Test Liverpool go down at Wrexham thanks to Rio Ngumoha’s deflected strike | Soccer

Liverpool turned the Empire State Building red when they unveiled their new kit on Tuesday, but neither they nor Wrexham could light up the Yankee Stadium 24 hours later. It was difficult on the diamond, although Rio Ngumoha’s disallowed goal earned Andoni Iraola two wins from two on his first pre-season trip as Liverpool manager.

Ngumoha, a second-half substitute for Iraola on the right, delighted the 42,204 crowd with a 75th-minute shot past Wrexham defender Lewis Brunt. Wrexham’s Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (now Rob Mac) were present in what you once called a “punch-me moment” but in reality few punches were sold on the baseball field.

Liverpool’s preparations for the second pre-season game have not been smooth sailing, with a draw for Iraola’s team. Their flight to Chicago was canceled Tuesday night as the players and crew were ready to take off. Bad weather in the New York area delayed their arrival until the day of the game, and Liverpool checked into their Midtown hotel at noon. They were flying back to Chicago after the game as well.

Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch did not make the trip from Liverpool’s training ground despite joining the squad after their post-World Cup holidays. This game came very early in their preparations before the start of the season which should have been watched. With Joe Gomez injured and Federico Chiesa also out due to illness, Iraola had little choice but to pick another young and tested side. Six of Liverpool’s starters were without a Premier League debut but at least the emphasis on youth gave the crowd a glimpse of the highly regarded Joshua Abe.

Abe, pacy and on the right wing, is regarded as one of the country’s brightest prospects and was inundated with offers before committing his future to Liverpool when he turned 16 earlier this month. Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been interested in the Warrington-born England teenager, with deals reportedly worth £40,000-a-week on his desk. There was understandable relief inside Anfield when he agreed terms on a scholarship in June with a three-year professional contract to follow on his 17th birthday next July.

Abe may have marked his first start for Liverpool with the first goal when he was released outside the Wrexham defense by Harvey Elliott. A heavy first touch gave Wrexham and former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward a chance to save at the feet of the youngster. Iraola started with a front row of Calum Scanlon, Lewis Koumas and Abe. Koumas went close and lifted the penalty but, apart from a couple of midfield runs by Dominik Szoboszlai, it was a quiet friendly.

Wrexham continue their pre-season work – their first competitive game is Friday week against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup – and it showed as the first half wore on and Phil Parkinson’s side gained more physicality. Sam Smith and Callum Doyle couldn’t trouble Giorgi Mamadashvili with the chances that fell.

Abe, Scanlon, Milos Kerkez and Trey Nyoni were replaced by Ngumoha, Kieran Morrison, Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones respectively. Elliott was given a glimpse of the Wrexham goal by Koumas minutes after the restart but his first-time shot from 20 yards was well saved by Ward. The Wales international also denied Szoboszlai from distance but this was a game for Liverpool – and a pre-season friendly – that failed to catch fire.

Wrexham substitute Nathan Broadhead almost succeeded with a powerful drive from 25 yards that was pushed wide by Mamardashvili. Brunt and Kieffer Moore both had good chances to score late but didn’t do well from close range.