Iraola believes Liverpool are on a good start, having regained their rhythm through preseason.

Liverpool, nicknamed the "Reds," defeated Sunderland 4-2 in a friendly match, thanks to goals from Kieran Morrison, Szoboszlai, Chiesa, and Lewis Koumas. Iraola stated that the victory was a good start, but emphasized that the main purpose of participating in preseason was to regain match rhythm.

In the 13th minute, Elliott delivered a diagonal pass into the penalty area, and Kieran Morrison fired a low shot into the net, giving Liverpool a 1-0 lead. In the 28th minute, Enzo Lefebvre received a pass from Chris Riggs and fired a long-range shot into the net, leveling the score at 1-1 for Sunderland.

In the 49th minute of the second half, Jaden Jones played a through ball to Tutlov, who slotted it home to give Sunderland a 2-1 lead over Liverpool. In the 56th minute, Tre Nione's back pass was cleared, and Szoboszlai received the ball at the edge of the penalty area and fired a long-range shot to make it 2-2.

In the 72nd minute, Calvin Ramsey delivered a diagonal pass into the penalty area, and Chiesa unleashed a powerful shot that found the back of the net, giving Liverpool a 3-2 lead. In the 85th minute, Lewis Koumas received a diagonal pass from Szoboszlai, broke through the defense, and slotted the ball into the net.

Liverpool ultimately defeated Sunderland 4-2 in a friendly match in the United States.

It's worth mentioning that this was also the first time Liverpool's new manager, Andoni Iraola, led the "Reds" in a match.

Andoni Iraola stated, "The first and second halves of this match were completely different, especially the first half where our opponents were noticeably stronger. We deliberately kept both lineups balanced, so everyone could feel the difference. This was only the first match, and we still have many areas to adjust."

"The players have been training at a high intensity, so everyone can feel that their legs are quite heavy, their bodies haven't fully recovered to their best condition, and they lack some of the energy they have in matches. However, this match at least provides us with a good starting point, letting us know how we should continue to improve."

Gomez has injury problems

"The most regrettable thing is that Gomez got injured at the very beginning of the game. We had been very happy because no players had been injured throughout the training session, but unfortunately, we still lost Gomez."

Andoni Iraola pointed out, "It was difficult to really speed up the game. I felt that both teams lacked enough fresh energy, and the weather was very hot, so the overall pace was relatively slow. We had a lot of good play in terms of possession, but the overall intensity of the game wasn't enough. The timing of the players' combinations wasn't quite there yet, and we still have a lot of work to do, but this is just the beginning."

"The most important thing now is to keep pushing ourselves through the game and regain our rhythm. Whether it's 45 minutes, 60 minutes, or any other time, we need to make the most of every minute. The score isn't the most important thing; what's important is to maintain pressure, not to relax after taking the lead, and not to let ourselves play too comfortably. We also have a lot of areas that need improvement."

Regarding the upcoming training, Andoni Iraola said, "Isaac, Wirtz, and Hrafenbech have arrived in Chicago and will begin training with the team. We have two more games in the United States, and we hope to manage their game schedules reasonably while also addressing the problems that have surfaced in the games."

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