St. Paul provided the final stop on a productive international window for the United States, whose 1-0 win over Canada at Allianz Field completed a four-match winning run under Mauricio Pochettino. A night decided by 19-year-old Orlando City forward Justin Ellis also underlined the youthful direction taken by the Argentine coach.
The news from the club
Ellis scored the only goal against Canada, arriving at the back post to finish Alex Freeman’s cross after an incisive move down the right flank. It followed his goal in the 4-1 victory over Peru, making the teenager one of the notable beneficiaries of the extended FIFA period.
The United States had previously beaten Chile 4-2 and Mexico 3-1 before overcoming their North American neighbours in Minnesota. Across the four matches, Pochettino’s side scored 12 times, with players under 20 responsible for seven of those goals.
Pochettino handed senior international debuts to 13 players during the break, using the fixtures to widen the pool ahead of the teams’ respective Concacaf Nations League campaigns.
“They all showed their quality, and the way they fitted into the team was fantastic,” Pochettino said after the match.
The Canada match was played at a high tempo, but the hosts kept a clean sheet with Brian Schwake in goal. Pochettino used the second half to bring on Sergiño Dest, Johnathan Hall and Sebastian Berhalter, with Tyler Adams also introduced later in the contest.
Canada likewise continued to distribute minutes across their squad. Mathieu Choinière came on after half-time, while Daniel Jebbison and Jacen Russell-Rowe entered in the 65th and 66th minutes respectively.
Pochettino said the window offered an encouraging starting point, while stressing that development must continue. “If we maintain this level and can improve, it is a very good beginning on which to build,” he said. “Now we have to believe, and our responsibility is to guide them.”
