USA Journal: Throw and Catch with Hyypia, the Philly Reds and a 557-goal hug

Friday

8.30 am: Our media workroom turns into the place for legends to give interviews to local and international media and this morning it’s Sami Hyypia talking to the likes of BBC Sport and, on the roof, Sky News. Between recordings, the great Finn reflects on Roy Hodgson’s attempt to bring him back to the Reds in 2010, a year after his departure. And did you know they still play ice hockey in the winter? The small soft American football we have with us also catches his eye – and I manage not to fool around with my technique as we exchange a few throws across the table.

10.45 am: On a morning walk to the North Shore for a run at the PNC Park baseball venue, we spot a group of Real Betis players checking out the surroundings as well – our former goalkeeper Adrian and ex-Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin among them.

12 pm: As is typical for an evening kick-off, things are relatively calm in the hours before heading to the stadium. Although my own poise is shattered by the news that the starting line-ups will be announced at the rather unorthodox time of 6.38pm local time. You need to set an alarm. In downtown Pittsburgh, the sight of Liverpool shirts is becoming more common and there is plenty of buzz for the special BOSS/LFC Foundation fan event planned ahead of the game; Jamie Webster sings, talks to John Barnes and Gary McAllister and raises money for charity. Perfect.

17:00: As appetizers, this was a great one. A crowd of Reds fans descend on the Tequila Cowboy bar to enjoy the aforementioned event and Webster gets them pouring along to his set of classic LFC tunes. One in particular. Virgil van Dijk may not be here in person, but he sure is here in song.

18.20: As the sunny Acrisure Stadium starts to fill up for an eventual 42,000+ crowd, we’re pitchside to interview Arne Slot and Caoimhin Kelleher and get their thoughts ahead of the game. The pre-chat sees us discover a small detail about the new head coach; we may be in an NFL stadium, but Slot reveals he’s “more of a basketball guy.” Nearby, the media team are preparing to begin live coverage of the game on LFCTV and LFCTV GO, the first of three we will be televising during the tournament. Adrian, meanwhile, continues his relations with his old teammates, including Diogo Jota, who only arrived the night before.

22:00: Well, it was a pleasant evening. Liverpool registered their first win of the pre-season programme, Dominik Szoboszlai’s 34th-minute finish making it 1-0 over Betis in a game in which Slot tried out a formation with the goalscorer and Harvey Elliott as the forward number 10 .The preemptive withdrawal of Curtis Jones is a blemish on the proceedings, although the performance of his replacement Trey Nyoni gets plenty of plaudits.

Of course, the hard work and development must continue. “We work tirelessly on the field and especially on the practice field,” Jarell Quansah tells us. “There’s been a lot of double sessions, there’s so much tactical work and so much to take in.”

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Saturday

10 in the morning: So the Reds’ time in Pittsburgh comes to an end and the second phase of the tournament begins. The suitcases are repacked – in a much messier fashion than before, if I’m being honest with you, reader (Editor’s note: at least in my case) – and we’re on our way. Destination, the city of brotherly love. “Who’s ready to go to Philly?” we are asked along the way. We are definitely looking forward to it.

2:20 p.m.: And pretty soon we’re headed to Philadelphia and it’s a sight to behold. A line of skyscrapers comes into view to our left and we also get our first glimpse of Lincoln Financial Field – the venue for Wednesday night’s meeting with Arsenal. At least one person on the bus is searching TikTok for a list of the best Philly cheesesteaks around. At least one other person is looking over their shoulder with great interest (that’s me, full disclosure).

For Slot’s team, following the exertions of the previous night’s match, the program for this afternoon involves a stretching session in the team hotel to settle into their new surroundings. Two training sessions, the first of which is an open session, are on the agenda for Sunday as they continue to step up preparations.

4:00 p.m.: Our group of traveling legends is officially completed when Lucas Leiva comes to say hello shortly after the club party checks in. The Brazilian traveled straight to Philadelphia this morning from his native country and in what is becoming a recurring theme for the legends. during this tour, he wasted no time heading to the gym and stretching his own legs. However, he complained of a stiff back. Nice to have you with us, Lucas.

Right, where are those cheesesteaks…

Sunday

9:00 a.m A lively start to the day for the media team as we have a great chat with Lucas for an upcoming installment of ours My Liverpool story series on Liverpoolfc.com. If you’ve ever wondered exactly why the former Reds midfielder suddenly cut off his long locks, you’ll find out in that article soon. Meanwhile, the hotel reception is abuzz as almost the entire club party awaits transport to Lincoln Financial Field for this morning’s open training session.

10.40 am: I don’t need my laptop’s temperature alert to tell me it’s incredibly hot inside the arena. It is warm. A host of local supporters are in attendance, along with ground-side media outlets, to get a close-up look at Slot’s men – and we’re also broadcasting the session globally via YouTube. And there is the pleasing sight of Diogo Jota participating fully alongside his team-mates as he builds up his fitness following his return earlier this week. Club mascot Mighty Red is here, as is Philadelphia Eagles mascot Swoop, who authoritatively patrols the perimeter greeting visitors and posing for photos.

12 pm: It’s a wrap for training – an exciting watch as the squad goes through a series of intense passing and shooting drills, before a half-court attack-defence routine that includes a particularly sumptuous finish of curling Mohamed Salah. Elsewhere, Taffarel – who has fond memories of the USA supporting the World Cup here with Brazil 30 years ago – thanks the crowd watching a crossbar challenge. Loud applause ensues for the legendary goalkeeper.

As he leaves the pitch, Salah spots Ian Rush and comes straight over for a hug and a chat. These two scored 557 goals for Liverpool between them. Barnes is there too and jokingly asks to compare the six packs to #11. Not sure anyone can compete there, Digger. Sweat not yet brushed from his brow, Conor Bradley joins our live presentation. “I feel like we’re making good progress,” says the Northern Irishman. As we leave, Slot is stuck in conversation with Rush and McAllister.

2:00 p.m.: The next stop for the media team is an interview with Stefan Bajcetic. On our short walk to talk to the midfielder, a local woman rolls down her car window and shouts a message at us: “Are you football? I don’t know what team you are, but good luck!” Very nice. Meanwhile, Bajcetic is opening up on his return from a long-term injury lay-off, insisting it has “only made me stronger” in a Q&A to be published in full on Liverpoolfc.com on Monday. Do not miss.

17:00: A second practice session of the day begins for the team, this one a private practice at the Philadelphia Eagles’ NovaCare Complex. And with that, we’ve reached the halfway point of the club’s time in the US.

Follow Liverpoolfc.com and our social channels for daily updates from the Reds’ US pre-season tour.