Rio Ngumoha, who has already spoken of his Ballon d’Or dream at the age of 16, has no doubts about Liverpool’s ambitions. With Real Madrid in town, it’s no wonder the winger wanted to put on a show.
On another day, Chelsea’s summer signing could have got away with a couple of assists for his team-mates, but a lack of sharpness saw the Reds beaten on the day by their visitors, who won 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Daniel. Yanez. .
Ngumoha is clearly a confident player, as the fact that he plays several years above his age group in this competition has not deterred him. Instead, the wide player felt the ball called at every turn and had fleas in the ears of Amara Nallos and Trey Nyoni in the first half to avoid passing when in space.
A pass to Trent Kone-Doherty should have brought the equaliser, but the Irish winger was thwarted at the crucial moment when he was blocked by the keeper. If he was unfortunate, another chance in the second half was poor, as Ngumoha’s pass was into the space occupied by Alvaro Gonzalez when it was easier to get into the space on his right. Kone-Doherty should probably have scored a double and both had been assisted by Ngumoha.
A clever dive inside in the first half was carried out by powerful forward Jamie Barroso and the only way the Blancos could stop the former Chelsea teenager was to overload him in twos and threes or prevent him from making mistakes.
An electric burst down the wing in the second half almost brought Josh Davidson level, but his effort was deflected by Victor Valdepenas. Ngumoha showed more than enough here to justify the hype behind him and it was one of his most encouraging performances so far as a Reds player. A little more luck might have allowed him to make a few assists, but he won’t be facing a team as talented as the five-time European Cup winners’ training camp every week.
Of course, there have been times when he’s made the wrong call, and his desire to dribble the ball has sometimes seen him neglect better teammates in favor of another confusing run.
These are the faults that every young player has, regardless of position, but the early signs are positive in his first few months at the academy. There’s a player here, that’s for sure. Although public statements about the Ballon d’Or should be subject to the impulse of youth for now. There is still a long way to go, but this was a small step in the right direction.
