ORLANDO, Fla. — A new World Cup cycle began with a glimpse at the future Saturday as the U.S. Men’s National Team rolled to a 4-1 victory over Peru at a sold-out Inter.co Stadium.
With Mauricio Pochettino beginning his new contract through the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the USMNT fielded one of its youngest groups in recent memory. Eleven players made their senior international debuts, including eight teenagers, while every American goal involved at least one debutant.
It took Justin Ellis less than four minutes to make his introduction.
After Ellis drew a foul, Gio Reyna delivered the ensuing free kick and the 19-year-old headed it toward the far post for a 1-0 advantage. The goal was the fastest scored by a USMNT debutant in the modern era.
Peru responded in the 15th minute when captain Yoshimar Yotún found Gianluca Lapadula, whose header brought the visitors level.
The Americans continued to create opportunities but entered halftime tied 1-1 despite holding an 8-3 advantage in shots. Pochettino began making extensive changes after the break, including the debut of goalkeeper Diego Kochen and a wave of substitutions shortly after the hour mark.
Those changes quickly paid off.
Mathis Albert was brought down inside the penalty area just two minutes into his debut, allowing Malik Tillman to convert from the spot in the 66th minute. The goal was Tillman’s third in three USMNT matches.
Six minutes later, another debutant joined the scoresheet. Sebastian Berhalter delivered a cross that 18-year-old Julian Hall finished for his first senior international goal, giving the United States a 3-1 advantage.
Berhalter then put an exclamation point on the victory in the 90th minute. Hall returned the favor with the assist before Berhalter unleashed a strike from approximately 25 yards to complete the 4-1 win.
The final numbers reflected a dominant American performance. The United States held 70 percent possession, outshot Peru 16-5 and completed 94 percent of its passes.
Beyond the result, Saturday provided an intriguing first look at several players who could become part of Pochettino’s plans over the next four years. Cavan Sullivan became the fourth-youngest player ever to debut for the USMNT at 16 years, 363 days, while Ellis and Hall both scored in their first senior appearances. Hall also became the first American since Matko Miljevic in January 2025 to record both a goal and an assist on his debut.
The USMNT now heads to St. Louis to face Chile on Sept. 29 before matches against Mexico on Oct. 3 and Canada on Oct. 6.
For a team beginning the long road toward 2030, the first night of the new cycle belonged overwhelmingly to the next generation.
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