USA vs Peru was supposed to be a first look at the future, and the future scored twice. Mauricio Pochettino handed debuts to 11 players, eight of them teenagers, and the United States beat Peru 4-1 in an international friendly at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando on Saturday.
Justin Ellis and Julian Hall both scored on their first senior appearances, Malik Tillman converted a penalty and Sebastian Berhalter finished the job in the 90th minute in front of a sellout crowd of 24,228.
USA vs Peru goals: a fast start and a strong finish
It took Ellis four minutes to open his account, heading the USMNT in front. Peru answered through veteran striker Gianluca Lapadula, and the game sat level for a long spell as Pochettino’s young side learned on the job.
The breakthrough came in the 66th minute when Tillman scored from the spot. Six minutes later Hall, one of a wave of substitutes, added the third. Berhalter then capped the night with a long range strike right at the end.
A night of firsts for the USMNT
According to ESPN, it was the first time two teenagers had scored for the US men in the same match since May 2018, when Josh Sargent and Tim Weah did it against Bolivia. Sixteen year old Cavan Sullivan of the Philadelphia Union started, as did Peyton Miller alongside Ellis.
Pochettino used this window to take a long look at new faces. His 28 player squad for September and October included eight teenagers and 13 uncapped players, and plenty of them got minutes here, including Zavier Gozo, Neil Pierre, Adri Mehmeti and Mathis Albert off the bench.
What’s next for the USMNT
There’s little time to celebrate. The USMNT face Chile at Energizer Park in St. Louis on Tuesday, September 29, with kick off at 8pm ET (7pm CT). Mexico follow at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, October 3 at 10pm ET, and the window closes against Canada at Allianz Field in St. Paul on Tuesday, October 6 at 8pm ET.
Also from Saturday’s international action: England vs Spain, a five goal Nations League thriller at Wembley.
