The United States men’s national soccer team might be in for a bright future despite missing to qualify for 2018 World Cup in Russia. The U.S. faced Bolivia in an international friendly on Monday night and came out with an easy 3-0 win. To make things more exciting, it was a win that USMNT managed to clinch with the help of its young players. While the team’s brightest young star, Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic, had to miss the game due to an injury, others stepped in.
After Walker Zimmerman scored the first goal of the game in the 37th minute, teenagers Josh Sargent and Timothy Weah added a goal each in the second half for a comfortable win. This was the first goal in USMNT jersey for all three goal scorers. Besides them, five players made their international debuts versus Bolivia, with U.S. roster having 11 players who were 21 or less. USMNT’s caretaker manager Dave Sarachan decided to give younger players a chance to show what they know and they responded in an impressive manner.
“I thought for good segments of the game, the soccer was pretty good,” – said Sarachan after the game. “I thought in the first half we had a number of opportunities to bury some chances, but we looked young. We looked young in terms of patience and quality, but that’s what these games are all about.“
This was an especially eventful game for the 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain youngster Timothy Weah. While he struggled with making correct plays in the first half, Weah bounced back in the second half and put on an impressive display.
“[Weah] was all over the shop,” – said Sarachan about his young star. “He looked like a kid who has never played at a higher level, [then] a guy that was looking to come out of a game where he wasn’t even sure if he was hurt, [and later] to flying and beating guys.“
Dave Sarachan then decided to reflect on another 18-year-old scorer against Bolivia, Werder Bremen’s Josh Sargent, who made his debut for USMNT.
“We’re very thin at the No. 9 position in American soccer in my opinion,” – he said. “So here’s a kid that has progressed throughout all the age groups and [youth] World Cup settings, and I’m not projecting Josh to be a starter from here on in with the men’s team, but he possesses a certain mentality and frame. And why not look at him at a time when you can? We need goal scorers, we need to give them opportunities, and so for me, I didn’t even think twice about it.“
However, this young squad will have their true test in the upcoming weeks when it faces Ireland and France in the upcoming friendlies.
