Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States ended with a 4-2 defeat to Leeds United at Chicago's Soldier Field on 2 August 2026. BBC Sport

The scoreline flatters nobody. Liverpool conceded four goals without reply inside 25 minutes of the second half — a collapse that turned a promising afternoon into a sobering one for Andoni Iraola, the Spanish manager who took charge at Anfield this summer. BBC Sport

There were bright spots before the collapse. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, both making their return to action, were excellent in the first half. Ryan Gravenberch also began his pre-season in Chicago alongside the pair, offering Iraola a glimpse of a midfield spine he can build around. Liverpoolfc.com

But the defensive picture is less reassuring. Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai said afterwards that two of the four goals came from set-pieces — dead-ball situations like corners and free-kicks — and that the team needed to deal with them better. BBC Sport

The tour itself spanned Nashville, New York City, and Chicago, with Liverpool using the Windy City as their training base throughout. Sporting News It began brightly enough: Iraola opened his reign with a 4-2 win over Sunderland on 25 July, followed by a 1-0 victory over Wrexham in which teenager Rio Ngumoha scored the only goal. Reuters The Athletic

Off the pitch, the picture is still taking shape. Liverpool made no new signings during the fortnight in America, partly because Iraola wanted to assess his squad before making decisions. BBC Sport He had already said, before the tour began, that the squad had "obvious" gaps to address after losing key players and picking up injury setbacks. Reuters

The manager has also been candid about the discomfort of the calendar. Iraola said he hates August because of the uncertainty over who arrives and who departs as competitions begin. BBC Sport

Several key names are still filtering back. Alexis Mac Allister was granted extra time off after Argentina's run to the World Cup final. Iraola planned to meet Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Alisson Becker, and new signing Victor Munoz at the AXA Training Centre. Munoz did not play a single minute in Spain's World Cup-winning campaign and was due to return earlier than his international teammates to speed up his integration into the Liverpool side. BBC Sport

For fans, the Chicago result is a reminder that pre-season friendlies are less about the scoreline and more about what they reveal. The first-half quality of Isak and Wirtz will encourage. The second-half defensive collapse will not. The real business begins when the Premier League kicks off — and Iraola knows he still has pieces to fit together.

Leeds, managed by Daniel Farke, head into the new season with a statement win of their own. BBC Sport