Andoni Iraola’s tenure as Liverpool manager began with a 4-2 victory over Sunderland at GEODIS Park in Nashville, according to Nytimes and Liverpool FC. The pre-season friendly saw Kieran Morrison fire Liverpool ahead before Enzo Le Fee equalized before halftime. Timur Tutierov put Sunderland in front early in the second half, but Liverpool secured the win in front of a crowd of 24,897. Dominik Szoboszlai restored parity, followed by goals from Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas.
Iraola Begins Reign With Victory in Nashville
Iraola deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, utilizing Harvey Elliott as the most advanced central midfielder in the first half and Szoboszlai after the break. Reflecting on the performance, Iraola told Nytimes, We had some good spells on the ball, but I think we lacked a little bit of intensity. You can feel the timing is still not there. We have to work a lot more but it’s a starting point. We still have a lot of things to improve.
Iraola used 22 players during the match, noting that only Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Szoboszlai, and Rio Ngumoha are currently likely to start next month’s Premier League opener against Newcastle United.
Joe Gomez Injury Blow Exposes Defensive Concerns
The victory was overshadowed by an early injury to Joe Gomez, whom Nytimes identifies as the club’s longest-serving player. Gomez went down off the ball with a muscle problem inside eight minutes and limped off, prompting Iraola to describe the setback post-match as the worst news.
Gomez will undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage.
The defensive ranks were already limited entering the tour. Captain Virgil van Dijk was on holiday following the World Cup, Giovanni Leoni was recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and new signing Jeremy Jacquet was left out as a precaution over a shoulder injury, according to Nytimes. Following Gomez’s departure, Ifeanyi Ndukwe entered the match to form a rookie defensive partnership alongside fellow 18-year-old Mor Talla Ndiaye. Both youngsters joined the club in January after impressing at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.
Szoboszlai Shines and Tour Schedule Continues
Szoboszlai drew substantial attention from supporters in Nashville, receiving loud ovations each time he went to take a corner. Having recently committed his future to Liverpool by signing a five-year contract, Szoboszlai took the captain’s armband at halftime and delivered a dazzling second-half performance that included a goal, according to Nytimes and Liverpool FC.
Following the match, the squad flew directly to their training base in Chicago, where Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch greeted them upon returning from their World Cup break, as reported by Nytimes. Both Liverpool and Sunderland have further matches scheduled on their United States tours against Wrexham and Leeds United over the subsequent week to build fitness ahead of the upcoming campaign, according to ESPN.
