Leeds United beat fellow Premier League side Sunderland 1-0 in New Jersey, picking up a first win of pre-season to follow up Saturday's defeat to Wrexham in Tampa. Lukas Nmecha settled the contest inside eight minutes with a moment of real quality, spotting Sunderland goalkeeper Melker Ellborg off his line and drilling a low effort from distance that found the far corner via the post, but it was new signing Tarik Muharemović who stole the show on his full debut in a Leeds shirt.
Daniel Farke made seven changes to the side that started against Wrexham, with Muharemović thrown straight into the heart of the defence alongside captain Rodon and Sebastiaan Bornauw at Sports Illustrated Stadium, home of MLS side New York Red Bulls. It was a fitting occasion to christen the new 2026/27 home kit, with the players quick to celebrate Nmecha's early opener, and Leeds went on to control large spells of the contest despite seeing less of the ball overall against a Sunderland side well known for frustrating opponents.
Muharemović was central to that control from the first whistle. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international, fresh off his World Cup exploits over the summer, looked entirely at home on his first outing for the club, anchoring the defence with the kind of physical presence expected of a player of his stature. He was just as effective in possession as out of it, mixing composed defending with line-breaking passes and long diagonals that repeatedly sprang Leeds forward, and by full time he had done more than enough to be named man of the match on debut.
His influence continued into the second half after Farke's six changes at the break, with the back three shape retained and Muharemović still seeing plenty of the ball and using it well to start attacks from deep before being withdrawn late on having done his job for the night. Leeds saw out the remainder of the game comfortably, with Alfie Cresswell going closest to adding a second before Alex Cairns was called into action late on to deny a Sunderland effort from range.
The result leaves Sunderland still searching for a win on their own US tour, having also lost to Liverpool, while Leeds head into the final leg of their US tour with an early look at a defensive partnership that could shape the season ahead. The US Tour concludes on Sunday evening when the Whites face Liverpool at Soldier Field in Chicago.