One of Liverpool’s pre-season fixtures was halted after just seven minutes of the first half because of worsening weather conditions
Liverpool are continuing their preparations for the 2026-27 season with a demanding pre-season schedule that combines a three-match tour of the United States with two home fixtures at Anfield.
The Reds will face Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds United in the US before returning to Merseyside to take on AS Monaco and Como as they build match fitness and fine-tune their preparations for the new Premier League campaign.
UK ONLY
Pre-season also gives Liverpool’s coaching staff the opportunity to assess new signings, reintegrate returning players and hand academy prospects valuable minutes against quality opposition before the competitive season begins.
One of those academy fixtures, however, was disrupted on Friday after Liverpool U15’s opening match in the 2026 J.League International Series Academy Match was suspended because of a thunderstorm.
According to Japanese outlet Gekisaka, Liverpool U15’s meeting with the U-15 J.League Select at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka was halted after just seven minutes and 26 seconds of the first half following worsening weather conditions.
The match kicked off at 10:30am local time, but heavy rain arrived shortly before the start. Play was suspended due to the thunderstorm, with spectators asked to leave the stands while nearby facilities were opened as temporary shelter.
Organisers later confirmed the fixture would resume at 11:40am under a revised format. Instead of the originally scheduled two 40-minute halves, the match will now consist of two 30-minute halves, while halftime has been reduced from 15 minutes to 10 minutes.
The fixture is the first of two meetings between Liverpool U15 and the U-15 J.League Select in this year’s J.League International Series Academy Match, with a second game also scheduled to be played on Sunday, July 26, at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka.
This is the third consecutive year that the J.League has staged the Academy Match as part of its youth development and international exchange programme. It is also the second straight year that Liverpool’s U15 side has taken part in the event.
The Japanese representative team enjoyed a successful series against Liverpool last year, winning the first match 1-0 before recording a 2-0 victory in the second fixture to complete a clean sweep.
The 2026 U-15 J.League Select squad features 20 players selected from the academies of 17 J.League clubs.
Former Japan internationals Shunsuke Nakamura and Naoki Yamada are part of the coaching staff overseeing the representative side during the series.
J League Select
Liverpool U15