The highly diverse United States men’s national team earned a 3-1 victory over Venezuela in the first of two international friendlies this month.
Saturday’s U.S. team was made up almost entirely of Major League Soccer players, with the match taking place outside of a FIFA international window.
Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored about two minutes apart late in the first half and Matko Miljevic, whose third-minute penalty was saved, scored in the 64th minute.
McGlynn hit a left-footed strike from about 30 yards in the 37th minute, Agyemang deflected a shot from goalkeeper Wuilker Faríñez shortly after and the Americans started running. Milijevic scored on a block, joining Agyemang to bring the total to 61 players who have scored on their U.S. debut.
The result means manager Mauricio Pochettino has now won four of his five matches since taking charge in September – his only defeat coming in a friendly against Mexico in October.
The USMNT will be back in action against Costa Rica on Wednesday.
Carl Kafka/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF
DaMarcus Beasley, Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, DeAndre Yedlin and Landon Donovan are among the players whose national team careers were boosted by the January camps.
The United States controlled much of the match and had the opportunity to take the lead after Daniel Pereira was fouled in the penalty area. Miljevic, a Miami-born striker, didn’t have much on the kick as he tried to push it away to Faríñez’s left side.
Six American starters made their debuts in front of a crowd of 18,008: left back Max Arfsten, central defender George Campbell, wingers Brian Gutierrez and Carden Clark, and Miljevic and Agyemang as attackers. Emeka Eneli and Indiana Vassilev made their debuts in the second half.
Associated Press reporting contributed to this report.
