September 13, (THEWILL) – The United States men’s national football team secured a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Oman in an international friendly match played in St. Paul, Minnesota, early on Wednesday.
The first goal came in the 13th minute, when striker, Folarin Balogun, pounced on a loose ball in the box after teammate Sergino Dest’s fierce strike was parried out by Oman’s goalkeeper, Ibrahim Al Mukhaini. Balogun, who recently switched his national allegiance from England to the USA, notched his second goal for his new country after also scoring against Canada last month.
The second goal of the game arrived on the hour mark, courtesy of a free-kick drilled into the net by Brenden Aaronson after the Omani wall failed to block the effort. Aaronson, who plays club football in Germany, almost added a second soon after, but saw his solo run and shot well saved.
Nonetheless, the USA extended their lead when Ricardo Pepi capitalised on a low cross from DeJuan Jones to spin and fire home. Pepi was scoring for the second match in a row. The goals were rounded off late on when defender, Khalid Al-Braiki, turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Kevin Parades, who had been set up by debutant, Benjamin Cremaschi.
Up next for the USMNT are World Cup warm-up games against Germany and Ghana in October. For Oman, a November World Cup qualifier against Kyrgyzstan awaits.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
