admin“Higher” – Regis Le Bris makes Leeds United declaration in honest Sunderland defeat verdict
Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris has praised his side’s pre-season clash with Leeds United in New Jersey, describing it as a valuable test that raised the bar in terms of competitive standards.
The two sides met in the early hours of Friday morning UK time, marking Leeds’ second friendly of the summer and Sunderland’s third. The Black Cats had opened their pre-season campaign with a convincing 5-1 win over York City, before suffering a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool in Nashville last weekend.
Leeds, meanwhile, were seeking their first victory of the summer after falling 3-2 to Wrexham in Tampa the previous weekend—and they delivered, with Lukas Nmecha netting the only goal to secure a 1-0 win over Sunderland.
Despite the defeat, Le Bris remained upbeat and insisted his team are progressing well. He pointed to the increased intensity of the opposition as a key factor in sharpening his squad’s focus.
“We’re facing tougher opponents, and that’s raising our standards,” Le Bris told the Sunderland Echo. “I thought today was a good test. You could feel the level rising, not just because of who we were playing, but also because our energy as a group is improving.
“There are still small details we need to iron out, but it’s better to make those mistakes now and learn from them than to be caught out when it really counts.
“Overall, I liked the energy out there. Our tactical principles are coming along nicely too, so I’d say we’re in a good place.”
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