Jesse Marsch is gearing up for his second season as Red Bull Salzburg head coach, and it’s included a preseason rematch with reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.
Marsch’s group battled Jurgen Klopp’s team to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday, after they received a first-half brace from Zambian forward Patson Daka. But his strikes were canceled out by Liverpool forward Rhian Brewster, who was recently on loan with Swansea City in the English Championship.
"It was a good experience," Marsch said after the match. "It wasn't completely new for us, so we knew what kind of level we needed to be at against these opponents. We were very good in the first 60 minutes, especially off the ball."
Both teams were both drawn into Group E of the UEFA Champions League last year, and Liverpool memorably earned a 4-3 win at Anfield. Salzburg nearly staged a dramatic comeback, only for a late Mo Salah game-winner to preserve the victory. In the home leg at Stadion Wals-Siezenheim, Salzburg dropped a 2-0 decision to seal their exit from the group stage and be transferred to the Europa League.
During Marsch’s first year with Salzburg, he completed the Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup double. It was his first head-coaching job in Europe after serving as the assistant at Bundesliga side and recent Champions League semifinalists RB Leipzig.
Before heading overseas, Marsch served as head coach for MLS sides New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact. He’s also worked on the US men’s national team staff under now-LAFC boss Bob Bradley. During his playing days in midfield, Marsch played 321 games from 1996 through 2009.
