Liverpool Turns Attention To Soldier Field Finale After Wrexham Win

CHICAGO — Liverpool's first American preseason under Andoni Iraola is nearing its Chicago finale.

The Reds returned to their training base after defeating Wrexham, 1-0, Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium and now have one final U.S. match remaining: a Sunday afternoon meeting with Premier League rival Leeds United at Soldier Field.

Iraola and midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai addressed the media Thursday at the Endeavor Health Performance Center, where Liverpool has been preparing during its two-week stay in Chicago.

"The training center is amazing. I think everything here is what a football player needs," said Szoboszlai, who also captains Hungary's national team. "The city, as much as we could go outside for a walk, maybe a coffee, is very nice. The places are nice as well. The people are very friendly. I'm happy to be here."

Szoboszlai and his teammates had just arrived back at the training facility following the game in New York before the media session. Endeavor Health Performance Center serves as the primary, permanent training base for the Chicago Fire first team, Chicago Fire II, and the Chicago Fire Academy.

Szoboszlai joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2023 and wears No. 8, the number once worn by legendary Steven Gerrard. The 25-year-old said he is pleased to have teammates Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak back for the game in Chicago.

All three only recently joined Liverpool's Chicago training camp following post-World Cup breaks, They had all remained at the team's Chicago base during Liverpool's game at Yankee Stadium.

RELATED: New Liverpool Era Begins In Chicago Under Andoni Iraola

The Soldier Field match is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday. Stadium gates open at 1:30 p.m., with parking lots opening at 11 a.m.

Young Lineup Beats Wrexham

Liverpool enters the tour finale with victories in both of Iraola's first two matches as head coach.

Seventeen-year-old forward Rio Ngumoha scored the only goal in the 75th minute Wednesday, sending a deflected shot past the Wrexham goalkeeper as Liverpool earned a 1-0 victory before more than 42,000 spectators at Yankee Stadium.

Iraola used an experimental lineup featuring several young players and only limited Premier League experience. Liverpool also dealt with travel complications after thunderstorms disrupted the team’s trip from Chicago to New York.

The Wrexham match followed Liverpool's 4-2 win over Sunderland on Saturday in Nashville.

Kieran Morrison scored the first goal of Iraola's tenure before Sunderland took a 2-1 lead. Szoboszlai equalized in the second half, and Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas completed the comeback.

Building Iraola's Liverpool

As Patch previously reported, Iraola is using the Chicago camp to begin installing the aggressive, high-intensity approach that defined his three seasons at Bournemouth.

He succeeded Arne Slot in June after leading Bournemouth to sixth place in the Premier League and the club’s first qualification for European competition. Liverpool also hired four members of his former Bournemouth staff.

The unusual preseason has been complicated by the World Cup, which delayed the return of several prominent Liverpool players.

Liverpool's traveling group also includes Chiesa, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Szoboszlai said Liverpool's stature has not changed despite the summer departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, two central figures in the club's recent trophy-winning era.

"A couple of club legends left the club, but I think the club is still the club it has been always," he said. "So, one of the biggest clubs in the world."

After the Sunderland victory, Iraola described the performance as a starting point and said Liverpool still had considerable work ahead as players returned at different stages of preparation.

Thursday’s press conference offered a clearer indication of what Iraola said has improved and what he still wants to see before the Premier League season begins.

Liverpool-Leeds At Soldier Field

Sunday's match will conclude Liverpool's three-game American tour, which opened against Sunderland in Nashville and continued against Wrexham in New York.

The Leeds match also marks Liverpool's first appearance at Soldier Field since 2014, when the Reds defeated Olympiacos, 1-0, behind an early goal from Raheem Sterling.

For Iraola, it will be a second consecutive summer on the Soldier Field sideline. He coached Bournemouth there during the 2025 Premier League Summer Series before taking over Liverpool.

"I was really happy when I found out we were coming again to Chicago. I was here [in the] past preseason with Bournemouth," Iraola said. "We spent two weeks. I think it's a nice city, proper facilities, but especially when you have some time you can go to the city, have a coffee, maybe once go for dinner somewhere. People are also very respectful."

Liverpool and Leeds will meet as Premier League opponents during the coming season, but Sunday's friendly gives both teams another opportunity to build fitness and evaluate players before competitive matches begin.

Liverpool opens its league campaign Aug. 23 at Newcastle United. The Reds will return to England after Chicago and continue preseason with home matches against Monaco and Como.

Chicago Connection

Liverpool has spent most of its American trip based in Chicago, training locally between matches and participating in supporter and community events.

The club estimates that more than 26 million Liverpool supporters live in the United States and maintains 62 official supporters clubs across 32 states, according to Liverpool.

The Chicago stay has given Iraola extended training time away from England as he begins shaping a team expected to compete for the Premier League title and major European trophies.

For Iraola, Sunday represents both the end of the American tour and another early test of how quickly his ideas are taking hold.

"Now it's a challenge with the first job with this group of players that have been here the first two weeks, and now we have to integrate the new ones slowly, slowly, but we have the advantage that we have some of the players who know more or less where we are going and also can help in this process," Iraola said.