The Andoni Iraola era continued to gather pace in New York as Liverpool beat Wrexham thanks to Rio Ngumoha’s second-half goal.
At the iconic home of the New York Yankees baseball team, Ngumoha cut in from the right wing – pretty much second base on this slapdash, bumpy football pitch – and scored via a deflection.
It is Liverpool’s second win of this pre-season tour of the United States having beaten Sunderland in Nashville last week and they now fly back to their training base in Chicago to take on Leeds on Sunday.
Like in the first friendly, there were plenty of minutes for youngsters given the long list of absentees from Iraola’s first fortnight.
Florian Wirtz, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexander Isak remained at base in Chicago while Federico Chiesa was ruled out through illness, according to boss Iraola.
Daily Mail Sport’s Reds expert LEWIS STEELE was in situ in The Bronx to bring you the top talking points from leg two of Liverpool’s tour.
Liverpool narrowly beat Wrexham 1-0 in a pre-season friendly at Yankee Stadium in New York
It means that Andoni Iraola has now won his first two games in charge of the Reds
Rio’s right in the thick of it
Liverpool are stepping up their pursuit of Bradley Barcola and hope to strike an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain over the £145million-rated winger.
When Sky Sports posted on X asking readers whether it would be a good signing, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher replied: ‘No he plays on the opposite flank!
‘LFC currently have three players who could play from the left in Rio (Ngumoha), (Cody) Gakpo and (Florian) Wirtz and no one who plays from the right.’
It is a salient point – their attack is and will be more lopsided if and when Barcola arrives. Victor Munoz, the early-summer signing from Osasuna, also prefers playing on the left though is said to be more versatile.
Ngumoha, therefore, was trialled on the right wing here in New York.
Was it a perfect performance? No, he was quiet at times – just as he was in Nashville on the left, by the way – but it was Ngumoha who stepped up with the decisive moment to open the scoring in the 75th minute.
It was a slightly lucky finish given the significant deflection off the Wrexham defender but it counts the same and probably a product of players backing off him to his frightening speed and trickery.
Anyone for Barcola and Ngumoha on either side of Isak on the opening day?
Rio Ngumoha scored the only goal of the game and showed why he can be an asset on the right wing
Can Nyoni save Reds millions on midfield upgrade?
There are plenty of calls from the fanbase for Liverpool to sign a new midfielder but Trey Nyoni might be the answer they are all craving.
Nyoni, 19, signed from Leicester in 2023 and has made 20 appearances for the first team, largely off the substitutes bench in the cups.
He played 21 minutes in the Premier League last term but given Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch both saw their form dip, the teenager could probably feel aggrieved that he did not get on the pitch more.
Nyoni can play as a No6, as he did here, or further forward and has even played at centre-half and in the front three over his career. Mr Versatile.
But the deep-lying position is where he truly thrives. Having watched him extensively for the youth teams, Nyoni is best when showing for the ball and making the game tick, dictating possession with a simple pass-and-move, Spanish-like style.
Could this be his year? If so, it could save the Reds millions.
Shame about Ndukwe
Ifeanyi Ndukwe has looked a classy defender in his two pre-season appearances – but do not get excited just yet.
The 18-year-old, who signed from Austria Wien this summer, cannot play for Liverpool this season as he does not yet have the required points total to obtain a work visa. That’s Brexit for you, folks.
There will be a long list of clubs queuing up to take him on loan, then, given his calm performances against Wrexham and Sunderland in pre-season. He is composed in possession and sniffs out danger defensively.
Dominik Szoboszlai was head and shoulders above the rest at the Yankee Stadium
Noting Liverpool’s defensive crisis – Joe Gomez, Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are unfit, while Virgil van Dijk is now 35 and not on this tour – Ndukwe could have got some minutes this year so it is a crying shame that red tape will prevent that.
Alongside him, Luke Chambers looked equally as assured. Now 22, Chambers has had loans at Kilmarnock, Wigan and Charlton but is a classy footballer whose journey has been halted somewhat by injuries.
Chambers can play at left back and left centre-back so could be a handy squad player to keep around.
Szoboszlai Hungary for more as Elliott steps up
Dominik Szoboszlai was head and shoulders above the rest at the Yankee Stadium – fitter, stronger, faster. Wrexham could not get near him.
The Hungary captain was also wearing the armband for Liverpool with Virgil van Dijk absent from this pre-season tour.
Szoboszlai, who signed a new long-term contract earlier this month, has eyes on taking on the captaincy long-term and might get the nod for vice-captain this season, with Alisson also in the running for said vacancy after Andy Robertson’s departure.
Whether or not he takes on that mantle, it is clear he is growing as a leader on and off the pitch. Time and again here, the midfielder stormed through the Wrexham midfield like a hot knife through butter.
Harvey Elliott also dazzled and should have had an early assist, though young Joshua Abe fluffed his lines after a clever run off the ball. Elliott could have had a goal for himself later on but was denied by former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward.
