The Guardian Australia

Julian Green’s goal sparks young USA to surprise 1-1 draw in France

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Julian Green, Zack Steffen and a young United States soccer team showed what might have been – and what could be in four and a half years.

Green scored in the 44th minute, Steffen made seven saves and the Americans held on against tremendous pressure to draw with World Cup-bound France 1-1 Saturday night at Lyon.

Kylian Mbappe tied the score in the 78th minute when he got to Benjamin Pavard’s cross for an open 9yard shot as defender Cameron Carter-Vickers slipped. France outshot the Americans 19-2.

“It was a petty surreal game,” said the 23-year-old Steffen, who in just in his third internatio­nal appearance made a sprawling save on Nabil Kekir’s long-range shot near the end of stoppage time, got up and reached back to push wide Ousmane Dembele’s attempt off the rebound.

Seventh-ranked France had been 3-0 against the US in prior meetings, outscoring the Americans 10-0. Steffen is among a half-dozen candidates in the competitio­n to succeed Tim Howard as the USA’s first-choice goalkeeper.

“There were a couple moments tonight that were spectacula­r,” US interim coach Dave Sarachan said. “I don’t think it would be fair to start rating all the goalies, but Zack certainly made a great case for himself.”

The US opened in a 5-3-2 formation and started just one player with 10 previous internatio­nal appearance­s and all were 25 or younger. At 22 years, 183 days, the lineup’s average age was the secondyoun­gest since records began in 1990.

France, among the World Cup favorites, came closest in the first half when Paul Pogba hit a post in the fifth minute. Les Bleus were booed and whistled at halftime by the crowd of 58,241. The 1998 champions open against Australia on 16 June, meet Peru five days later and close the first round versus Denmark on 26 June.

“It’s an intimidati­ng game and in an intimidati­ng environmen­t,” said 25-year-old American defender Tim Parker, who made his first start after debuting at Ireland last week.

The US hoped to be heading to a base camp in St. Petersburg, Russia, for its eighth straight World Cup but shockingly was eliminated with a loss at Trinidad and Tobago last October. Bruce Arena quit as coach and was replaced for now by Sarachan, his top assistant.

Sarachan has guided the team to a 2-1-3 record, giving 17 players debuts in his first five matches. Former US midfielder Earnie Stewart, hired this week as general manager of the US team starting 1 August, will lead the search for a new coach and had an introducto­ry meeting with players on Friday.

Green scored against Belgium in extra time in the second round of the 2014 World Cup but largely disappeare­d over the next few years. The 23-year-old midfielder, having failed to earn playing time at Bayern Munich and Stuttgart, spent last season with second-tier Greuther Fuerth in Germany, and he scored the goal that saved the club from relegation to the third division.

Making his first US start since October 2016, he got his fourth goal in 10 internatio­nal appearance­s.

Shaq Moore exchanged passes with Bobby Wood, and the 21-yearold Moore made a run down the right flank and crossed past Benjamin Mendy. Djibril Sidibe failed with a left-footed clearance attempt, and Green ran onto the bouncing ball, spun his right leg and from 9 yards sent the ball between Sidibe’s legs, beating goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to the near post with a one-hopper.

“The defender made a mistake and I just turned and shot,” Green said.

 ?? Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/ AFP/Getty Images ?? USA midfielder Julian Green, left, celebrates his first-half goal against France in Saturday’s friendly.
Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/ AFP/Getty Images USA midfielder Julian Green, left, celebrates his first-half goal against France in Saturday’s friendly.

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