The United States men’s national soccer team defeated Peru 4-1 on September 26, 2026, in an international match at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Playing before a sellout crowd of 24,228 fans, head coach Mauricio Pochettino utilized a heavily revamped roster featuring multiple debutants and younger players following the team’s World Cup campaign.
Early Goals Set the Pace in Orlando
The United States opened the scoring quickly when Justin Ellis netted a goal in the 4th minute, assisted by Gio Reyna. Peru responded in the 15th minute when Gianluca Lapadula equalized for the visitors off an assist from Yoshimar Yotun. The 1-1 deadlock persisted through the remainder of the first half, despite cautions issued to the United States’ Cavan Sullivan in the 16th minute and Gio Reyna in the 43rd minute, alongside a yellow card given to Peru’s Wilder Cartagena in the 49th minute.
Second-Half Substitutions Spark U.S. Offense
Julian Hall extended the lead to 3-1 in the 72nd minute with an assist from Sebastian Berhalter. Berhalter then capped the scoring in the 90th minute with a goal assisted by Hall, securing the 4-1 victory.
Match Lineups and Statistics
Pochettino deployed a young starting lineup that featured debuts and heavy involvement from substitutes. Ellis, Cavan Sullivan, and Peyton Miller all earned starts, while Diego Kochen, Mathis Albert, Zavier Gozo, Julian Hall, Frankie Westfield, Brooklyn Raines, Neil Pierre, and Adri Mehmeti entered the match off the bench. The United States finished the night with 16 total shots and 6 shots on target, compared to 5 total shots and 2 shots on target for Peru under head coach Mano Menezes. Referee Steffon Dewar officiated the fixture.
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