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USMNT Draws Wales in Long-Awaited Return to Action

Six U.S. players made their debuts, and the Americans delivered some promising moments in a scoreless tie.

Avi Creditor

It had been 285 days since the U.S. men's national team last played a game, but that wait came to an end in Thursday's friendly vs. Wales. 

The two nations dueled to a 0-0 draw at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, which marked the first USMNT game since a Feb. 1 friendly against Costa Rica (won by the U.S., 1-0, on a Ulysses Llanez penalty kick).

This U.S. group is full of young, Europe-based talent, with 10 uncapped players joining the mix, and six earned their first caps on the day. Arguably the most intriguing of the uncapped bunch is Gio Reyna, the Borussia Dortmund rising star who turns 18 on Friday. Another is 17-year-old Valencia winger Yunus Musah, who maintains eligibility for England, Italy and Ghana and isn't cap-tied with his appearance vs. the Dragons. Both earned the start, along with the previously uncapped Barcelona's Konrad de la Fuente. Nicholas Gioacchini, Owen Otasowie and Johnny Cardoso came off the bench to earn their first caps as well. 

One U.S. attraction who didn't play is Christian Pulisic, who was carrying a hamstring injury into camp and returned to Chelsea Wednesday night after spending a few days with Gregg Berhalter's squad.

Berhalter's counterpart, Ryan Giggs, is not managing Wales during this window, after he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend. Assistant coach Robert Page manned the sideline in his place, overseeing a squad that did not include Tottenham's Gareth Bale and had Bale's club teammates, Ben Davies and Joe Rodon, and Man United's Daniel James beginning on the bench.

The U.S. began on the front foot, looking to take control of possession early and bring the game to its opponents. With Sebastian Lletget operating as a false nine, there's no true, recognized forward, with the U.S. relying on its movement and passing to try to unsettle the Wales defense.

Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward nearly gifted the U.S. a chance in the 12th minute, when a clearance attempt pinged off Lletget's head and fell to De la Fuente inside the Wales box. The Barcelona winger was offside, though, nullifying the opportunity.

The U.S. had another promising move forward in the 17th minute fall flat. Weston McKennie sparked it, spinning and dribbling out of traffic on the left sideline before playing the ball wide to Sergiño Dest on the right side of the box. His cross found a congested group, though, with Lletget unable to settle and Wales able to clear.

Wales's first dangerous moment came in the 19th minute. Antonee Robinson was caught a bit upfield, and the ball was played in behind to the speedy Rabbi Matondo. Robinson recovered to impede his run, and the ball was played out for a corner.

The first save of the game came in the 32nd minute, when Tom Lawrence was gifted the time and space to fire from long range. Zack Steffen read it the whole way, though, making the clean save.

De la Fuente had another chance fall to him inside the Wales box, and this time he was onside. With his back to goal, he settled a poor back pass off his chest, turned and fired from close range, only to put the opportunity over the bar in the 33rd minute.

The U.S. had a promising sequence in the 49th minute, fresh off the halftime break. Matt Miazga sparked it from the back, passing through the lines to find McKennie. The Juventus midfielder sprayed it wide for Dest, who sent in a teasing cross, only for Wales to put it out for a corner.

Lletget forced a save out of Ward in the 52nd minute, with a ball lost by Reyna falling to the LA Galaxy attacker at the top of the box, where he curled a chance on target.

Wales forced Steffen into another save 10 minutes later. James, just into the game, latched onto a ball while free on the right, but the U.S. goalkeeper got low and turned his chance away.

Llanez and Johnny came on as the USA's first subs, replacing Tyler Adams and De la Fuente in the 71st minute, and Llanez almost immediately scored. He took the ball off a Wales defender in the attacking U.S. third, turned and fired from long range, forcing Ward into a diving save by his near post.

Tim Weah, Gioacchini, Reggie Cannon and Otasowie were also used off the bench by Berhalter as the match, as most friendlies do, devolved into a series of subs.

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Here were the lineups for the match:

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Here were the full rosters for both teams:

USA

GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City), Zack Steffen (Manchester City) 

DEFENDERS: John Brooks (Wolfsburg), Reggie Cannon (Boavista), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht), Tim Ream (Fulham), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich), Antonee Robinson (Fulham) 

MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Richie Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton) 

FORWARDS: Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen), Ulysses Llanez (Heerenveen), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Soto (Telstar), Tim Weah (Lille)

WALES

GOALKEEPERS: Tom King (Newport County), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Owain Fôn Williams (Dunfermline) 

DEFENDERS: Ethan Ampadu (Sheffield United), Ben Davies (Tottenham), Chris Gunter (Charlton Athletic), James Lawrence (St. Pauli), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Rhys Norrington-Davies (Luton Town), Connor Roberts (Swansea City), Joe Rodon (Tottenham), Neco Williams (Liverpool) 

MIDFIELDERS: David Brooks (Bournemouth), Daniel James (Manchester United), Brennan Johnson (Lincoln City), Dylan Levitt (Charlton Athletic), Joe Morrell (Luton Town), John Sheehan (Newport County), Matthew Smith (Doncaster Rovers), Jonny Williams (Charlton Athletic), Harry Wilson (Cardiff City) 

FORWARDS: Gareth Bale (Tottenham), Tom Lawrence (Derby County), Rabbi Matondo (Schalke), Kieffer Moore (Cardiff City), Tyler Roberts (Leeds United)

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Avi Creditor
AVI CREDITOR

Avi Creditor is a senior editor and has covered soccer for more than a decade. He’s also a scrappy left back. 

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