One final ‘Summer Series’ outing, one final pre -season run out in the States before a return to Europe and another encouraging display for Regis Le bris before attention turns to Lens and Stade Rennes in our final pre-season tests.
The team news provided the first talking point of the evening, with Robin Roefs replacing Melker Ellborg for his first appearance after returning from the World Cup, as well as Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki coming in for Alan Browne and Enzo Le Fée with Le Fée missing out
with a knock — hopefully just a precaution.
Wrexham, meanwhile, made seven changes to their side that narrowly lost to Liverpool, with commentators suggesting that the team was expected to be close to that which will start against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup next weekend.
From the first whistle Sunderland looked sharper, quicker and a far more cohesive unit.
The first chance arrived inside the first couple of minutes, when Trai Hume clipped a lovely ball down the line for Diarra, whose cut back found the oncoming Romaine Mundle. However, good pressure from the defender meant Mundle sliced his effort wide on his weaker foot.
That set the tone and just minutes later, Reinildo won the ball back high up the pitch and although the move fizzled out, it highlighted the Lads’ aggressive pressing style. Five minutes later, Diarra and Nordi Mukiele linked up brilliantly, forcing Arthur Okonkwo into a good save from Mukiele before the resulting corner came to nothing.
Sunderland were reaching full flow in possession.
Chris Rigg and Mundle combined well down the left to get the ball in the box, with the cross being just inches ahead of Brian Brobbey. The ball fell to Brobbey soon after following more good work from Diarra, but the Dutchman was closed down quickly and couldn’t get a clean shot away.
The hydration break (booooo) came after twenty two minutes, with Sunderland well on top, Wrexham barely having laid a glove at this point and Roefs having very little to do in goal.
Brobbey was beginning to relish the physical challenge against Dominic Hyam, repeatedly bullying the defender whenever the ball came his way. One challenge looked like a certain free kick on the edge of the Wrexham box; alas, play continued, but Hyam went into the book moments later after hauling Brobbey down.
The breakthrough that followed was worth the wait, with Hume fizzing a pass into Brobbey, who’s first time lay off was perfectly into the patch of Mukiele, who produced a fantastic finish underneath Okonkwo — who’ll be disappointed with his part in conceding the goal — and giving the Lads a deserved lead.
Wrexham thought they’d responded before the interval when Sunderland legend Kieffer Moore played a ball into fellow Sunderland legend Nathan Broadhead, who put the ball in the back of the net. However, the flag went up immediately and replays showed Broadhead was a good five yards offside, if we’re being generous.
Half time came with the score at 1-0 — a scoreline that, if anything, flattered Wrexham. Every Sunderland player looked comfortable and confident in and out of possession, with Wrexham causing little trouble for the Lads’ defence.
Le Bris made a couple of changes at half time.
Nilson Angulo and Jenson Seelt came on for Romaine Mundle and Dan Ballard, as the two continue to build fitness following injury recoveries in the close season.Angulo was involved quickly, latching on to a loose pass from another former Sunderland player in George Dobson, with his curling effort just clipping the crossbar on its way over the goal.
Wrexham finally fashioned a meaningful chance shortly afterwards when Sunderland failed to clear their lines, the shot drifting just wide of the post.
A concern came in the fifty second minute when Mukiele was replaced by Jenson Jones, looking in some discomfort as he left the pitch. Hopefully just another precaution and Mukiele will be fine for our remaining pre-season games.
One thing that remained constant was the Sunderland press, with the forward players closing down in packs.
Sadiki was involved well on the ball, driving the lads forward whenever he could. At one point, he played a brilliant pass into Brobbey, who laid the ball off for Hume, but an excellent piece of defending from Callum Doyle (yes, another ex-Sunderland man) blocked a certain goal.
On the hour mark, Le Bris made a host of changes, with the rest of the starting XI being replaced, leaving the team looking like this:
Patterson, Jones, Seelt, Hjelde, Lightfoot; Browne, Whittaker, Proctor; Adingra, Tutierov, Angulo.
Unsurprisingly, this upset the rhythm of the game and Wrexham were on the front foot for the next fifteen to twenty minutes. However, when they themselves made wholesale changes with ten minutes left, the game became quite unproductive and purely about building fitness for those on the field.
Anthony Patterson was called into action late on, making a smart save after some sloppy play out from the back, before another good clearance in the dying seconds when Wrexham broke through on goal.
The final whistle followed, bringing a deserved victory and a strong end to our pre-season tour in the USA.
The starting eleven looked strong, athletic and played some brilliant, fluid football, while the youngsters came on and showed they can compete at a good level against a decent Championship outfit at the end of their pre-season schedule.
Whilst pre-season results shouldn’t be overplayed, there have been promising signs throughout this tour for Sunderland fans, with the Lads having looked organised, aggressive and sharp throughout each match they’ve played in the States.
Focus now turns to our final pre-season games, with the lads travelling to Lens next weekend before hosting Stade Rennes at the Stadium of Light in our final test before the Premier League curtain-raiser.
They should head back over the Atlantic with optimism, and a squad that appears comfortable with the demands of Le Bris’ football.
