Rio Ngumoha settled a quiet night in New York with a deflected shot that beat Danny Ward, and Liverpool's 1-0 win over Wrexham at Yankee Stadium made it two wins from two for Andoni Iraola on his first pre-season tour in charge. The more telling detail was where the 17-year-old played. Introduced at half-time, he was deployed on the right.
The goal, in the 75th minute, was the only one of a match that never quickened. Ngumoha ran at the Wrexham defence and shot, and the ball took a heavy deflection off Lewis Brunt before dropping over Ward in front of 42,204 supporters. Among the shows of support inside the ground was a banner reading: "Rio, can I have your shirt?"
"The goal was a bit of luck but every minute that we get in preseason is very important," Ngumoha said afterwards. "As you can see, we're just getting fitter, sharper and better."
The flank was not an improvisation. Ngumoha primarily plays off the left, but he made his England debut in June on the right, and a week before the Wrexham game he set out the ambition himself. "Being unpredictable off both sides is key," he said. "Obviously, everyone knows I can play on the left, but on the right I feel like I'm improving and I'm getting better."