USA vs. Oman, 2023 Friendly - More excitement and more goals in a dominant USMNT victory

The USMNT continued their September friendlies taking on Oman at St. Paul, Minnesota’s Allianz Stadium in soccer appropriate weather. After. a lackluster 87 or so minutes against Uzbekistan, the Stars and Stripes would need to show that a few extra days together would allow for Gregg Berhalter’s system, and all of the thoughts they would need to have in order to implement it, to set in.

Some fancy new guys got in the starting XI as Kristopher Lund and Malik Tillman made their first career starts. Meanwhile, Ethan Horvath stepped in between the sticks as he got a look so that Matt Turner wouldn’t get frostbite again.

Meanwhile, Oman also put a lineup tweet out.

In the end, it would be a much better showing for the USA as compared to the weekend. The team looked like they had a clear idea of what to do other than cross the ball and kept Oman at bay defensively. In fact, the 4-0 scoreline may have flattered the visitors as the USA was a few missed chances away from running up a more impressive tally.

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The game got off to a bit of a worrying start as Oman pushed forward and tested the American defense early. It was a bit of false hope for the visitors as the USA gained the initiative and started working attacks in on goal. Their efforts would be rewarded as Folarin Balogun pounced on a shot that had been blocked by the Oman keeper to put the Americans up 1-0.

The work by Weston McKennie to win the ball upfield, hit a big switch to Tim Weah to set up a shot from Sergino Dest to tee the goal up was top notch from the home side.

Gregg Berhalter wore a beige-pink polka-dot hoodie for the occasion.

Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

That was followed by a fabulous Tim Weah slam dunk a few minutes later which didn’t count because this isn’t curling. The rest of the half didn’t see anymore goals, but it did feature fun and exciting soccer from the USA.

The second half would begin with Ricardo Pepi and Brenden Aaronson checking in for Christian Pulisic and Balogun. The USA continued to be on the front foot and near the hour mark earned a free kick a few Juicy Lucys away from the top of the 18. Aaronson stepped up snaked a low shot through the wall and put the USA up 2-0.

Around the 70th minute, the typical friendly parade of subs began. Mark McKenzie and Ben Cremaschi came in for Chris Richards and Tillman in the 70th minute. Not much later, Dest made way for DeJuan Jones.

Two of the subs would combine for a goal as Jones set up Pepi for a well placed shot that nutmegged his marker and went into the goal to make the game 3-0.

After the goal Weah came off for Kevin Peredes who immediately scored to make it 4-0.

The game would end after the Americans managed a few more solid chances but the score would remain at 4-0 when the final whistle blew.