The U.S. Men’s National Team played to a spirited 1-1 draw against Peru in front of 24,959 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. The result in USA-Peru sees the MNT move to 3-3-3 in 2018.
While the match marked the return of veteran Brad Guzan between the sticks, the nine players that started in front of him held eight or fewer caps going into the match, including debutantes Jonathan Amon, Reggie Cannon and Aaron Long.
Carrying large swaths of possession through the rest of the half, Peru was able to connect passes in and around the area, but a stingy effort from the U.S. midfield and back line ensured none of La Blanquirroja’s four first-half shots were on target.
The visitors’ most threatening attack wasn’t a shot at all. In the 38th minute, Andy Polo fed Paolo Hurtado down the right. The winger swung in a dangerous cross to the near post, but Guzan alertly read it, cutting out the danger at the six as Raul Ruidiaz lurked in behind.
The U.S. sprung the attack on the other side of halftime. Just two minutes in, Amon pumped a ball over the back line to put Sargent into space. The striker gained entry into the box, and cut back to juke a Peru defender before centering for Weah, but his one-time effort curled wide of the right post.
With a bit of confidence after that play, Sargent put his name on the scoresheet two minutes later. Following a foul committed against Amon on the right, Acosta delivered a pinpoint low ball for Sargent at the top of the area, with the young striker hitting a one-time effort that came off of both Christian Ramos and Renato Tapia before hitting the back of the net.
A number of substitutions were made to aid Peru’s attack including City's Yoshimar Yotún, but their first shot on goal didn’t come until the 70th minute, when Johan Madrid centered the ball for Yoshimar Yotun, but the Orlando City SC midfielder’s long-distance hit was easily held by Guzan.
Another great look came to Peru five minutes later when Yotún played a pass for Polo. The Portland Timbers’ attacker hit a 25-yard effort that beat Guzan, but rang off the cross bar before the follow-up header from Ruidiaz was nodded over the bar.
Continuing to knock on the door, Peru finally broke through in the 86th minute when Polo’s low cross from the right found an unmarked Edison Flores for the late equalizer at the back left post.
The MNT heads to Europe to close out 2018 and the Kickoff Series next month. The window opens in London as the USA makes its second visit to new Wembley Stadium to take on 2018 FIFA World Cup Semifinalists England on Thursday, Nov. 15 (3 p.m. ET; ESPN2, UniMás & UDN). The curtain comes down on the 2018 schedule five days later, when the MNT travels to Genk, Belgium to face four-time World Cup winners Italy at the Luminus Arena (2:45 p.m. ET; FS1, UniMas & UDN).
