USMNT starts 2023 with a Brandon Vázquez goal, but a 2-1 loss to Serbia

The U.S. men’s soccer team started the year with a 2-1 loss to Serbia in Los Angeles, in a game that was entertaining despite the result.

After weeks of enduring the Reyna/Berhalter scandal, the opportunity to watch a new and young squad was welcome fresh air. It started with goalkeeper Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina, who at 18 years and 255 days became the youngest netminder to play for the senior team. Tony Meola, who made his senior debut on June 10, 1988, held the record until now.

In front of Slonina stood two 19-year-olds, centerback Jalen Neal and left back Jonathan Gómez. They were joined by 29-year-olds, World Cup leader Walker Zimmerman at centerback and new U.S. citizen Julian Gressel at right back.

The oldest member of the central midfield trio was 24-year-old Alan Soñora, who has excelled in Argentina’s league and hopes for a move to MLS. With him were 21-year-old Aidan Morris, another senior U.S. debutant, and 23-year-old Paxton Pomykal.

Two more 24-year-olds, striker Brandon Vázquez and right winger Alejandro Zendejas, were the night’s biggest attractions. Cade Cowell, already in his fourth year as a pro at age 19, rounded things out on the left.

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How did they do? Neal showed his stuff in the fourth minute with a composed block on the goal line. In the 18th, Cowell and his flying mop of hair raced upfield but misfired. In the 24th, Morris made a big run and thumped a 20-yarder that forced a leaping save from Djorde Petrović — familiar to the U.S. squad as the New England Revolution’s starter.

In the 29th, the good play was rewarded. Gressel was unmarked on the right flank, put a cross on a dime to Vázquez, and he leaped high to flick a terrific header to the far post.

Slonina had some big saves after that, including a double-save with a fingertip punch while seated. But he was beaten in the 43rd by Luka Ilić, who sizzled a free kick between Zimmerman and Gressel as they botched their jump to block it.

Interim U.S. manager Anthony Hudson made just one substitution at halftime, Aaron Long for Zimmerman. Long promptly watched Serbia go up 2-1, with a steal and Veljko Simić shot just 45 seconds after kickoff. Neal made one of his only errors of the night to give it up, and Long hustled across the field but was too late.

That woke the home team up. Cowell hit posts twice in the 56th, and shot wide in the 59th.

Hudson sent in midfield tempo-setter Eryk Williamson for Soñora in the 57th, and three subs came in the 59th: DeJuan Jones for Gressel at right back, Kellyn Acosta for Pomykal in midfield, and Matthew Hoppe for Vázquez up top. It meant less creativity in the center, but the U.S. needed some steel there, and there were opportunities to attack on the flanks.

Paul Arriola entered for Cowell in the 72nd. That was the last move Hudson could make, which meant Medford-born Union alum Paxten Aaronson wouldn’t play. That might have caused some viewers in Philadelphia to tune out, but it wasn’t the end of the action. Zendejas stayed dangerous, Williamson shot just over in the 78th, and Arriola forced a close-range save in the 79th.

Zendejas yelled for a penalty kick in the 86th when a Serbian defender shoved him, but referee Daneon Parchment couldn’t see it and there was no VAR.

If Cowell was the liveliest U.S. attacker on the night, Zendejas — a Mexican-American wanted by both national teams — certainly gave fans what they came for. This was his only game of the U.S. camp, as Mexico’s Club América is in the middle of its season.

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