The US men's national team concluded January camp with a 1-0 defeat in Saturday's international friendly against Slovenia at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas.
Fielding a lineup featuring many first-time call-ups and young players looking to make their mark, the Yanks couldn't find the scoresheet against a stingy Slovenia defense, while conceding a 26th-minute game-winner to forward Nejc Gradišar.
Gradišar's decisive strike followed a back-and-forth start to the match, as the 21-year-old finished an expertly-worked counter attack past Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
The 1-0 scoreline held as the USMNT pressed for an equalizer, but couldn't parlay several positive attacking sequences into the elusive leveler.
Goals
- 26' - SVN - Nejc Gradišar
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: This match was mostly about assessing new players looking to break into head coach Gregg Berhalter’s plans, and there were some nice moments from those in that category, though the final result was underwhelming.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Gradišar's 26th-minute strike was a well-taken finish and earned Slovenia the win.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: New England Revolution homegrown attacker Esmir Bajraktarevic was touted by Berhalter as a standout at camp and showed glimpses of his lofty potential. The 18-year-old produced a really solid shift after entering as a 61st-minute substitute, finding himself central to multiple dangerous sequences.
Next Up
- USA: Thursday, March 21 vs. Jamaica | 7 pm ET (Paramount+) | Concacaf Nations League Semifinal
