Daniel Farke wants Leeds United’s missing trophy after Liverpool win

Daniel Farke says Leeds United should have been presented with a trophy after finishing top of their pre-season tournament in the United States, despite the competition organisers failing to hand one over.

Leeds ended their tour with an impressive 4-2 victory against Liverpool in Chicago, recovering from a deficit to secure a convincing win after a dominant second-half display.

Farke’s side had previously beaten Sunderland but lost to Wrexham, meaning they recorded two victories from three matches and finished as the best-performing British team involved in the tournament.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice for Leeds, while Brenden Aaronson and Sean Longstaff were also on target.

Despite topping the standings, Leeds were not given a trophy or commemorative shield. The omission prompted Farke to express his frustration after the match, although he delivered his criticism with a degree of humour.

“We won this tournament and, to be honest, I wanted to get the trophy,” said the Leeds manager.

“Especially here in the United States, where it seems everyone gets a trophy or an award whatever the result.”

He added: “I am a little bit annoyed, but away from the jokes, it could not have finished any better for us.”

Farke praised his players for their efforts during a demanding period of preparation, with the squad having worked continuously for three weeks.

“The players have done a tremendous job. They have spent three weeks without a day off, including around two weeks in the United States,” he said.

The German also highlighted Leeds’ attacking statistics in their victory over Liverpool, saying his team had been the stronger side overall.

“Against Liverpool we had more shots, more attempts on target, and many more corners and set-pieces,” Farke said.

“We thoroughly deserved to win the game, particularly after the excellent performance in the second half, so the players deserve all the praise.”

Farke said the benefits of the trip extended beyond the final result against Liverpool.

“We take a lot of positives from it, not only from this match but from the entire pre-season tour,” he added.

“We will now return to the United Kingdom and perhaps have a day or two to recover before starting preparations for the next stage.”

Leeds will continue their preparations for the new season by hosting German side RB Leipzig in another friendly on Saturday. The match is scheduled to form the final part of their pre-season programme.

Liverpool, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the build-up to the new campaign. Arne Slot’s side had won their previous two matches against Sunderland and Wrexham.

The club’s summer transfer activity has attracted less media attention than it did last season, despite the departures of several prominent players.

Among those to leave are Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, Scotland full-back Andrew Robertson, who moved to Tottenham, and France defender Ibrahima Konate, who joined Real Madrid.

Liverpool have added Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz to their squad as they prepare to compete across several competitions, with the UEFA Champions League one of their main priorities.