Phil Smith: Sunderland’s US tour loss to Leeds offers lessons, not panic | OneFootball

Sunderland lost 1-0 to Leeds United in New Jersey, a hard night that should not induce panic. Sunderland Echo notes the game offered more guidance than concern.

Leeds sat off and profited when Enzo Le Fée’s loose pass was seized upon, Lukas Nmecha catching Melker Ellborg off his line. Sunderland had most of the ball, bar a spell after the hour when Le Bris’s changes saw a stronger Leeds XI briefly take charge.

Build-up play was often crisp, with wingers and overlapping full backs reaching the byline, but runs in the box did not match. When they drifted infield, hesitancy let Leeds recover. Committing more bodies forward remains an area to improve.

Pre-season is about minutes. Sunderland have lost their first two US games and also five friendlies at this stage last year. Le Bris managed minutes, using Habib Diarra deep, Timur Tutierov up front and Simon Adingra on the right until the final 10 minutes.

Reinildo and Nordi Mukiele were solid. Adingra impressed, drifting inside to aid possession and supplying from wide, one cross headed just past the post by Trey Ogunsuyi. With Nilson Angulo in and Chemsdine Talbi likely to play more on the left, his future feels uncertain.

Leeds’ Tarik Muharemović, formerly of Sassuolo, looked a smart capture, composed and strong defensively. His arrival followed Pascal Struijk’s sale to Brighton & Hove Albion, which increased Leeds’ need and clarified his route. It hints that Sunderland’s eye for a fit remains sharp, and hopefully a debut of their own is close.

Source: Sunderland Echo