USMNT eases past Oman in friendly matchup as striker competition heats up
Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi both scored
The United States men's national team on Tuesday continued to round into form with a 4-0 win over Oman in a friendly matchup.
The convincing victory saw both of Gregg Berhalter's center-forwards grab goals either side of halftime — which won't make the head coach's choice any easier ahead of November's CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.
Folarin Balogun may have only committed to the USMNT in May, but he has been a nailed-on starter since completing the switch. He's made a habit of repaying the coach's faith in that time, starting and scoring in June's Nations League final win over Canada before knocking in a rebound after 12 minutes at Allianz Field on Tuesday night.
That's Balogun's second goal for the Stars and Stripes in only four appearances, as the 22-year-old New York native — and recent arrival at AS Monaco — continues to excite fans with his blend of speed, movement, and finishing instinct.
But Balogun's «rival» in attack had something to say later in the match. After entering as a halftime substitute, Ricardo Pepi extended the Americans' lead to 3-0 with a sharp right-footed finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Pepi, who moved to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven over the summer, took two touches and lasered the DeJuan Jones cross into the net, effectively wrapping up the result in Saint Paul.
The competition at center forward in the US national team has arguably never been hotter. Berhalter has two high-quality — and young — options to slot into the middle of his attacking trident, where he can flank the forward of his choice with star wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah.
While Balogun's life with the Yanks is off to an impressive start, Pepi has been on an even-better
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