ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a friendly soccer match held on Tuesday, the United States achieved a convincing 4-0 victory over Oman. The action, which saw a slow start, suddenly accelerated in the second half of the face-off.
Under the watchful eye of Gregg Berhalter, the United States coach, the American team initially struggled to find its rhythm similar to their performance in Saturday’s game against Uzbekistan where the U.S. celebrated a 3-0 win. However, the match began to pick up its pace in the later part of the game when a series of impressive goals led the U.S. to a remarkable win.
The first notable moment arrived when Falorin Balogun, a promising young star, scored a put-back in the first half. This was followed by a free-kick from Brenden Aaronson in the second half, marking Berhalter’s second win since resuming leadership of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT). Ricardo Pepi, another rising talent, rocketed a goal in the 79th minute as the U.S. bombardment led to an own goal by Oman’s Khalid Al-Braiki, elevating the score to the hosts’ advantage.
The U.S. anticipates more competition in October when it will engage in another series of friendly matches. The upcoming opponents are the formidable teams of Germany and Ghana, scheduled for the 14th and 17th of October respectively.
A pivotal moment in the match was the play by Tim Weah, who initiated Balogun’s goal with a cross that arched over the playing field. This was quickly followed by Weston McKennie beating Abdullah Fawaz and passing back to Weah on the other side of the penalty area. All it took was one trigger pull from Sergiño Dest and a save attempt from Ibrahim Al Mukhaini for Balogun to knock in the ball from just outside the box, marking his second international goal.
Aaronson, Pulisic’s substitute for the second half, emerged victorious after a free kick opportunity granted by a shove from Ahmed Al Khamisi. Impressively, he managed to squeeze his kick past Al Mukhaini, thus scoring his eighth goal in 34 international appearances.
Kevin Paredes, a Wolfsburg defender, and Benjamin Cremaschi, a youthful midfielder from Inter Miami, also made their debuts during the match. This brings the total numbers of debuts made under Berhalter’s auspices to 59.
In contrast to a chilly 5-degree February World Cup qualifying match against Honduras, the evening’s temperature was a balmy 58-degrees. The U.S. team displayed agility, necessitated by four changes to their lineup from the previous win over Uzbekistan. Notably, Ethan Horvath made his international debut as goalkeeper after nearly three months.
