Simon Mignolet has never been praised for his sweeper-keeping abilities, but the Belgian ran two-thirds of the Fenway Park field to confront Joris Gnagnon.
Upon his arrival, he ran into a wall of flesh, anger and concern, all of whom were either surrounding the Sevilla defender or the man – no, teenager – he had struck down, Yasser Larouci.
Tensions had boiled over on Boston's hottest day since 1991, with the Frenchman's challenge the final moment of madness in a game littered with them. Throughout, Sevilla were overphysical, with Ever Banega the chief instigator, elbowing Harry Wilson in the face in the first half; but Gnagnon's act was pre-meditated, uncalled for and an act of cowardice.
So Mignolet sprinted, and he and his team-mates defended Larouci; some talked to him as the player stayed grounded, waiting for the stretcher.
After the full time whistle, Virgil van Dijk marched over to where Gnagnon stood, in front of the Green Monster. He was about to become acquainted with the Dutch Monster. It was difficult to see what words were exchanged, but Van Dijk's point had been made, and emphatically.
It should be no real surprise Larouci's team-mates came to his aid in the aftermath of the challenge. He is just 18 years old, a relative baby in a squad which possesses some experienced heads.
But the manner in which they did, and the way in which they sought to defend him, speaks volumes of the bond between the squad at all levels.
It has been fascinating watching Larouci during this pre-season visit to the United States. He has not looked fazed on the field, but the off-field surrounds have clearly awed him in the best way possible.
During the open training session at Fenway Park on Saturday, as he stretched in front of a four-figure attendance, he looked at the fans who congregated nearby. He spoke with Divock Origi, with whom he appears to have struck a friendship with. It must be a lot to take in for a teenager who, until this summer, had been limited to appearances for the youth team at sparsely populated Tranmere Rovers and Kirkby Academy.
There is no hierarchy in this squad. Everybody is treated as equal; everybody is given the same chance to impress the coaching staff. Larouci, alongside other youngsters such as Ki-Jana Hoever, Curtis Jones and Bobby Duncan, have been welcomed into the senior squad seamlessly. There is no sense of senior egos in this set-up; Klopp wouldn't stand for it.
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The reaction of Mignolet, Van Dijk and others shows the togetherness of the team. Perhaps it made Gnagnon realise his error, leading to his social media apology soon after the final whistle. His club Sevilla were quick to echo that.
Jurgen Klopp did not want to talk about it, and refused to condemn the player. A class response after a classless act. The hope for Gnagnon is that it was a moment of madness, rather than a streak within him.
No positive can be taken from a challenge which left Larouci leaving the stadium on crutches, with his right leg in a brace, although his coach said the player had been “lucky” after the challenge, insinuating the worst had not happened.
If it somehow has, however, at least he knows he has support at every turn at Anfield.