The fans who watched the United States lose 4-1 to Peru in Orlando on Saturday didn’t have to wait long to get their flash moment. It happened just four minutes into the match, just moments after 19-year-old Orlando City striker Justin Ellis scored with a header in the United States’ opener.
Ellis, making his first appearance for the United States, sprinted to the nearest corner to celebrate, then turned and faced the American fans in the north end of Inter.co Stadium – a section of supporters nicknamed “the wall.” Quickly, he was joined by Villarreal defender Alex Freeman, himself an Orlando City product. For a moment, the two former teammates posed arm in arm, looking out at the home crowd. Then they hugged, laughed and tried to run back to the center circle. Gio Reyna, who had assisted on the goal, pushed it back towards the fans.
“Celebrating that goal with Alex, it was ridiculous,” Ellis told reporters after the match. “He’s like family to me. It was amazing… I think Gio also just understood the moment, being back at home in front of the wall, it was just super special.”
Moments of youth and play like this resonated Saturday, which isn’t entirely unexpected given that the United States signed eleven newcomers, one player short of the program’s all-time record. The game pulsed with carefree, free-spirited energy; an ideal palate cleanser for American fans still reeling from the team’s tough loss to Belgium in the World Cup.
This Round of 16 matchup was arguably the most important match the United States had played in years. This one had no stakes, more of a fact-finding mission than anything else. This is precisely what made him so enjoyable to watch.
On Saturday, the American children played with an unusual familiarity, especially for their age. Ellis and Reyna were far from the only ones to connect. 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan – American football’s latest “new big thing” – was threatened throughout his 60-minute shift. Julian Hall scored the United States’ third goal on his debut, crashing in at the far post from a Sebastian Berhalter cross as if they had been club teammates for years.
“In the language of football, good players don’t need a lot of time together,” Pochettino said after the match. “They only need a few training sessions. It’s the same if they don’t have any quality – you can train them for a year and that natural, organic connection never happens… I feel really proud (for Cavan.) 16 years old? Playing, fighting and playing with his personality and character? I’m so happy with him…. There’s no doubt he’s very smart, he’s so great, he just needs time. Like (any of the other new ones arrivals.)”
Sullivan has been under scrutiny for years, the subject of rampant speculation and an unusually high level of media attention in the sometimes dim spotlight of American club soccer.
“It was a really special day,” Sullivan told reporters after the game. “For me and my family, it’s crazy. It’s crazy to represent my country at the highest level, with the men’s national team. I’m really, really happy to have done that. It was a really incredible night.”
Pochettino has spoken at length in the run-up to this match about the “infectious” nature of having so many young players in the camp, and how it rubs off on his whole squad. In the moments following Peru’s dismantling on Saturday, this became abundantly clear. The Argentine said the post-match sight of players hugging each other, walking to reunite with family members and soaking up the moment gave him goosebumps.
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“It was incredible,” Pochettino said. “We know what it means to these young players that they made their debut. It means a lot to them, but it also means a lot to us… We really appreciate this new energy – the way they listen, how they want to improve, how they want to train, we were talking about energy, it’s very contagious. We can win or lose, we can play well or we can’t. But we are really enjoying the journey together.”
But while Team USA’s last generational change occurred without many established veterans sticking around, this time around, these younger players have clung to those who came before them — even if the “veterans,” in this case, are sometimes still in their early 20s. In his remarks to the media before the match, Ellis praised his bond with Gio Reyna, and the rest of the American debutants mentioned imitating other, more experienced players on the roster.
“Players like Tyler Adams,” Pochettino said, “and the way he was on the pitch mixed with (Red Bull New York midfielder) Adri (Mehmeti), who is 17 years old… the senior players deserve enormous credit in the way they treat, guide, support and welcome, in the way they create a very comfortable environment, to feel at home. It’s, I think, a huge, huge value for us, to have these senior players helping us in that way. manner.”
It’s a sentiment reflected by Hall, a player who finds himself at the center of a bitter fight between the United States and Poland over his services. He didn’t have much to say Saturday, preferring to savor the moment.
“I grew up with a lot of those guys and played against them,” Hall said. “I know how hard they’ve worked, as have I, to get to a stage like this. I think we’re really excited to make our debut and make an impact.”
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