LIVERPOOL 2 – 4 LEEDS
Liverpool:
Chambers 7’, Wirtz 39’Leeds: Aaronson 60’, Calvert-Lewin 71’ & 84’, Longstaff 73’
Pre-Match
It’s the last of the American preseason matches today, playing in Chicago today, cloudy and with a moderate 22 degrees Celsius but 82% humidity, so who knows what kind of team we’re going to get today. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are both starting against Leeds in another showing of talented youngsters and returning veterans. It’s preseason so who really cares what happens but we’re all really watching
for what new coach Andoni Iraola has in store for the season ahead.
First Half
We kick off in the Windy City, with Leeds taking the first kick after a maybe premature start, but we get going with Dominik Szoboszlai wearing the captain’s armband. There’s a quick pause as Gudmundsson goes down holding his back and his head right outside the box so there’s a guaranteed extra minute at the end of this half. It does look like this might be the first chance to see what the team may truly look like in the season, and we score first! Liverpool win a corner, Szobo sends it in well and the ball falls for 22 year old Luke Chambers who shoots confidently into the net!
Like all preseason games, it is moving slowly and standing as all players on the pitch adjust to fitness and trying to find the right tempo, especially knowing most of them will be subbed by the half to give another group minutes. Leeds win a free kick in the 11th minute just outside the box after three Reds surround him, but the effort is collected by Mamardashvili and distributed well to get the Reds back out. The Georgian is tested again and he’s makes a quick dive to keep Leeds from leveling the score. There’s lots of pressure here for Rio Ngumoha too as he is likely being primed for a more focused role in the season ahead, despite being only 17.
Wirtz’s creativity is getting a chance to show here in his first outing since the World Cup, with a clever move to land right where the ball does and let the momentum bounce it off his outside foot to pass. Frimpong also finally gets a chance to run somewhat free, fighting as he’s being pulled down but it draws a free kick and a yellow card for Leeds, and we get to finally see a bit of why Frimpong was so lauded before we signed him. Hopefully he has a bit more confidence to not allow himself to be out-muscled in the rest of the season. Gudmundsson has to be subbed out for whatever injury he suffered in the beginning of the match, but Liverpool have the lion’s share of the control here in the tail end of the second half.
Wirtz makes it two in the 39th minute! Frimpong sends a perfectly weighted ball into the box and Wirtz makes it there in time to shoot past FOUR other defenders trying to shut him down to no avail. It was the link up we’ve been waiting for since last summer, with the two besties making the most of their skills.
Second Half
As with any preseason match, there is a flurry of changes made at the half, with Ryan Gravenberch coming on for his first preseason minutes, alongside Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa. Most of the kids stay on, to continue to get minutes, with Lewis Koumas also coming off the bench to replace Rio. We finally get back underway after Leeds take a little bit to come onto the field, and Liverpool are back in control. Honestly, if we can maintain this lead after Leeds bring on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and new signing Harry Wilson, I’ll be happy. Mamardashvili has been making a much better case for being our number 1 throughout this match, after he was largely unimpressive last season, but it is of course a hard spot to wrestle away from Alisson Becker.
Leeds find the back of the net after Kerkez turns over the ball too quickly and Aaronson is there to capitalize, cutting the deficit in half. Oh well. It’s preseason so even though we looked really good through the first half, there’s been many changes for the second and the pendulum may swing the other way. It’s not like actual points are on the line.
The opposition are certainly more aggressive in this second half, and making things a little tougher for us, but Iraola is looking to make a few more changes as we enter the back quarter of the match. Calvin Ramsay might actually come on, as well as Kostas Tsimikas and Harvey Elliott (!!!) replacing Szoboszlai, Kerkez, Chambers, and Kieran Morrison. Like probably every other Liverpool fan, I would love for Harvey to find a place back in this squad, especially as we likely needed him last season when he was in Aston Villa purgatory. Leeds get a throw in and it’s that man, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who finds a headed pass and equalizes for Leeds, making the score 2-2 in the 72nd minute. Oh well, it’s preseason.
Not even a full two minutes later, Leeds take the lead through Sean Longstaff after Curtis Jones goes in and fails to win the ball at the last minute right in front of the goal. Jeremie Frimpong comes off with what looks like a potential injury to his groin, so hopefully it is cautionary and not an actual injury that will keep him out. It’s just preseason after all!
(Leeds make it four, this writer may be checking out for her mental health).
Final Thoughts
After a brief period of delusion in the second half when we were fun to watch and the link up between Wirtz and Frimpong was successful, we did not do the thing, but again the only consequences are potential injuries because the points don’t matter here. We finish our time in the US, and head back to Merseyside for the final stretch before the Premier League begins on the 23rd of August.
