.
Goal! Brisbane Roar 1 - 0 Liverpool (Petratos)
17 min: Some fine feet from Dimi Petratos, it’s a cutback from the left and the winger-cum-midfielder has made Skrtel look a t*t and stroked it comfortably into the bottom left corner!
Mignolet no chance - that’s an early upset for the apple-cart!
14 min: Not the most convincing at the back from Liverpool, a couple of ping-ponged clearances giving Borello half a look-in. Brisbane now with a corner.
And you won’t believe this..
11 min: Liverpool not pressing with too high a line, so the Roar passing it round the back, getting some early touches. Perhaps inviting the Roar to settle into false confidence before striking.
Lallana an early highlight cutting in from the left flank. A fine cross fails to find Ings, and the Roar scramble clear.
9 min: Not a frenetic start from either side, Brisbane with a passage of possession to settle the nerves. The young Belgian Origi has been prominent, holding up the play well.
Both sides lining up with a 4-3-3 - it’s a system Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou stamped all over this Brisbane side. That migrated under subsequent coaches, but it’s back in favour under new coach John Aloisi.
7 min: Ings, Milner and Clyne are some of the new faces for the visitors. Origi, if you count a loan-return, and Lucas Leiva too if you count spending the last seventeen seasons injured.
5 min: So many new signings for Liverpool - Charlton’s young defender Joe Gomez just one to get a look at. He’s playing out at LB but my spies tell me he’s better known as a CB.
An early half-chance again for Liverpool, but the linesman’s (correctly) called that for marginally offside.
3 min: Early shot from James Milner! Dragged just wide, but had the keeper scrambling. It may be a pre-season friendly but the ex-City man is keen to earn his stripes for his new club.
2 min: First talking point - an early look at Luke Brattan’s cornrows. For those of you in the UK who aren’t familiar with Brisbane’s holding mid, he’s ‘doing a Beckham’.
Beckham couldn’t pull it off fifteen (?) years ago, and nobody’s thinking Brattan’s done any better here surely. Picture to come (at some stage).
Pfffft! Kick off
1 min: And we’re under way! Brisbane with possession from the kickoff - an early free kick. Thomas Broich steps over it - with a few fresh faces in the Brisbane squad, his experience could prove critical tonight.
Updated
A fine crowd in at Lang Park in Brisbane - a sea of Red perhaps muscling out the resident Orange.
Players are gathering in the tunnel as we speak, and kickoff won’t be too far away.
Great to see some of the Brisbane Roar players as excited as ball boys in the tunnel. They’re pretending they’re all professionals here, but a few furtive glances and the players alongside. Just imagine if Gerrard was still there.
Henderson with the armband - it’s a strange sight, and part of a new chapter of this illustrious club’s rich and lengthy history.
Brisbane Roar, for it’s part, is preparing for it’s eleventh season. But the orange was worn with pride previously in the old NSL, Australian football historians assure me.
And no - it’s not Tangerine - there will be no references to Ian Holloway over the next 90 minutes; and even more tangentially - we will certainly not be discussing the Brighton v Crystal Palace playoff saga, and the ‘infamous dressing room situation’ that gave Holloway’s men the half-time motivation they needed.
And before you reach for your handy grab-bag of ‘it’s just a meaningless pre-season kickabout’ cast your mind back to almost two years ago:
Liverpool v Melbourne Victory - on the hallowed turf of the MCG - a ground synonymous with world sport, but perhaps just not football/soccer.
That night, in front of 95,000+ excited fans, Liverpool devotees will remind you came one of the all-time standout performances from a fresh signing. Just two weeks into his Liverpool career, a little known winger etched his name in stone, put it up in lights, and then shone several lights on that stone.
The winning goal that night? Scored by Iago Aspas. And what a career he went on to have in the fabled red.
So tonight - forget that the result doesn’t matter - and remember just this:
One of these 22 players could tonight announce themselves to the world, during a pre-season football game, around 16,500+ km away from Anfield (or 10,200+ miles in the old money); and spawn a whole new generation of personalised guernseys.
We still remember, Iago.
Team lists are in:
Liverpool XI -
Today’s confirmed #LFC starting line-up and subs in full on our matchday graphic pic.twitter.com/aJp0JiljMN
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 17, 2015
With Brisbane Roar to choose from -
ROAR SQUAD | @jadesta36 captains the team, @jamie_maclaren makes his club debut at @suncorpstadium. #GoRoar #LFCTour pic.twitter.com/iprbPHZDaZ
— BrisbaneRoar (@brisbaneroar) July 17, 2015
First blood to Liverpool there perhaps in the social media graphic design stakes.
Hi hi. Richard Parkin in the chair here, getting settled and ready to take you through Liverpool v Brisbane Roar.
For those of you just arriving at the office in the UK, keep your alt+tab fingers handy for when the boss walks past (or command+tab for you modern apple types). And for anyone else joining us from around the world, welcome!
As always, feel free to join the conversation - shoot me an email or fire off a tweet and let me know where you’re joining the coverage from. What hopes, dreams and aspirations you have for your team ahead of the new season, and how long perhaps before these will be dashed on the treacherous and salty rocks of reality.
Liverpool post Sterling? Brisbane Roar under John Aloisi? You’ll find out how it all looks, starting tonight.
Richard will be here shortly to keep you updated on proceedings at Suncorp Stadium but before he gets here, have a read of Sachin Nakrani’s excellent analysis of how Liverpool have managed to cope with losing a succession of star players over the years (the catalyst for the piece being Raheem Sterling, not, sadly, Brad Jones).
