August 5, 1977
Key note: “Pre-season history is repeating itself for Liverpool. A year ago in Holland they lost their first two warm-up games and it has happened again. They went down 2-1 last night in the semi-final of the Amsterdam international tournament to the Dutch champions, Ajax, and did not play as well as they had done in losing 3-2 to Hamburg two nights earlier. Ajax deserved to win. Doing well in this tournament meant a great deal to them, whereas for Liverpool it was just another training match with the result of no consequence.” (Liverpool Echo: August 6, 1977)
Match: Friendly, Amsterdam Tournament, at Olympic Stadion.
Ajax – Liverpool 2-1 (1-0).
Attendance: 60,000.
Referee: Mr. Siem Wellinga.
Ajax (4-3-3): Piet Schrijvers, Pim van Dord, Wim Suurbier, Jan Everse, Ruud Krol, Hans Erkens, Johan Zuidema, Dick Schoenaker, Ruud Geels, Tscheu La Ling, Søren Lerby.
Substitutes: Frank Arnesen for Zaydam after 53 min; René Notten for Lerby after 53 min.
Liverpool (4-4-2): Ray Clemence, Phil Neal, Phil Thompson, Emlyn Hughes, Joey Jones, Jimmy Case, Terry McDermott, Ian Callaghan, Ray Kennedy, David Fairclough, David Johnson.
Substitutes: Alan Waddle for Fairclough after 65 min; Sammy Lee (not used); Tommy Smith (not used).
The goals: 1-0 Lerby (35 min.), 1-1 Own goal (Notten, 55 min.), 2-1 Schoenaker (60 min.).
XX
"Play Up, Liverpool" 