It's not very often supporters outside of the UK get to see Liverpool up close and personal, but thanks to the Reds' recently completed USA Tour, I got to just that as I had a literal front-row seat to watch Liverpool take on rivals Manchester United in Columbia, South Carolina. A 3-0 win was special enough, but to be mere feet away from Mo Salah, Kostas Tsimikas and all the rest is nearly indescribable, but I will try my best.

I live in Western North Carolina, so when it was announced that Liverpool were playing Man United in Columbia back in February, it was an easy decision to make the two-hour drive to see the Reds. I bought tickets quickly. I booked a hotel room as soon as the match was announced because I knew that the stadium and rooms in the city would sell out. Boy was I right. Tickets sold out in a little over an hour, and people were sometimes reselling them for thousands of dollars.

Thanks to a friend, I was able to secure handicapped seats (designed for a wheelchair) pitch-side right behind the Manchester United goal. I would have liked to have sat with the Liverpool supporters, but I was just happy to have a ticket.

Then the waiting game began. A lot of things can change in seven months. They certainly did for Liverpool. The club had plenty of wins mixed with a few losses to close out last season. Jürgen Klopp retired from Liverpool and Arne Slot came to Anfield and players came and went.

I got a little taste of Liverpool in July when I was in the crowd as Luis Diaz (Columbia) and Darwin Núñez (Uruguay) faced off against one another in the Copa America. That experience just made me even more excited for the match vs Manchester United. That's because I was going to get to see (most of) the full squad.

The day of the match dawned cloudy and with a constant threat of rain and and thunderstorms. I was afraid they were going to delay or even cancel the match. Of course, my friend who is also a local soccer coach and a big Liverpool supporter took a chance and went anyway. Even if we had to sit in the rain, we weren't going to miss the match.

It rained the entire two-hour drive to Columbia and when we arrived at the hotel, my handicapped-accessible room that I reserved back in February was not available and it was still pouring rain. Two bad omens I thought. I hope the match result turns out in favour of Liverpool. 

As we drove to the stadium, my excitement grew by leaps and bounds. Once inside, the views were breathtaking and it was if the Hand of God pushed back the clouds as the rain stopped.

We made our way to our seats to watch the players warm up. United were on my end and I was so close, I had to deflect several balls back on the pitch. I felt like Alisson. As the match got closer, “You Will Never Walk Alone” was played in the stadium, but it was drowned out by the singing of thousands of Liverpool supporters. I was one of them, singing at full throat, with a few tears in my eyes. It was beautiful.

When the ball was placed at mid-pitch and put into play, the roar from the crowd was deafening. It did not take long for Liverpool to assert their dominance in the match. Mo Salah looked in top form with his new haircut as he made a run down the near sideline and played the ball to Diogo Jota who slid a pass to Fabio Carvalho in front of the net (and me) for the tap-in. Fireworks shot in the air, music blared. It was pure bedlam and Liverpool had a 1-0 lead.

The Reds doubled that lead in the 36th minute and again it came from Salah's strong play in the build-up. The time he found Curtis Jones in front of goal for a score and a 2-0 halftime lead. During the intermission, everyone enjoyed a fireworks show except for me. I hate fireworks.

Liverpool were attacking in the opposite direction in the second half, so I could not see them as well, but I was still treated to a great angle of a tremendous save by Vitezslav Jaros. A great night was capped off when one of my favourite players, Kostas Tsimikas scored in the 61st minute to cap off a 3-0 win in the match.

LFC Globe Verdict

The match was nearly perfect in every way. The Reds played well and look as if they could challenge for the Premier League title this season. A 3-0 win over Manchester United feels good even if it is just pre-season. What was even ben better was the overall experience, 77,559 fans packed the stadium which was a record crowd for the venue and the state of South Carolina. 

For comparison, Anfield holds 53,394 supporters.  The best parts were singing “You Will Never Walk Alone” and being close enough to reach out and touch players from the club I have supported for years. I would love to make it across the pond to Anfield one day, but if I don't, I have made enough memories to last a lifetime.