Andoni Iraola could not have asked for a much more entertaining introduction to life on the touchline as Liverpool head coach.
His new side fell behind twice in the Nashville heat, only to roar back with three goals in the closing half hour to see off Sunderland at GEODIS Park.
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Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas were the men on the scoresheet as the Reds opened their American tour with a win.
Beneath the goals and the gloss, though, the evening offered a revealing first look at where this squad stands with the new campaign fast approaching.
Here are six things we learnt.
1. The centre back situation is now a genuine crisis
Nothing that happened after the eighth minute mattered more than what happened during it.
Joe Gomez, handed the armband on the night, pulled up with an apparent muscle problem and was forced off inside the opening ten minutes, replaced by teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
Iraola did not dress it up afterwards, telling LFCTV that losing Gomez straight away was “probably the worst news” of the entire evening.
The concern runs far deeper than one knock.
Virgil van Dijk, who stayed behind at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, is currently the only senior centre back at the club who is fully fit.
Ibrahima Konate departed for Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, Giovanni Leoni is still working back from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in September, and summer arrival Jeremy Jacquet sat out in Nashville while he manages his return from a shoulder problem.
By the end, two academy teenagers in Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye were partnering each other in the middle.
That is not a foundation you take into a Premier League season with any comfort.
2. Iraola’s identity is already visible
For all the injury worry, supporters were also given a first genuine glimpse of how Iraola wants his Liverpool to play, and it looks noticeably different from the controlled possession game of the Arne Slot era.
There was an aggressive, high press from the front, wingers tracking back diligently, and a clear instruction for the deepest midfielder to drop between the centre backs and build from the goalkeeper.
The rewards and the risks were both on show.
The opening goal came from exactly the sort of quick, vertical passing move Iraola built his reputation on at Bournemouth, with the ball worked from deep and Morrison finishing low across the goalkeeper.
Yet both Sunderland goals stemmed from Liverpool being caught in possession in dangerous areas, a reminder that this style carries a price while players are still learning it.
On a first day of heavy legs, that is precisely the sort of teething trouble Iraola will have expected.
3. The academy really can be leaned on
If there was an unambiguous positive, it was the performance of the club’s young players.
Morrison, fresh from signing a new long term contract after being named the standout of last season’s Premier League 2 campaign, took his goal superbly and looked a threat throughout.
Trey Nyoni caught the eye in midfield with a maturity beyond his years, while Rio Ngumoha, already a senior international, continued to show why he is regarded as one of the brightest talents in the country.
This matters more than usual.
With the squad stretched thin and several senior men either injured or still on their post tournament breaks, Iraola used all 22 available players and will need these youngsters to contribute meaningfully rather than simply make up the numbers.
On this evidence, several of them are ready for exactly that.
4. Isak and Wirtz are the signings that really count
The most important figures on the tour were not even on the pitch in Nashville.
Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, the two British record signings brought in last year, are only now linking back up with the group in Chicago after extended breaks, and their impact this season will shape Liverpool’s ceiling more than any fresh arrival.
Both endured difficult, injury disrupted debut campaigns that fell well short of their price tags and their talent.
If Iraola can get the best out of them, they will function as the marquee additions this squad needs, without the club having to spend another penny.
Getting them fit, sharp and confident across the remaining tour games is therefore one of the head coach’s most pressing jobs before the opener.
5. The transfer window is unfinished business
The night underlined that Liverpool’s summer work is far from complete.
So far the club have added only two senior players, Jacquet from Rennes for a fee in excess of fifty million pounds and winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna, alongside teenager Ndukwe.
Against that, they have lost Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, a significant chunk of experience and quality.
A new right winger to replace Salah has been the stated priority, but Gomez’s injury has thrown a fresh spotlight on the need for defensive reinforcement.
Iraola himself acknowledged at a news conference earlier in the week that his defence is worryingly thin, and the picture at right back is little better, with Conor Bradley sidelined by a serious knee injury and Jeremie Frimpong not viewed as a long term solution in the role.
There is plenty for the recruitment team to sort before the window shuts.
6. This is a rebuild, not a title defence
Finally, it is worth remembering the context in which this new era is beginning.
Liverpool are not the reigning champions.
They finished a disappointing fifth last season, some way off Arsenal, and Slot paid for it with his job barely a year after lifting the trophy.
Iraola arrives with a two year deal, a squad in transition and a fanbase eager to see a reconnection with the intensity of old.
That makes a 4-2 win, however pleasing, exactly what Iraola called it afterwards, a starting point rather than a statement.
There were flashes of an exciting new identity, real promise from the youngsters and a timely victory.
But between the Gomez injury, the paper thin defence and the unfinished business in the market, this first outing showed just how much work lies ahead before Liverpool travel to Newcastle for the real thing.
Liverpool vs Sunderland