Two fanbases created a sea of red in the Bronx on Wednesday night, as Liverpool FC defeated Wrexham AFC 1-0 in a preseason friendly played in front of 42,204 spectators at Yankee Stadium.
Rio Ngumoha, 17-year-old Liverpool attacker, got the game-winning goal in the 75th minute when his deflected shot sailed into the back of the net, enough to seal Liverpool's second straight preseason victory.
Former New York City FC midfielder Andoni Iraola — who is in his first year as Liverpool head coach — returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time since November 6, 2016, when he started in NYCFC's 5-0 loss to Toronto FC, in what was the club's first-ever home playoff game.
Liverpool: 9 shots, 4 shots on target, 61% possession, 651 passes, 89% pass accuracy, 10 fouls, 3 corners, 3 saves
Wrexham: 11 shots, 3 shots on target, 39% possession, 408 passes, 81% pass accuracy, 10 fouls, 4 corners, 3 saves
Goals:
• Liverpool, Rio Ngumoha, 75'
Attendance: 42,204
The Liverpool fans sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” minutes before kickoff: pic.twitter.com/7Ucoek9LsI
— Matthew Mangam (@MatthewMangam) July 29, 2026
Liverpool had a dominant start to the game, creating two good chances in the opening 10 minutes.
Joshua Abe, a 16-year-old making his first-ever start, found himself one-on-one via a through pass from Harvey Elliott, but he placed his shot right at Wrexham goalkeeper Danny Ward. Minutes later, Liverpool won the ball high up the pitch and found Lewis Koumas, who blasted a shot just wide of Ward's far post.
With center-back Joe Gomez picking up an injury in Liverpool's last friendly against fellow English Premier League side Sunderland, Iraola reshuffled his backline with some younger defenders, and their inexperience led to decent chances for Wrexham throughout the first half.
It was 0-0 at halftime, but Wrexham — despite having less possession — outshot Liverpool 5-2, putting two of those attempts on target. The Red Dragons also had more touches in the opposition penalty area (four) than the Reds (two) in the opening half.
Liverpool made four changes to start the second half — including bringing on Curtis Jones — and could've taken the lead in the 50th minute when Elliott's shot was poorly placed right at Ward. Liverpool continued to shoot from outside of the box, but this time, it was Dominik Szoboszlai whose shot went straight into the hands of Ward.
Finally, after what felt like ages, Liverpool broke through in the 75th minute. Szoboszlai found Ngumoha, who dribbled into the box and fired a shot that deflected off a Wrexham defender, went high into the air, and sailed into the back of the net. The 17-year-old scored two goals in 29 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions last season, but looked dangerous off the bench against Wrexham and could push for a bigger role this season.
Liverpool were ahead, but Wrexham had two solid chances late that should've been goals, but couldn't capitalize on either. First, it was a Lewis Brunt header from point-blank range on a corner that he sailed over the bar, then a cross into the box found an unmarked Kieffer Moore, but the former Bournemouth striker's shot was too high.
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