Darwin Nunez confusion cleared up as Liverpool star earns extra payday in friendly

Liverpool wrapped up its two-match Asian tour with a 3-1 triumph over Yokohama F Marinos in Japan on Wednesday. A crowd of 67,032 gathered at the Nissan Stadium to witness the match, where the Reds made a comeback after initially trailing due to Asahi Uenaka's second-half goal.

Florian Wirtz levelled the score, followed by Trey Nyoni who converted Jeremie Frimpong's cross, and Rio Ngumoha sealed the victory with a stunning late strike.

This marks the end of a fruitful fortnight for the Reds, who had earlier visited Hong Kong for the first time since 2017, suffering a loss to AC Milan at the Kai Tak Stadium.

The Liverpool Echo accompanied the tour throughout and was present in Yokohama to pick out some moments on Wednesday you might have missed.

Nunez confusion

There was some uncertainty regarding whether Darwin Nunez would be fit to play at the Nissan Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Uruguayan striker missed Saturday's friendly loss to AC Milan in Hong Kong, but Arne Slot had suggested he would be ready to participate in Japan.

Although Nunez was listed on the team sheet when the club's official graphic was released about 90 minutes before kick-off, the Reds' No.9 was omitted from the papers distributed to the media ahead of the game by staff.

There were puzzled expressions and queries about whether Nunez would actually participate. Was he withdrawn from the team due to an impending transfer? Had he sustained a warm-up injury? Or was it merely a blunder by the Japanese organisers?

If you guessed the third option, you hit the nail on the head. The striker's appearance in the second half put any doubts to rest, and judging by the cheers for him, he still enjoys immense support from the Japanese contingent of Liverpool fans.

The local hero

It's not often that Mohamed Salah is outshone at a Liverpool event, but even the 'Egyptian King' couldn't match the applause for Japan's national captain, Wataru Endo, on the night.

Undoubtedly Yokohama's most celebrated footballer, Endo's name, accompanied by his image on the big screen before the match, received louder cheers than the rest of the Reds' squad.

But that was nothing compared to the reaction inside the stadium when he appeared on the substitutes' bench shortly after the second half began. He received a standing ovation when he replaced Virgil van Dijk just before the hour mark, and was also applauded at full time when his teammates encouraged him to lift the undoubtedly prestigious J-League World Challenge shield during the victory lap.

Endo is a national treasure in Japan, and his hometown of Yokohama rightly beams with pride for him.

Ngumoha is a rising star

On the day Luis Diaz's transfer to Bayern Munich was officially confirmed, it didn't take long to understand why those at Liverpool are unperturbed about losing the Colombian international.

While Rio Ngumoha's career is still in its infancy, it's clear to see why there's such a buzz around the ex-Chelsea teenager.

The 16-year-old gave the Japanese team's defenders a torrid time during his second-half appearance here, keeping the spectators on tenterhooks with his eagerness to dribble at every opportunity.

After thrilling the crowd with his now signature style, he truly demonstrated why there's such anticipation surrounding him when he received a pass from Andy Robertson, charged at the opposition defenders, and finished with finesse to seal the game.

There will undoubtedly be more challenging tests ahead, and it'll be a while before Ngumoha sees himself as a full member of the Premier League winners' squad, but this was another tantalizing glimpse of his talent.

If he maintains this form throughout the summer programme, Arne Slot will have no option but to integrate him regularly into the first team.

Wirtz secures payday

Florian Wirtz's man-of-the-match performance came with quite an unexpected bonus for the German international at the final whistle.

The former Bayer Leverkusen ace was impressively smooth and silky with the ball, demonstrating his work ethic by constantly moving off the ball to create passing opportunities for his team-mates.

He also netted his first goal for the Reds, neatly finishing after a solid setup from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah. Following his standout performance, Wirtz was tasked with some post-match media duties on the pitch.

After sharing his thoughts on the match and updating on his current fitness levels, he was presented with a giant cheque as a reward - a cool one million Japanese yen, which equates to around $6,689. Not a bad night's work for a friendly, Florian.

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