Pochettino’s post-World Cup reset ended with a clean sweep. Ellis, 19, met Alex Freeman’s shot in the 29th minute at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the only goal was enough to beat Canada 1-0 and complete a four-win international window, NBC Sports reported.
It was Ellis’s second goal of the camp after his debut strike against Peru. The forward, a former Orlando City teammate of Freeman, arrived at the back post as Malik Tillman and Freeman combined down the right. Pochettino made six changes from Saturday’s 3-0 win over Mexico and still kept a second straight clean sheet.
Speaking to TNT after the final whistle, Pochettino kept the focus on effort rather than result.
“Congratulate the players, because one more time, the commitment was there,” he said.
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Three teenagers, three first goals
The window will be remembered less for the scorelines than for who scored. Cavan Sullivan, the 17-year-old Philadelphia Union midfielder, became the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history at 17 years and five days when he chipped Raúl Rangel from distance in the 63rd minute of Saturday’s win over Mexico, MLS confirmed.
Sullivan’s record erased one set only four days earlier. On 29 September, Mathis Albert had become the youngest US scorer at 17 years and 131 days in a 4-2 win over Chile.
Julian Hall, 18, matched that teen production in a different way. The forward scored in each of his first three caps across the window. Tillman, one of the few World Cup veterans Pochettino retained, added two goals.
Canada’s physical reply at Allianz Field
Canada tried to break the rhythm with heavy contact. The visitors committed 10 fouls inside the first 25 minutes, and Ellis needed treatment after a collision early on but stayed on, according to Bleacher Report.
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Luc de Fougerolles came closest to an equaliser in the 63rd minute when his close-range effort struck the crossbar. US goalkeeper Brian Schwake, another newcomer, made three saves to preserve the clean sheet. Gio Reyna and Canada’s Tani Oluwaseyi were booked before halftime.
CONCACAF Nations League in November
Speaking a day before the Canada match, Pochettino framed the camp as a chemistry project rather than a selection exercise.
“That is in the way that we need to keep going, to build that chemistry between the senior players with the new players. I think that is one of the most important things that happened in this window, to have three weeks to build this relationship.”
The United States next plays the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final, with the first leg away on 14 November and the return at home on 17 November.
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