A month before the encounter with the DFB team, the USA beat Oman 4-0 in a test. For a Wolfsburg and an ex-Bayern professional, it was a special game from a personal point of view
In the end, it was a difference in class: In the US national team’s 4-0 test match victory over Oman in St. Paul/Minnesota, all the statistics spoke in favour of the hosts. Two current and two former Bundesliga professionals were in the spotlight.
Union Berlin’s Aaronson scored in the 60th minute with a direct free-kick to make it 2-0, while Balogun (13th) and ex-Augsburg player Pepi (79th), who like Aaronson is now with PSV Eindhoven, scored the other goals. Oman’s defender Al-Braiki (81.) scored an own goal for the final score.
A former Munich player and current Pepi team-mate at PSV made his first appearance for the US team: Tillman started in a three-man midfield alongside Musah and McKennie. Making his debut ever was Wolfsburg’s Paredes, who was substituted in the closing stages.
The USA will host the Copa America next summer
“I saw a young team. A lot of young players came through, so overall I’m very happy with what I saw,” said sporting director Matt Crocker. For centre-forward Balogun, it was his second goal in his fourth international match for the USA. The former England U-21 international had switched associations in May.
The USA will host the Copa America next summer. It is the most important tournament for head coach Gregg Berhalter’s team ahead of the World Cup two years later, which the United States co-hosts with Mexico and Canada.
The next test comes in a month’s time when the USA face the German national team on 14 October (9pm German time), who then also take on co-host Mexico as part of their US tour.
