USMNT player ratings: Ellis gets 9, Berhalter 10 in Peru rout — SkimNews
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- The USMNT beat Peru 4-1 in a friendly at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando, with goals from Justin Ellis (4th minute), Malik Tillman (penalty), Julian Hall, and Sebastian Berhalter (90th minute), after Gianluca Lapadula equalized for Peru in the first half.
- Mauricio Pochettino made his USMNT coaching debut fielding a starting XI averaging 23 years old and handing out 11 national team debuts, including 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan — the youngest USMNT cap since Freddy Adu in 2006.
- Sebastian Berhalter earned a perfect 10 rating after entering in the 62nd minute, assisting in the 72nd and scoring from distance in the 90th to cap the most efficient individual performance of the match.
- Justin Ellis scored the opening goal at his home club stadium on his debut, earning a 9 rating, while fellow substitute Julian Hall also posted a goal and an assist off the bench for a matching 9.
- Despite the rout, starting center-backs George Campbell and Auston Trusty each received 5/10 ratings; the source notes both were directly culpable for Peru's goal and the backline was periodically chaotic.
- Captain Tyler Adams completed more passes than any player in the match and anchored the midfield, while Giovanni Reyna assisted Ellis's opener in an 8-rated attacking display the source flagged as a World Cup cycle difference-maker if his club minutes increase.
- The USMNT next faces Chile on September 29 in their second friendly of the window.
Why it matters: Pochettino's youth-first reset delivered a comfortable result and a record 11 debuts in one match, but the 5/10 ratings handed to starting center-backs Campbell and Trusty — both directly at fault for Peru's goal — expose a defensive depth problem the new manager must solve before competitive fixtures, with Chile looming on September 29.
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