US men, Triangle enjoy banner night with 1-0 win over Paraguay
Posted March 28, 2018 6:43 a.m. EDT
Updated July 13, 2018 3:21 p.m. EDT
Cary, N.C. — It’s definitely not old hat for a U.S. national soccer team to visit the Triangle. Still, Tuesday’s match featuring the men’s national team, its first in this area since 2006, comes on the heels of the women’s national team’s friendlies against South Korea last October and Switzerland in August 2014. All were virtually sold-out affairs, including the capacity crowd of 9,895 that crammed into their overcoats, mittens and WakeMed Soccer Park points of ingress Tuesday to enjoy a 1-0 win over Paraguay.
“In my experience, we’ve been in a lot of venues where we didn't feel like the home team,” said USMNT manager Dave Sarachan. “Tonight, despite the fact that the stadium only holds just under 10,000, it felt like more. It was a great environment for our players. You play real hard when there are people behind you.”
A mix of experience and youth took the pitch for the USMNT at Sahlen’s Stadium. Both the U.S. and Paraguay failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup this summer, so with little on the line, both countries are looking towards the future.
The U.S. came out sporting an aggressive, fluid form in the first half, particularly playing out of the back through the midfield. However, the squad found difficulty making a final connection in the attacking third, particularly forward Bobby Wood, whose recent subpar form with Hamburg wasn't helped Tuesday by stationing him as the solitary striker atop the 4-1-4-1 formation.
The U.S. grabbed the lead just before halftime when Toronto FC’s Marky Delgado, earning his first international cap, delivered a delightful through ball ahead to a streaking Tyler Adams in the 43rd minute. Paraguay goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez tripped up Adams, earning a penalty and booking. Wood redeemed his uneventful opening half by calmly converting his kick from the spot to give the U.S. a 1-0 advantage that ultimately became the final scoreline.
Sarachan said in advance of Tuesday’s friendly that he hoped to use all six of his allotted substitutions in order to evaluate many of the youngsters called into this nine-day March camp. However, Sarachan ended up making only four subs during the match, two of them beyond the 85th minute. Nonetheless, three players earned their debut USMNT cap: Delgado, Tim Weah and Andrija Novakovich.
“You don’t just make changes for changes sake,” Sarachan explained. “We did want to make (more than) three or four subs, but the game sort of evolved in a way that we felt the players on the field needed to be rewarded for a great effort.”
As is usually the case with national team events, all the local signage at Sahlen’s Stadium was covered by USA-sanctioned sponsors and messaging, with the notable exception of a “North Carolina Football Club” banner hung across the face of the upper deck, in conspicuous line-of-sight for the broadcast television cameras.
Indeed, it was a banner night for the local soccer scene, against the backdrop of a report that the U.S. women’s national team may visit Cary again this October, this time for three World Cup qualifying matches. North Carolina FC owner Steve Malik, speaking with the assembled media at halftime Tuesday evening, would not comment on the rumors.
Nevertheless, the crowd in Cary Tuesday night enjoyed the first men’s national team game in the Triangle in twelve years, and the team enjoyed its first win since its victory over Panama last October.
“The crowd was unbelievable,” Adams said. “Anytime you get the chance to play in the U.S., it’s an honor to have the fans behind you. The energy tonight was unbelievable.”
BOX SCORE
LINEUPS
USA: Steffen, Yedlin, Miazga, Carter-Vickers, Villafaña, Trapp (c), Nagbe (Roldan, 90 + 1’), Delgado (Weah, 86’), Adams, Saief (Rubin, 67’), B. Wood (Novakovich, 77’)
PAR: Fernandez, Gomez, Balbuena, Valdez, Camacho (H. Perez, 55’), Rojas, Santander, Alonso, Riveros © (Ortiz, 66’), Romero (Dominguez, 81’), Almiron
GOALS
USA: Wood, 44’ (PK)
PAR: ---
CAUTIONS
USA: Yedlin, 62’; Carter-Vickers, 81’
PAR: Fernandez, 44’; Alonso, 53’; Rojas, 56’; Santander, 90’; Ortiz, 90 + 1’
ATTENDANCE: 9,895
