Liverpool kicked off the Andoni Iraola era with a 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville, but the win was overshadowed by an early injury to Joe Gomez that deepened concerns over the club's defensive options. Gomez hobbled off after just 10 minutes, leaving a central defensive partnership of two 18-year-olds: Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
Gomez Injury and Defensive Worries
“Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe,” admitted Iraola. “We were happy because we were going through training without losing any players and unluckily for us we’ve lost Joe straight away.” Liverpool’s other defensive absentees include Ibrahima Konate (sold), Giovanni Leoni (ACL recovery), and new signing Jeremy Jacquet (precaution). Iraola had previously expressed concern over his “very thin” defensive options.
Match Action
Kieran Morrison scored the first goal of Iraola’s tenure, sliding in Harvey Elliott’s pass. Sunderland equalised through Enzo Le Fée’s stunning 25-yard strike, then took the lead after half-time via Timur Tutierov. Dominik Szoboszlai levelled with a crisp finish, Federico Chiesa put Liverpool ahead, and Lewis Koumas sealed the win.
Tribute and Attendance
Before kick-off, Geodis Park paid tribute to the late Kevin Keegan, with both sets of fans applauding and observing a silence. The official attendance was 24,897 in the 30,000-capacity stadium, with tickets priced $129–$392 (£96–£292).
Absentees
Sunderland were without Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey, and Thomas Meunier. Liverpool’s missing players included World Cup finalists Alexis Mac Allister, Victor Munoz, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Ryan Gravenberch, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and Alisson. New signing Jeremy Jacquet was left out as a precaution but is expected to feature against Leeds in Chicago.
