Key events
52 min A connection budding between Yunus Musah and Cavan Sullivan, as the duo have had some success operating one-twos up the right side of the field against Peru. Musah draws a free kick after one such exchange, but the ensuing service is again claimed by Gallese.
48 min The US wrings a corner kick from a low-danger scenario, but Malik Tillman again sends it short and the hosts fail to turn the chance into a shot.
46 min The lads are back to trotting as the second half gets underway.
Halftime sub: Diego Kochen will make his US debut for the second half, coming in to replace Matt Freese. The Barcelona academy product is all smiles as he waits to trot onto the pitch, donning the 24 shirt and a thin red headband. An especially meaningful opponent for his milestone occasion, as his mother is Peruvian.
No other changes as we ready for the second half to kick off.
Updated at 17.46 EDT
Mauricio Pochettino tells the broadcast that he’s pleased with Justin Ellis’ debut goal, saying he’d told the 19-year-old that he’d score his second-ever goal at his home Inter.co Stadium today before the game.
Sure enough, Ellis has now logged as many US goals here as he has for Orlando.
“They’ve got to start marking players instead of marking space,” as DaMarcus Beasley concisely summarizes in his halftime analysis. Peyton Miller will wish for a redo on the equalizer, as he was far to the wrong side of Lapadula as the cross came in. Other nervy moments have seen the team try to get into zonal positions, but that’s to be expected with such an untested collective.
Cavan Sullivan’s opening 45 minutes kept him busy, as he had the joint lead among all players with five touches in the box.
19/20 passing
1 chance created
1 shot (blocked)
26 touches
1 ball recovery
1 foul committed, 1 yellow card shown
ShareHALFTIME: USA 1-1 Peru
…which Tillman takes short to the referee’s disgust, who blows for halftime before Cavan Sullivan can collect the close-range service.
45+3 min Sullivan seets up one more US sequence, ending with a Tyler Adams shot. It caroms off of a Peruvian forehead for a corner…
45+2 min A bit funny that, with all of the fresh faces involved and plenty of notable current and ex Orlando players on the pitch, the broadcasters close out the half by discussing the impact of wholly uninvolved Antoine Griezmann on the local MLS branch.
45 min Three minutes of stoppage time remain as Malik Tillman’s through ball rolls just beyond Ellis and into Gallese’s grasp.
42 min “USA USA USA” say the home faithful in Orlando as the US continues to do most of their work in the attacking half. Gio Reyna shown a yellow for trying take the ball back from another Orlando player, Wilder Cartagena, but going through the back of his leg.
39 min THORNY! The US works a quick break starting with Yunus Musah, whose cross to the left wing pulls Gallese out of his box. Cavan Sullivan got onto the ball and dribbled to the endline for a cutback cross, but he’s unable to find a target before Gallese is back at his station.
A really lively half here in Orlando, with the US desperate to entertain and Peru holding their own.
37 min The US back to a sustained stretch in the attacking half, with Sullivan dishing wide right to Yunus Musah before darting toward the near post. Musah’s ensuing cross goes well over Sullivan but is headed out for a corner, which Malik Tillman sends in and Peru clears away with ease.
32 min Peru finally have a sustained sequence end in a shot, as Burnley defender Oliver Sonne gets on the end of a cross to the far post. His header falls right into Matt Freese’s bread basket for a comfortable catch. Still, signs that this more veteran side is finding a way into the match.
30 min Refreshing: a USMNT game without a hydration break, as the lads will play a full half before sipping water and looking at laptop still-frames.
28 min A lot of string-pullers on the pitch for Pochettino – Reyna, Tillman, Sullivan, even Miller from wide areas – but very few proven finishers, leaving sequences frustratingly stalled out at the edge of the box. Still, a lot of lateral movement that’s keeping Peru from establishing a staunch deep defensive block.
26 min The United States have comfortably maintained the bulk of possession, holding a 67% share of the ball. Peru are getting better at limiting their avenues into the final third, leaving the US to shuffle from side to side with Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman roaming to keep the ball moving along.
23 min Gallese is still getting treatment, so let’s get all of the Orlando City connections out of the way.
Gallese manned their goal from 2020 to 2025, while Peru teammate Yoshi Yotún (who assisted the equalizer) patrolled their midfield in 2017 and 2018. Wilder Cartagena and Justin Ellis are each currently a Lion, while Alex Freeman hailed from their academy before his winter transfer to Villarreal.
Play has now resumed, with Sullivan shown a yellow – seemingly for having the audacity to try poking the ball out from between Gallese’s legs, as the shoves were all Peru’s.
Updated at 17.22 EDT
21 min A testy moment as a cross from Miller curls into the box, where Malik Tillman’s shot is stuck between Gallese’s feet. Cavan Sullivan tried getting to it before the goalkeeper could settle it and took a push from a couple of Peru defenders, with the official blowing his whistle while Gallese gets medical attention to his head.
19 min Peru seizing the opportunity now, earning a corner by shanking a ball off of a frazzled Peyton Miller. The US clears, but the ensuing header loops into the six-yard box where Matt Freese gets to it just before Lapadula can prod it into the net.
15 min A poor way for this young US to concede, being caught somewhat unaware on a quick-ish restart in the final third. A cross from the left found Lapadula at the far post, with the 36-year-old veteran getting far better position than his teenage mark, left back Peyton Miller.
His header loops beyond a flailing Matt Freese and into the net. Peru won’t play pushover today.
ShareGOAL! USA 1-1 Peru (Gianluca Lapadula 15’)
Peru have shocked the home faithful but sent the considerable visiting support into elation!
Peru’s Gianluca Lapadula celebrates after scoring his team’s opening goal against the United States. Photograph: Alex Menendez/USSF/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 17.12 EDT
13 min With Noahkai Banks out of the picture, George Campbell is one of several alternatives to the World Cup center-back corps who will try working into Mauricio Pochettino’s plans. A good start for the former Atlanta United academy product, who is a regular starter in his second season with West Brom in the Championship.
11 min Peru have really struggled to find a foothold since Justin Ellis became the 62nd player to score on his US debut, a stat pulled from the TNT broadcast. Peru failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, falling to Australia in the inter-confederation playoff, and has since plummeted to 46th in the Elo rankings entering this match.
8 min Immediately back in the lineup after his poor shift against Belgium, Matt Freese tries playing out from the back before ultimately chipping the ball out of bounds in the middle-third.
Nice to see Yunus Musah get a start, too, as the 23-year-old has been a firm fixture of Ruben Amorim’s early days at Milan. Meanwhile, Malik Tillman is finding plenty of room to dribble through the heart of the park against Peru.
4 min …and Reyna curls an inswinger toward the front of the assembled pack in the box, perfectly placing his service on the top of Justin Ellis’ head. The Orlando striker directs it to Gallese’s far post, and it falls to the correct side of the post from his perspective.
Ellis will hope it isn’t the best finish of his international career, but a mighty fine way for the 19-year-old to open his account. Ellis entered this camp saying he looks up to the 23-year-old Reyna, and they’ve now connected on this game’s opener.
Updated at 16.46 EDT
GOAL! USA 1-0 Peru (Justin Ellis 4′)
4 min Justin Ellis needed just four minutes of run-out for his first US goal!
Justin Ellis celebrates after scoring the United States’ opening goal against Peru at Inter&Co Stadium Photograph: Alex Menendez/USSF/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.55 EDT
3 min An early free kick for the United States, as Justin Ellis is taken down beyond the left edge of the box. Both teams trying to get a feel for the game so far.
Gio Reyna and Cavan Sullivan stand over it…
A sort of homecoming for Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. El Pulpo is making his 128th appearance for his country, and was the starting goalkeeper for one of this stadium’s primary tenants, Orlando City, from 2020 to 2025.
Easily the best goalkeeper in the MLS club’s history. He’ll be quite comfortable patrolling these eighteen-yard boxes.
ShareKICKOFF
They’re off and trotting at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando, with the United States in their navy jerseys and Peru in their traditional red-sash-on-white shirts.
Reader Scott didn’t miss the very American custom of listed kickoff times going unhonored…
Ah, yes, well, of course, the bait and switch: “Kickoff” at 4:30, except it’s not. Is this allowed anywhere else in the world?
Can’t say for certain whether this is customary around the world, but I suppose they’re conflating “kickoff times” with “broadcast timeslots” to some extent of disingenuity.
…and now the Star Spangled Banner, with the in-stadium emcee introducing “viral sensation” Julie Falcon.
My algorithms didn’t do their part to make me among the viewers, but one past rendition of hers gained over a million views on TikTok.
US display a tifo before the international friendly against Peru at Inter&Co Stadium. Photograph: Rich Storry/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.42 EDT
They’re on the field now for the national anthems, with Peru’s being played first…
Share
Pablo Iglesias Maurer
The stadium is only about half-full some 10 minutes before the opening whistle, with probably half of those fans belonging to Peru. Gotta say, the post-WC hangover is real.
What to make of Mauricio Pochettino’s roster selections?
Pablo Iglesias Maurer writes for the Guardian that it’s clear the manager’s long assessment of the country’s player pool isn’t quite done yet:
SharePablo Iglesias Maurer
Tyler Adams dons the armband today, a familiar sight for US fans as the Bournemouth midfield captained the team through the 2022 World Cup. It’s a surprise, then, that this is the first time Adams has been named captain for a match under Mauricio Pochettino.
Tim Ream – 23
Christian Pulisic – 2
Chris Richards – 2
Tyler Adams and four others – 1
Updated at 16.08 EDT
This week, US manager Mauricio Pochettino made his most substantive comments about the Folarin Balogun affair from the 2026 World Cup.
Read what he had to say:
ShareWho are these kids?
You have probably heard of 16-year-old Philadelphia Union phenom Cavan Sullivan. But there are 12 other highly rated potential debutants on the roster for this international window.
Here’s a detailed cheat sheet on all of them: What they do well, where they can improve, and how they could fit in to the US national team this cycle:
ShareHow to watch USMNT v Peru
The game will be broadcast on TNT in the United States, with pregame coverage beforehand.
Graham Ruthven has a more detailed guide to that and other streaming options here:
SharePablo Iglesias Maurer
A quick note on Cavan Sullivan’s debut; he becomes the fourth-youngest player to feature for the USMNT, behind Freddy Adu and a couple of unheralded teenagers, Mike Slivinski and Mark Jonas. The latter two were unknown high school players when they featured for the US in a 1991 friendly against Jamaica.
Sliviniski actually debuted in US head coach Bora Milutinovic’s XI in the US’ 1-0 victory that day and — despite Sullivan’s inclusion in today’s XI — remains the US’ youngest-ever starter.
“A buddy of mine sent me an article about [Cavan’s call-up], and it said he’d be the second-youngest player in US history,” says Slivinski, breaking into laughter. “What am I, a f*cking ghost? I don’t think it was a dream, I’m pretty sure I didn’t imagine the one game I played.”
Updated at 15.53 EDT
Who is Cavan Sullivan?
The 16-year-old has become the headline attraction of these series of friendlies, with his recent surge in MLS leading to his first senior national team call-up.
What makes him special, though? John Muller writes that it’s all about chaos:
ShareUSA lineup: Cavan Sullivan debuts from the start
Why wait any longer? Cavan Sullivan will become the fourth-youngest player in USMNT history when the opening whistle blows, with Mauricio Pochettino involving an additional attacking-minded player in his lineup compared to his base shape at the World Cup. Sullivan is one of three players who will earn their senior international debuts from the start (indicated below with an asterisk).
Left to right (4-2-3-1)
Matt Freese
Peyton Miller* – Auston Trusty – George Campbell – Alex Freeman
Yunus Musah – Tyler Adams
Cavan Sullivan* – Malik Tillman – Gio Reyna
Justin Ellis*
Cavan Sullivan warms up before the United States’ international friendly against Peru at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando on Saturday. Photograph: Rich Storry/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.18 EDT
This week, Mauricio Pochettino lamented not being “more involved” with the federation’s controversial and successful effort to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card ban during the World Cup. Perhaps he’s also wishing he’d been more involved in recruiting dual-national Noahkai Banks, as the promising 20-year-old center back has officially made his one-time switch to represent Germany.
I’ll hardly be surprised if Banks follows the career path of a similar US-eligible snub of yester-generation, Neven Subotić, who ultimately became a mainstay for Borussia Dortmund and earned 36 caps for Serbia.
SharePablo Iglesias Maurer
Mauricio Pochettino will field a squad involving 26 of his 28 available players today. Both sides agreed to 11 potential substitutions in this friendly (or “non-official match,” as Pochettino likes to say) and he is sure to use all of them.
One would assume that one of the missing 28 is a goalkeeper. The other may be Chris Richards, who was dealing with a lingering injury as of late last week.
SharePablo Iglesias Maurer
Pablo is our man at the ground today, and it sounds like he and the rest of the attendees will be swimming through the Floridian humidty…
An absolutely soupy 82 degrees here in Orlando for today’s match, something US head coach Mauricio Pochettino probably isn’t thrilled by; at his press conference yesterday, Pochettino took a moment to bemoan US Soccer for scheduling four matches during this international window – he’d have preferred three.
It almost makes one wonder why the US boss didn’t call in more than the 28 players he did, as Germany boss Jurgen Klopp did, essentially creating a split squad. Either way, it ain’t comfortable here.
SharePreamble
This would be the part of a schlocky action-romance film where the characters look at each other, gasping for breath amidst tons of rubble strewn about in an absolute state, and optimistically ask “…so now what?”
The United States men are back in action after their once-dreamy World Cup run ended in an absolute nightmare. 82 days have passed since Mauricio Pochettino’s side were humbled in Seattle by a more experienced (and more focused) Belgium, crashing out in the last-16 for the fifth time in seven World Cups.
Perhaps surprisingly, Pochettino is back in his post along the touchline for (at least the start of) another cycle, as no clubs of his standard were still without a coach come tournament’s end. His squad for this four-match window blends youthful upstarts with holdovers from the World Cup squad, while a few players (like Yunus Musah) are back in the mix. Hope springs eternal, first with Peru paying a visit to the City Beautiful (the words of Orlando’s marketing folks, not mine).
Soon, we’ll learn how many of the 13 uncapped players in this camp will debut for the US from the opening whistle. Until then, finish off those Saturday chores and stick around for plenty of walk-up coverage before the MBM kicks off in earnest.
A United States fan plays in the fan zone outside Inter&Co Stadium before Saturday’s international friendly against Peru in Orlando. Photograph: Alex Menendez/USSF/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 15.41 EDT
Hello, and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of USA v Peru from beautiful Orlando, Florida. Jeff will be along shortly to take you through the teams’ starting lineups as they’re released.
Updated at 15.15 EDT