US debutants score in 4-1 win over Peru as new cycle begins
Justin Ellis and Julian Hall scored on their senior debuts, while 11 players earned their first caps in the team’s opening match after the World Cup.
The United States opened its new four-year cycle with a 4-1 win over Peru on Saturday, as two teenage forwards scored on their senior national team debuts. Justin Ellis put the US ahead early, and Julian Hall added a second-half goal.
Eleven players earned their first caps in a match that began with 13 uncapped players in the US line-up. Peru equalised through Gianluca Lapadula after a defensive error, and the sides went into the break with the United States’ early momentum having faded.
The US raised its intensity after half-time. Substitute Mathis Albert won a penalty converted by Malik Tillman, before Hall scored and later assisted Sebastian Berhalter’s late goal.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino praised the newcomers’ adaptation and the support they received from senior players. The mix of debutants and veterans offered an early view of the squad as the post-World Cup cycle begins.
The result is one match, and the goals do not settle questions about the team’s forward options. CBS Sports reported the US has been without established choices including Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun, leaving the performances by Ellis and Hall as first impressions rather than a measure of future roles.
