Andoni Iraola secured a victory in his first match as Liverpool head coach, with his team defeating Sunderland 4-2 in their opening game of the summer tour in the United States. The match, held at GEODIS Park in Nashville, saw goals from Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, and Lewis Koumas.
The game marked the unofficial start of the Iraola era at Anfield, following his appointment in June. Iraola expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, particularly in the second half, despite acknowledging areas for improvement. He noted that the players showed signs of heavy legs from training, but viewed the match as a positive starting point.
Key Moments and Player Performances
The first goal of the Iraola era came in the 13th minute, scored by young midfielder Kieran Morrison after a team move involving McConnell, Ngumoha, and Elliott. Morrison later spoke of his pride in scoring his first senior goal for the club, highlighting the influence of the new manager’s philosophy and the support from senior players like Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Sunderland managed to level the score and then take the lead in the first half. Le Fee scored for Sunderland in the 28th minute, followed by a goal from Tuterov in the 49th minute. However, Liverpool responded strongly after the break. Dominik Szoboszlai equalised with a powerful shot in the 56th minute, and subsequent goals from substitutes Federico Chiesa in the 72nd minute and Lewis Koumas in the 85th minute secured the win for Liverpool.
Injury Concerns and Squad Depth
A significant concern for Iraola was an early injury to stand-in captain Joe Gomez, who was forced off with what appeared to be a muscle issue just 10 minutes into the match. Ifeanyi Ndukwe replaced him in central defence. Gomez, 29, has a history of injuries, and Iraola hopes this latest setback is not serious, especially as Ibrahima Konate departed the club on a free transfer at the end of last season.
Other defenders, Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet, also missed the game due to injury. Leoni is expected to be out for several months after sustaining an ACL injury last September, while Jacquet, a new signing from Rennes, was sidelined with a minor knock after recently recovering from a shoulder issue. Liverpool’s 31-man roster for the tour includes new addition Jérémy Jacquet, though players who competed in the World Cup, such as Virgil van Dijk, Florian Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch, will join the squad later.
Sunderland also had several players unavailable due to their participation in the World Cup, including captain Granit Xhaka and Brian Brobbey. New transfer Thomas Meunier is also set to arrive later. The team faced a challenge with Jocelin Ta Bi, a 21-year-old winger, being denied a visa for entry into the United States.
Upcoming Fixtures
Liverpool’s summer tour continues with several matches. They are scheduled to play Wrexham in New York, followed by a match against Leeds in Chicago. Later, they will return to Anfield for fixtures against Monaco and Como.
Sunderland’s tour includes matches against Leeds in New Jersey and Wrexham in Philadelphia. They also have a match against Lens, with one fixture behind closed doors at the Lens training ground and another at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Their pre-season schedule concludes with a home match against Rennes at the Stadium of Light.
The next match for Liverpool is against Wrexham in New York.
Source: skysports.com
