Eight teenagers earned first caps as the U.S. beat Peru 4-1 in its first match since the World Cup. Debutants Justin Ellis and Julian Hall scored; 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan started and played 62 minutes as Mauricio Pochettino began his four-year build toward 2030.
Malik Tillman converted a penalty to put the U.S. ahead 2-1, while Sebastian Berhalter assisted on Hall's goal and later scored from distance. Pochettino praised senior players for welcoming and guiding the newcomers. The match was a friendly, with substitutions and no competitive stakes.
The U.S. next faces Chile on Tuesday in St. Louis, Mexico next Saturday in greater Phoenix and Canada on Oct. 6 in St. Paul. Pochettino will use the window to assess roster options; absent veterans Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie will probably return to the mix for November's CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals.
