Haji Wright has hand in Mauricio Pochettino's winning start to new era with USA
Coventry City’s Haji Wright helped former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Maurici Pochettino get off to a winning start in his first official game in charge of the USA men’s national team.
Yunus Musah’s 49th-minute goal and a late finish from Ricardo Pepi lifted the US to a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday night in front of 20,239 fans in Austin, Texas.
Musah, playing a wider role for the Americans in his first start under the new coach, got his first goal for his country with a late-arriving run into the box. Pepi then doubled the lead to secure the victory with an assist from Sky Blues star Wright in the final seconds of the match.
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Wright, who has scored three goals so far for City this season, started the international match on the bench but went on for AC Milna’s former Chelsea striker Christian Pulisic in the 67th minute.
Malik Tillman won Matt Turner’s long free kick and sent the ball toward the left corner of the penalty area and Haji Wright was in plenty of space. The Coventry forward then hit a smart, one-time cross into the box and Pepi did the rest, sending an eight-yard shot through Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera legs and over the line.
It wasn’t a perfect performance against Panama. The US made some sloppy mistakes playing out of the back at times, Panama forced goalkeeper Turner into two big saves in the second half and José Fajardo missed a clear chance in the final minutes to equalise.
But the US found a way to get the win against the team that shocked them in the group stage of the Copa America, a result that helped knock the Americans out of the summer tournament and led to a coaching change and Pochettino’s arrival.
Wright will now travel to Mexico for North America’s biggest rivalry, which will take centre stage on Tuesday (Oct 15) as the USMNT play a friendly on Mexican soil for the first time since 2012.