USA win their second straight Nations League title after beating Canada 2-0

When Crystal Palace centre-back Chris Richards hit a powerful header just 12 minutes into the game against Canada, he had done something no other player in the men’s national team had done: score their first goal for the USMNT in a final.

And then Folarin Balogun did the exact same thing just 22 minutes later.

Interim manager BJ Callaghan’s risk in constructing an offensive line-up paid off in the form of a 2-0 victory that saw the USA clinch its second CONCACAF Nations League title.

With Weston McKennie suspended for a red card from the sloppily refereed USA vs Mexico match, Callaghan decided to add Brenden Aaronson to his midfield line-up consisting of Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna.

Reyna proved to be a serious engine for the United States – playing as a man who wants to show his future (and former) boss exactly why he should have had more playing time in Qatar.

The first goal in the career of Folarin Balogun (20) in the US also came in the Nations League final

It was a fantastic night from Gio Reyna turning in a Man of the Match match in just one half

It was Reyna who headed in a perfectly placed corner for Richards – with the defender swinging the ball past the diving arms of Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan to send it into the back of the net.

Richards, the Alabama native who had spent time with Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim before moving to South London last summer, raced to the corner flag screaming his head off in cheers.

But Reyna also deserves serious credit for the second goal: slipping a sublimely timed through ball straight into Balogun’s path.

Flo Balogun, the product of Arsenal who only committed to the United States weeks ago, outsmarted SSV Jahn Regensburg centre-back Scott Kennedy by wrapping his right foot around the ball and past Borjan’s left shoulder to score the 2- to make 0.

But the tone changed in the second half when Reyna came off with a calf injury, according to the USMNT Twitter account.

Canada seemed more up front, but their formation seemed to betray what they really needed.

Reyna grabbed the assists on both goals – one from a corner and one from a through ball

Alphonso Davies (19) and Canada struggled to find gaps in the US backline

Manager John Herdman’s 5-3-2 kept quick options, such as Alastair Johnston at center back on the right, while Richie Laryea and Ismael Kone tried to get the balls to Jonathan David.

In the end, things shifted to a 4-4-2, but even then their efforts to get the ball into dangerous areas seemed like a blunt dagger.

It wasn’t until the 60th minute that Herdman brought in his first substitutes: Steven Vitoria for Kennedy, Sam Adekugbe for Jonathan Osorio and Tajon Buchanan for Johnston.

Why it took Buchanan, one of Canada’s most dynamic World Cup offensive options, so long to see the pitch is rather baffling – especially when you consider that he would join ex-Club Brugge teammate Cyle Larin on the left.

It left much of Canada’s offense to the footwork and speed of Alphonso Davies as well as Buchanan, Laryea and Kone to take to the field.

But often their attacks were inefficient and the box didn’t always have friendly bodies to return shots for Les Rouges.

The effort for that deserves to go to the US backline – especially for a sublime performance from Fulham fullback Antonee ‘Jedi’ Robinson.

Antonee ‘Jedi’ Robinson (5) and the rest of the USA managed to keep a clean sheet

It is the first championship win for interim USMNT manager BJ Callaghan, who will lead a different roster into upcoming Gold Cup games starting next week

Canada’s most dangerous try came in the fourth minute of stoppage time – where Davies’ pass found the feet of Kamal Miller, who played it back to David who threw it across for Buchanan but failed to make contact.

Soon after, the referee blew the final whistle – a shocking 20 seconds before the fully allotted five minutes.

But Canada would not have been able to find the difference – as their chance to win a major continental trophy for the first time since the 2000 Gold Cup was gone.

It was a night for the Callaghan men to become champions again – and with a change in management on the horizon, the next time we see this ‘A’ team won’t be until the fall.