The United States defeated Canada 2-0 in the Concacaf Nations League final at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with Folarin Balogun scoring his first goal for the team. The U.S. team’s first-half goals from Chris Richards and Balogun set them on their way to a record third-consecutive title in Concacaf competitions, following wins in the 2021 Nations League and Gold Cup.
The team was without Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie, who were both out for the match after picking up red cards in the semifinal win against Mexico. Interim coach B.J. Callaghan, overseeing the team following Gregg Berhalter’s rehiring on Friday, started Joe Scally and Brenden Aaronson in place of the two suspended players.
Richards kept the momentum going for the U.S. with an early goal, powering a header from Giovanni Reyna’s corner kick past Milan Borjan in the Canada goal in the 12th minute. The U.S. doubled its lead later in the first half with a classy finish from Balogun, who picked up a through ball from Reyna after a giveaway from Canada and fired past Borjan from a tight angle to notch his first goal for the Americans since committing his international future to the team.
The Brooklyn-born Balogun, 21, scored 22 goals in 39 games in all competitions for French League 1 club Reims last season, the most ever for an American in a top-five European league.
Canada’s struggles in the boxes
Canada looked dangerous at times in the second half, but a resolute U.S. defense and more solid play in goal from Matt Turner kept John Herdman’s team off the scoresheet as the U.S. was able to win the trophy for the second time.
The result means the U.S. extended its home unbeaten streak against Canada to 22 games dating back to 1957, while Canada remained without a title since the 2000 Gold Cup.
“We’re just not in that killer area of the pitch,” Canada coach Herdman said. “We’ve talked about this post-World Cup. It’s in the boxes where Canada’s suffering. You don’t get time to work with the players. There’s no time. But we need this September window.”
“We need the resources where we can actually put a camp together, where I can work for six days on the things that make the biggest difference moving forward.”
In the consolation match earlier Sunday, Mexico held on to beat Panama 1-0 to take third place in the four-team final.
Balogun’s impressive performance in the final is expected to boost his international profile and make him a key player for the United States in future competitions. The team’s win in the Concacaf Nations League final is a significant achievement and marks a continuation of their success in the region. The victory is also a testament to the team’s resilience and ability to perform under pressure, as they were without two key players and had an interim coach leading them to victory. Canada’s struggles in the boxes highlight the importance of quality training and preparation in the lead-up to major competitions. Overall, this victory is a positive step forward for the United States as they continue to build a strong and competitive team for the future.
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