Liverpool kept their flawless start to the Andoni Iraola era by edging out Wrexham 1‑0 in the second of their pre‑season fixtures ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. The match, staged at New York's iconic Yankee Stadium, followed a 2‑0 win over Sunderland in Nashville and presented a sterner test, as Wrexham had recently defeated both Manchester United and Leeds United in their own preparations. The Reds entered the game without their regular centre‑back Joe Gomez, who had suffered a knock against Sunderland. As a result, stand‑in captain Dominik Szoboszlai was deployed in an unfamiliar defensive role.
Despite the positional shift, Szoboszlai remained a creative spark, delivering a pinpoint pass to Harvey Elliott in the first half. Elliott, in turn, set up Josh Abe, whose effort was comfortably saved by former Liverpool custodian Danny Ward, who now guards Wrexham's goal.
At halftime, Iraola made four tactical adjustments, one of which saw the introduction of teenage prodigy Rio Ngumoha. The 18‑year‑old quickly made his presence felt, charging into the heart of the Wrexham defence.
His drive culminated in a deflected strike that looped past Ward and into the net with just fifteen minutes remaining, providing the solitary goal of the encounter. Wrexham’s striker Kieffer Moore came close to equalising in the dying minutes, but his attempt from close range was mishit, allowing the ball to drift harmlessly away. Liverpool held firm, sealing a second consecutive win on American soil.
The squad will now head to Chicago for the final leg of the tour, where they will meet Leeds United on Sunday. That match is expected to feature the first pre‑season minutes for several high‑profile signings, including German midfielder Florian Wirtz, Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and Swedish forward Alexander Isak, all of whom have been training in Chicago after early exits from the World Cup. In the post‑match press conference, Iraola acknowledged that his side still has work to do to fully assimilate his tactical philosophy. "Overall we were more solid than the other day," he said.
"The pitch was narrow and there wasn't a lot of space, but we had good spells. Even if the previous game looked nicer because we scored more, today we were more of a team and more collective." He added that the team had not yet reached the level he desires, noting occasional lapses in concentration: "We sometimes arrive too late, but it's a step forward, especially compared with the first half against Sunderland. The second half was a reference point. Slowly, I hope each game we get closer and closer.
We are starting to add new bodies, because right now we are playing a lot of young players. We need to bring in the senior players who are beginning to train with us so we can start the season in a good place." Iraola also confirmed that several of the marquee signings would be given their first minutes of action against Leeds. He explained that the plan is to integrate Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and new signing Jeremy Jacquet gradually, allowing them to acclimatise to the squad's rhythm. "We'll see how many minutes they can play, but we have to start slowly integrating more senior players who have had fewer training sessions.
I think they should be ready on the weekend to have their first minutes," he said. The upcoming schedule for Liverpool's pre‑season tour includes: - August 2: Liverpool vs Leeds United – Chicago, 21:00 (local time) - August 9: Liverpool vs Monaco – Anfield, 14:30 - August 16: Liverpool vs Como – Anfield, 18:00 Beyond the on‑field action, the tour offers commercial opportunities, with fans encouraged to download the Sky Sports app, follow the club on WhatsApp, and even take part in a Super 6 competition for a chance to win £250,000. The American leg of the preparation not only provides valuable match fitness for the squad but also serves to expand Liverpool's brand presence in the United States, a key market for the club's global outreach.
Overall, the narrow win in New York demonstrates Iraola's ability to adapt his side under challenging conditions and highlights the growing confidence of young talents like Ngumoha. As the Reds prepare to face Leeds, the integration of senior internationals will be crucial in shaping the tactical identity that Iraola envisions for the upcoming Premier League season.