Trapp, young USMNT get 1-1 draw with Peru

The United State’s Men’s National Team wrapped up the team’s October portion of its schedule on Tuesday night with a 1-1 draw against Peru in an international friendly from Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut. Columbus Crew SC midfielder Wil Trapp earned his ninth cap of his U.S. Men’s National Team career, captaining his country for the seventh time. Crew SC goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who played on Thursday against Colombia, did not feature after dealing with a tight hamstring.

Once again, interim head coach Dave Sarachan went with a young team against a Peru side that featured multiple starters who played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup over the summer. The youthful group held their own against the Peruvians, scoring the opening goal thanks to a set piece play but shifted off just once late to allow Peru to equalize.

The game started with the visitors on the front foot, controlling possession for long periods of time. The Peruvians high press caused a lot of issues for the young Americans who turned the ball over often coming out of the back in the first half.

In the 10th minute, Kellyn Acosta had a rare first half chance for USMNT. After a nice run by Timmothy Weah, the winger fed the central midfielder with an accurate square pass across the penalty box but Acosta put his shot wide.

The young combination of forward Josh Sargent, Jonathon Amon and Weah led to a good chance five minutes later. Near the touchline, Sargent used a nifty flick to spring Amon down the wing. As he rushed toward the penalty box, Amon tried to float a ball to Weah but his effort was late and long.

While Peru dominated the ball in the opening 45 minutes, there was not much in the way of dangerous chances allowed by the U.S. Nilson Loyola had a shot from deep in the 29th minute that went wide and goalkeeper Brad Guzan had to quickly come off his line to collect a cross from Luis Advincula nine minutes later but that was all Peru could muster.

Just four minutes into the second half, it was Sargent with the finish to give the USMNT a 1-0 lead. On a clearly designed free kick play, the forward made a looping run around the defenders that found him wide open at the penalty spot right as Acosta’s ball reached him. The one-touch shot took a deflection but found its way into the back of the net.

In the 75th minute, Andy Polo almost leveled the score. The winger, with plenty of time, fired a shot from the top of the penalty area that clanged off the crossbar and bounced out. It was the best chance of the half for Peru to that point.

With just four minutes remaining, U.S.A. conceded on a mistake. The Americans once again turned the ball over while attempting to dribble out of their own half. The ball quickly went wide and a cross from the far side found a wide open Edison Flores at the back post for the easy finish. It was second half substitute DeAndre Yedlin who failed to mark his man on the play and the U.S. had to settle for a tie.

While it was a quiet night for Trapp, the midfielder performed well in the center of the park for the Red, White and Blue. Trapp had some miss passes early but kept a young team composed through the match. He settled in more as the game went on, making some important tackles and connecting the backline to the attack as much as possible.

The next match on the schedule for the U.S. is set for Thursday, Nov. 15 against England at Wembley Stadium in London. The main question surrounding that match is if Sarachan will still be at the helm or if a full-time head coach will have been named and begun his tenure.