ST. PAUL, Minn. — American teenager Justin Ellis scored the only goal Tuesday as the U.S. men’s soccer team completed a successful international window with a 1-0 home win over Canada.
It was the fourth victory in four exhibition matches for the U.S., which used the window to get a longer look at several young players who could play a role in the program’s future. The U.S. starting lineup for Tuesday had an average of just 21 appearances for the national team, and the average age was 23 years, 156 days.
“They seemed pretty comfortable from the beginning because they all knew each other,” U.S. defender Chris Richards said of the 13 players who earned their first international appearances over the past four matches. “It’s been a lot of fun getting to know everyone, and not just on the field.”
Ellis, a 19-year-old forward who plays professionally for Orlando of Major League Soccer, put the U.S. on the board in the 29th minute. A give-and-go between Alex Freeman and Malik Tillman created space down the right side before Freeman threw a cross in front of the net that Ellis tapped in for his second goal in three national team appearances.
Just 10 minutes earlier, Ellis — who also scored the opening goal in a victory over Peru on Sept. 26 — was on the ground after a hard foul. He received treatment on the sideline but was still limping when he returned to the field shortly before he scored.