Julianne Neathery: Roma beats Liverpool at Fenway Park

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:08 p.m. ET July 25, 2012

BOSTON (AP) -Michael Bradley and Alessandro Florenzi scored second-half goals to lift Italy's Roma to a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in a preseason friendly at Fenway Park on Wednesday.

Bradley sent a right-footed shot past keeper Brad Jones that caromed into the goal off the left post in the 63rd minute, drawing chants of "USA! USA!" The midfielder is the son of former U.S. coach Bob Bradley.

Florenzi scored off a rebound from directly in front of goal in the 69th minute - two minutes after entering the game. Charlie Adam scored in the 80th minute for Liverpool.

"We did some good things," Roma coach Zdenek Zeman said through a translator. "We were well-placed, but we still lack 90 minutes."

Liverpool was without captain Steven Gerrard because rules require rest following international tournaments. Luis Saurez (Uruguay) is scheduled to play at the London Olympics and also isn't on the North American tour for Liverpool.

The match was played in the home of the baseball's Boston Red Sox, owned by Fenway Sports Group - also the owner of Liverpool.

There was a sea of red in the recently turned 100-year old ballpark, but it wasn't red for the Red Sox. For one night, Fenway was transformed into the home of Liverpool's fans. The usual Red Sox jerseys worn by fans with the names and numbers on the backs reading: "Ortiz 34" and "Pedroia 15" were missing and a number of "Gerrard 8" and "Saurez 7" jerseys filled the park.

"It was incredible. I told them before, `You'll be able to tell your grandkids you played football at Fenway Park," Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers said.

As fans entered the turnstiles at either end of Yawkey Way, a street along the third-base line, they could walk through gates with a sign above that read: "You'll Never Walk Alone," which is a reference to Liverpool's anthem.

About 2 1/2 hours before the start, there were hundreds of red jerseys in the bars and restaurants in the area. They lined up outside the gates about an hour before they opened and carried blankets, scarfs and a few were wearing red wool hats on a bright sunny afternoon with temperatures in the low 80s.

It was the second of a three-game tour for Liverpool, which will face English rival Tottenham on Saturday in Baltimore at the home of the NFL's Ravens. Liverpool earned a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC on Saturday at the Rogers Centre.

"I was very pleased, a lot of young players gained experience," Rodgers said. "Roma, tonight, had more experienced players."

In the first half, Liverpool's best chance came when Jon Jo Shelvey's left-footed kick from just inside the box was stopped by keeper Bogdan Lobont in the 41st minute.

Liverpool also had a good chance in the 33rd minute when midfielder Joe Cole lofted one that landed on the top of the net, just over the crossbar.

Roma's Pablo Daniel Osvaldo had an excellent bid in the 8th minute, but goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi made a sliding right arm stop.

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