Young USMNT's loss to Serbia a useful exercise despite result

Early in the U.S. men's national team's Wednesday friendly against Serbia, it was the Jalen Neal vs. Dejan Joveljic show.

Four minutes in, Gaga Slonina pushed away Nemanja Stojić's near-post flick. The rebound fell to Joveljić, but Neal blocked the predatory striker’s attemp to on the goal line. 

Neal may have won the battle between LA Galaxy teammates, but Joveljić won the war as the Serbian National Team overcame Brandon Vazquez's early header with goals in the 43rd and 46th minutes to top the U.S. Men’s National Team 2-1 Wednesday night at a chilly BMO Stadium in downtown Los Angeles.

Neal, Cowell among the standouts

For his part, the 19-year-old Neal was excellent, completing 86 of 92 passes and 9 of 9 (!) long balls while making three clearances and three recoveries, blocking a shot and intercepting a pass. A cool, composed personality with the ball and a skilled distributor, the shifty center back formed a sturdy partnership with World Cup veteran Walter Zimmerman.

“It’s amazing, you know. What a story,” Zimmerman said of Neal earning his first senior national team cap before his first-team debut with the Galaxy. “To have your first full professional game being a cap. It’s a big moment for him. I thought the first half he was really solid, he had some good longer balls there in the second half, diagonals. He’s gonna grow from this opportunity.

“I thought, for a guy who hasn’t played 90 minutes of professional football at this level, it’s a big deal.”

Neal’s partnership with halftime sub Aaron Long was less successful. A miscommunication early on led to Veljko Simic strolling into the box and finishing past a stranded Slonina. But Neal recovered nicely and hardly put a foot wrong the rest of the match.

“Confident kid you know, he doesn’t seem fazed by being here”, interim manager Anthony Hudson said earlier in the week. “And then even watching training in the morning, like did some things this morning where he just shows a lot of confidence, a lot of calmness on the ball, things that you know, you would see from a more experienced player."

San Jose Earthquakes Homegrown winger Cade Cowell also stood out. The athletic attacker was a one-man wrecking crew, slicing apart the Serbian defense with his pace, aggression, and direct play. When Serbian manager Dragan Stojkovic mused his team may have been a bit lucky to win, the chances Cowell created were a major reason. At one point after halftime, the shaggy-haired teenager hit both posts in the span of a minute.

“Cade? Wow. Like what a performance," Hudson gushed. “I’ve seen him have some amazing moments, but tonight’s show was another level. Another stop forward for him. So it was a really special performance from him and I’m really proud of what he did tonight”.

Attacking midfielders Alan Soñora and Club America star Alejandro Zendejas had mixed performances but showed glimpses of their quality and what they could offer the national team.

“Technically he’s a really good player. He’s comfortable on the ball, comfortable receiving the ball in tight areas. He’s got good vision.” Hudson said of Soñora, whom he said also wasn't 100% fit at the moment.

In the aftermath of a thrilling men’s World Cup in Qatar, followed by the tragic, gossip-laced controversy of the Gregg Berhalter/Gio Reyna saga, you might conclude the annual January USMNT friendlies are losing relevance. 

But it’s actually the opposite. Thirty World Cup participants in all have kicked off their senior national team careers at "Camp Cupcake", including Tyler Adams, Brendan Aaronson, and even Landon Donovan. And eight of the starting XI earned their first caps last night, a list ranging from 18-year-old Chelsea goalkeeper Gaga Slonina to 24-year-old dual national Brandon Vazquez.