Leeds United claimed a 1-0 victory over Sunderland in a pre-season friendly held in New Jersey, marking their first win of the summer US tour. The decisive goal came early in the match from Lukas Nmecha, who found the back of the net within the first eight minutes.
The match took place at the Sports Illustrated Stadium, home to MLS side New York Red Bulls. Both teams utilized the fixture to continue their preparations for the upcoming season, aiming to provide players with valuable minutes on the pitch. Leeds sported their newly launched 2026/27 home kit during the encounter.
Nmecha, starting as the striker for Leeds, displayed his awareness by spotting Sunderland goalkeeper Melker Ellborg off his line. His low strike then found its way into the goal, deflecting in off the post.
First Half Action and Tactical Approaches
The first half saw competitive play with both sides exchanging attacks. Notable opportunities arose from the right-full-backs of each team. For Leeds, Jayden Bogle pushed forward, sending an effort just wide of the goal. Trai Hume of Sunderland also had an attempt, which was deflected before reaching Leeds goalkeeper Alex Cairns. Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey also had a chance but could not direct his shot on target from close range.
Daniel Farke’s Leeds side, playing in cooler conditions compared to their previous match in Tampa, maintained their lead going into halftime. The team typically employs a possession-based system, often shifting between a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation and a back-three structure, such as a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2, depending on the phase of play and available personnel.
Leeds often builds up play in a 3-1 or 3-4 shape, with a deep central midfielder like captain Ethan Ampadu dropping into the defensive line. This allows full-backs or wing-backs to advance up the pitch. Defensively, the team adopts a compact block, frequently resembling a 5-4-1 or a 4-5-1, to restrict space in central areas.
Wingers are instructed to move into narrow half-spaces to create overloads centrally, providing room for overlapping full-backs or wing-backs to deliver crosses. A holding midfield pair is responsible for recycling possession and protecting the central defenders, while an advanced playmaker or mobile forward operates between midfield and the main striker to press and link play. A central target is then supported by narrow, high-energy wide attackers.
Second Half Changes and Continued Pressure
At the interval, Leeds made six substitutions, introducing Ethan Ampadu, James Justin, Daniel James, Anton Stach, Wilfried Gnonto, and Joël Piroe. The team’s formation remained consistent, with the three centre-backs frequently involved in ball distribution before initiating attacks. New arrival Tarik Muharemović settled well in the heart of the defence, making his first appearance for supporters.
The link-up play on the left flank between Gabriel Gudmundsson and Daniel James proved effective, with the duo making runs into the Sunderland box on multiple occasions. With 20 minutes remaining, Leeds introduced further changes, bringing on Academy players Jayden Lienou, Alfie Cresswell, and Rhys Chadwick for Sebastiaan Bornauw, Bogle, and Gudmundsson.
Under-21s skipper Cresswell nearly extended Leeds’ lead with a header from an Ampadu long-throw, which Ellborg managed to collect. This chance followed an earlier save by the goalkeeper, who denied James after good interplay between Ampadu and Piroe.
Sunderland had a shot from distance by Timur Tutierov, which Cairns gathered. However, Leeds largely limited their opponents’ opportunities in the latter stages of the match, professionally seeing out the game to secure their first pre-season victory. The US Tour for Leeds concludes with a match against fellow Premier League side Liverpool at Soldier Field in Chicago.
In previous encounters, Sunderland had a positive record against Leeds over the last three seasons, including two wins, three draws, and one defeat in their last six league meetings. During the 2025/26 campaign, Sunderland secured four points against Leeds. Joël Piroe, a key attacking threat for Leeds, scored 24 goals over the last three seasons for the club, though he only found the net once against Sunderland in the previous campaign.
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Source: leedsunited.com
