Liverpool Edge Past Wrexham in Pre‑Season Friendly via Ngumoha’s Deflected Strike

Liverpool unveiled a new away kit on Tuesday, painting the Empire State Building red, yet neither side could light up Yankee Stadium the following day. The match was tightly contested, with Rio Ngumoha’s deflected strike securing a second consecutive victory for Andoni Iraola in his inaugural pre‑season tour as Liverpool head coach.

Liverpool’s preparations for the second pre‑season fixture were far from smooth. After a night‑time flight cancellation from Chicago left the team stranded on the tarmac, adverse weather in the New York area postponed their arrival until game day. The squad checked into a Midtown hotel around noon and departed for Chicago immediately after the match.

Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch remained at the club’s training base, forgoing the trip after their post‑World Cup holidays. The match arrived too early in their pre‑season schedule to be meaningful for them. With Joe Gomez injured and Federico Chiesa sidelined by illness, Iraola was forced to field a largely inexperienced, youth‑focused lineup. Six starters had no top‑flight experience, yet the emphasis on young talent gave supporters a glimpse of highly‑rated prospect Joshua Abe.

Abe, a rapid and prolific right winger, is considered one of the nation’s brightest prospects. After receiving numerous offers, he signed a scholarship agreement with Liverpool in June, paving the way for a three‑year professional contract that will commence on his 17th birthday next July. Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea were among the clubs interested in the Warrington‑born England youth international, with reported weekly terms of £40,000.

Abe nearly opened his senior Liverpool debut when Harvey Elliott released him clear of the Wrexham defence, but a heavy first touch allowed former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward to make a comfortable save. Iraola named Calum Scanlon, Lewis Koumas and Abe up front; Koumas struck from distance and appealed for a penalty, which was denied, while the only other notable action came from occasional midfield runs by Dominik Szoboszlai, making the friendly a relatively subdued affair.

Wrexham, further advanced in their pre‑season preparation, demonstrated a physical edge in the first half. Although Sam Smith and Callum Doyle failed to test goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, the visitors’ momentum was evident.

At halftime, Abe, Scanlon, Milos Kerkez and Trey Nyoni were substituted for Ngumoha, Kieran Morrison, Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones. Shortly after the restart, Elliott received a pass from Koumas and attempted a 20‑yard first‑time shot, which was comfortably saved by Ward. The Welsh goalkeeper also repelled a effort from Szoboszlai, but the match remained a low‑key pre‑season friendly.

Wrexham substitute Nathan Broadhead nearly found the net with a powerful 25‑yard drive that was pushed away by Mamardashvili. Late in the game, Brunt and Kieffer Moore each created promising equalising opportunities but failed to convert.

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