The heavily rotated U.S. men’s national team won 3-1 against Venezuela in the first of two international friendlies this month.
Saturday’s U.S. national team was made up almost entirely of Major League Soccer players because the game does not fall within the FIFA international competition period.
In the second half of the first half, Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored about two minutes apart, and in the 64th minute, Matko Miljevic scored after a penalty kick was blocked in the third minute.
McGlynn connected with a left-footed strike from about 30 yards in the 37th minute, and Agyemang blocked a shot by goalkeeper Wuilker FarÃñez shortly afterwards and the Americans went on a run. Miljevic scored on a counter to join Agyemang, bringing the total number of players who have scored in their U.S. debut to 61.
As a result, coach Mauricio Pochettino has won four out of five games since taking office last September, with the only loss coming in a friendly against Mexico in October.
The USMNT will be back in action Wednesday when they face Costa Rica.
Carl Kafka/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF
DaMarcus Beasley, Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, DeAndre Yedlin and Landon Donovan are among the players whose national team careers have been boosted through January camp.
The United States controlled much of the game and had a chance to take the lead after a foul on Daniel Pereira in the penalty area. Miami-born forward Miljevic didn’t have many on-field kicks to try to force Fariñez down the left flank.
Six American starting pitchers made their debuts in front of a crowd of 18,008. Left-back Max Arfsten, central defender George Campbell, wingers Brian Gutierrez and Carden Clark, and forwards Miljevic and Agyemang. Emeka Eneli and Indiana Vassilev made their debuts in the second half.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
