USA vs Canada

USA closed out a perfect international window with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Canada at Allianz Field in St. Paul, grinding past a physical, foul-happy opponent that committed nine fouls inside the first 18 minutes. The standout moment came from a teenager stepping up on the big stage yet again. Justin Ellis broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, finishing a flowing move after Malik Tillman picked out Alex Freeman racing down the right. Freeman drove at the box and squared it for Ellis, who stayed just onside before slotting home his second international goal. Ellis had briefly gone down with an apparent ankle knock earlier in the half but recovered to score minutes later, while Freeman's all-around display anchored a backline that held firm for a second straight clean sheet. The result capped a 4-0 international break for USA under Mauricio Pochettino, following wins over Peru, Chile, and Mexico, and offered more encouraging signs from a youth-driven squad heading into the new World Cup cycle. For Canada, it's a frustrating finish after dominating possession for long stretches of the second half without finding an equalizer.