Ellis finishes the chance that lifts the USMNT past Canada
ST. PAUL, MN — The U.S. men’s national team closed its October window with a 1-0 win over Canada, extending its winning streak to four matches and adding a second straight shutout under Mauricio Pochettino.
Justin Ellis scored the only goal in the 29th minute, finishing a right-side move created by Alex Freeman and Malik Tillman. The result gave the U.S. a perfect record at Allianz Field and capped a rugged, physical matchup between two Concacaf rivals.
Pochettino leans on rotation again
Pochettino made six changes from Saturday’s match against Mexico and kept spreading minutes across a deep roster. Chris Richards wore the armband for the fourth time in his USMNT career, while Brian Schwake of Nashville SC made his first international start in goal.
The lineup shuffle also reflected the pace of the four-match camp, which brought 12 goals, two clean sheets and 13 debutants across September and October. By the final whistle, all 28 players on the roster had appeared at least once during the window.
Canada tests the back line before Ellis breaks through
The opening stretch was chippy, with Canada piling up fouls while the U.S. tried to keep the ball and work patiently into the attack. The visitors created the first real chances, but the U.S. defense handled the early pressure well.
George Campbell produced one of the key moments of the half in the 24th minute, blocking a close-range chance inside the six-yard box. Five minutes later, Freeman burst into space on the right, combined with Tillman, and slipped the ball across goal for Ellis to score from close range.
A first cap in goal and another clean sheet
Canada pushed for an equalizer after the break, but Schwake delivered a composed debut. His biggest stop came in the 61st minute, when he stretched to push a direct free kick onto the crossbar.
The keeper finished with three saves, and the U.S. saw out the final minutes with organized defending. It was the second straight clean sheet for the center-back pairing of Richards and Auston Trusty, giving Pochettino another encouraging look at the back.
Ellis keeps building momentum with the national team
Ellis now has two USMNT goals, adding to the buzz around the Orlando City SC forward after his breakout moments this fall. Freeman’s assist was his third goal contribution of the year and continued his run of consecutive appearances for the national team.
Yunus Musah also reached a milestone, earning his 50th international cap. Cole Campbell came off the bench for his debut, and with that appearance the full 28-man roster had been used during the camp.
What the win means for November and beyond
The victory ended a two-match skid against Canada and kept the U.S. unbeaten in Minnesota. More importantly, it gave Pochettino’s group momentum heading into the next FIFA window.
The Americans return in November for a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti, with the home leg set for Nov. 14 and the return leg scheduled for Nov. 17 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
A strong finish to the fall window
The U.S. left St. Paul with four wins from four matches in the window, plus a balanced mix of veteran leadership and emerging talent. Against Canada, the performance was not flashy, but it was disciplined and efficient.
For Pochettino, that combination may be the biggest takeaway: a rotation-heavy squad still found a result, protected a lead and kept the camp’s momentum rolling into the next round of competitive games.
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