Matchday

USMNT fall in friendly vs. Slovenia

USMNT recap Jan. 20 vs. Slovenia

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 GradiŔar.

GradiŔar'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 GradiÅ”ar

Three Things

  • THE BIG PICTURE: This match was mostly about assessing new players looking to break into head coach Gregg Berhalterā€™s plans, and there were some nice moments from those in that category, though the final result was underwhelming.
  • MOMENT OF THE MATCH: GradiÅ”ar'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