USA suffers 1-0 defeat in friendly against Slovenia as winless streak against European opposition stretches to six games

The United States national team lost 1-0 in a friendly match against Slovenia on Saturday afternoon.

Nejc Gradisar scored the only goal of the match in the 26 minute of his international debut after an American giveaway, and Slovenia extended the United States’ winless streak against European opponents to six consecutive games.

Both countries were missing some of their top players.

Twenty-four players made their international debut, including 13 Slovenians.

Seven of the eleven Americans who started the game made their debuts, tying the American record for most debutants starting since modern records began in 1990.

The US has now lost six games in a row against European opponents

All Americans came from Major League Soccer for a match that did not take place on a FIFA international date. Players from Europe will return when the U.S. faces Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals on March 21.

After a November loss to Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. has lost consecutive games under coach Gregg Berhalter for the first time since a pair of games against Mexico in 2019.

The 12th-ranked USA has lost four games in a row against European opponents and is winless against Europe since beating Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2021.

Slovenia scored after Danijel Sturm took the ball from winger Bernard Kamungo just in front of the halfway line, dribbled it and passed it to 21-year-old Gradisar, who sprinted in front of defender Sean Zawadzki. With the outside of his right foot, Gradisar pushed the ball past oncoming goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.

Sturm, Gradisar, Kamungo, Zawadzki and Schulte all made their debuts.

Slovenian goalkeeper Igor Vekic, also making his debut, used his right foot to block Kamungo’s open shot from close to the penalty spot in the 30th minute. Second-half substitute John Tolkin created a couple of good chances wide in the final 15 minutes.

The seven American starters making their debut matched the total from last January’s loss to Serbia. Schulte, Zawadzki and Kamungo were joined by midfielders Josh Atencio and Timmy Tillman, winger Diego Luna and forward Brian White.

America also started with a record seven of the eleven players making their international debuts

Jack McGlynn, Duncan McGuire and Esmir Bajraktarevic came on in the 61st minute and Aziel Jackson in the 89th. The eleven debuts were one short of the American high set of August 3, 1973 against Poland, and a tie on January 10, 1988 in Guatemala.

Seventy-one players made their debuts in Berhalter’s 67 games, the second-highest total under an American coach behind 89 debuts in 148 games with Bruce Arena.

Tillman became part of the 10th group of brothers to play for the USA; Malik Tillman made his debut in 2022 and made eight appearances.

Right-back Shaq Moore made his first appearance since the 2022 World Cup against Iran and centre-back Miles Robinson captained the US for the first time.

Eight starters made their debut for 54th-ranked Slovenia, which will play Denmark, Serbia and England in the group stages of the European Championship in June.