USA 4-2 Chile: Pochettino’s Young Side Survives Chile Surge, Then Finishes the Job

USA beat Chile 4-2 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, but the comfortable-looking final score hides the real story. M. Pochettino’s team led, lost control, went behind, then found a stronger gear when the bench arrived. Friendly or not, that matters.

Both sides started in a 4-2-3-1. USA had Chris Brady in goal behind Frankie Westfield, Neil Pierre, Miles Robinson and captain Antonee Robinson. Brooklyn Raines and Sebastian Berhalter formed the double pivot, with Sergiño Dest, Giovanni Reyna and Adri Mehmeti behind Julian Hall.

Chile, under R. Gareca, also set up in a 4-2-3-1: Lawrence Vigouroux in goal, Felipe Faúndez, Jonathan Villagra, Iván Román and Diego Ulloa across the back, Felipe Loyola and Víctor Felipe Méndez in midfield, with Darío Osorio, Nils Reichmuth and Maximiliano Gutiérrez behind Ben Brereton Díaz.

The first yellow card came early, with Jonathan Villagra booked in the 12th minute. It set a tone for a Chile side that had to defend large spaces but still carried threat whenever Osorio and Gutiérrez found room between the lines.

USA struck first in the 37th minute. Sebastian Berhalter scored, assisted by Sergiño Dest. No embellishment needed. It was a clean, important moment from a midfielder who gave Pochettino exactly what this kind of friendly is designed to reveal: end product under pressure.

But Chile did not fold. Diego Ulloa equalised in the 45+1st minute, and the interval arrived with the match reset. Then came the jolt. Brian Schwake replaced Chris Brady in the 46th minute, and Chile went in front almost immediately after the restart, with Maximiliano Gutiérrez scoring in the 49th minute.

That was the test. USA answered two minutes later.

Julian Hall scored in the 51st minute, assisted by Giovanni Reyna. Hall had been restless all night, finishing with five shots, three on target, and his equaliser mattered because it stopped Chile from turning a good spell into control of the match. Reyna’s influence was just as clear: five key passes, one assist, and six duels won from eight. He was the connector, the player who made USA’s 4-2-3-1 look like more than a shape on paper.

Then Pochettino went to the bench, and the match tilted.

Alexander Freeman replaced Frankie Westfield in the 62nd minute. Tyler Adams came on for Adri Mehmeti in the 62nd minute. Chris Richards replaced Neil Pierre in the 63rd minute. Auston Trusty replaced Miles Robinson in the 63rd minute. Malik Tillman replaced Sergiño Dest in the 63rd minute.

Chile had already made a triple change in the 58th minute, with Leandro Hernández on for Nils Reichmuth, Francisco Salinas on for Felipe Faúndez and Paulo Díaz on for Jonathan Villagra. R. Gareca then added Rodrigo Echeverría, Marcelo Morales and Vicente Pizarro in the 70th minute, replacing Víctor Felipe Méndez, Diego Ulloa and Felipe Loyola.

For USA, Damion Downs came on for Giovanni Reyna in the 70th minute. Mathis Albert replaced Julian Hall in the 71st minute. One minute later, the decisive swing arrived: Chris Richards scored in the 72nd minute, assisted by Sebastian Berhalter.

That was the clearest proof of the night’s value for Pochettino. Richards entered in the 63rd minute, scored in the 72nd minute, won all three of his duels, completed 15 of 16 passes and still had time to receive a yellow card in the 90+8th minute. Busy, sharp, decisive.

Berhalter’s night was the strongest individual package: one goal, one assist, three key passes, four duels won from six, and three fouls drawn. He did not just score in the 37th minute. He stayed involved long enough to assist Richards in the 72nd minute, then made way for Cavan Sullivan in the 83rd minute.

Chile kept pushing. Ben Brereton Díaz was replaced by Gonzalo Tapia in the 84th minute, and Leandro Hernández was booked in the 90th minute. But USA still had one more move. Mathis Albert, on since the 71st minute, scored in the 90+3rd minute, assisted by Auston Trusty. Deal done.

Albert needed one shot. It was on target. It became a goal. That is the kind of cameo that changes internal discussions quickly.

Match Facts

• Final score: USA 4-2 Chile
• Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
• Competition: Friendlies, Friendly International
• Date: 2026-09-30

Goals

• 37th minute: Sebastian Berhalter, USA, assisted by Sergiño Dest
• 45+1st minute: Diego Ulloa, Chile
• 49th minute: Maximiliano Gutiérrez, Chile
• 51st minute: Julian Hall, USA, assisted by Giovanni Reyna
• 72nd minute: Chris Richards, USA, assisted by Sebastian Berhalter
• 90+3rd minute: Mathis Albert, USA, assisted by Auston Trusty

Cards

• 12th minute: Jonathan Villagra, Chile, yellow card
• 90th minute: Leandro Hernández, Chile, yellow card
• 90+8th minute: Chris Richards, USA, yellow card

Statistics

Why USA Won

USA won because their best attacking players produced at the right times, and because the substitutions strengthened rather than diluted the team.

Berhalter gave the midfield authority and direct value. Reyna supplied the craft before coming off. Hall gave USA a forward reference and an immediate response after Chile went 2-1 up. Richards then changed the emotional temperature of the match after coming on, while Trusty added the late assist for Albert.

Chile’s numbers show why the match was never comfortable. Thirteen corners, eight shots on goal and 17 total shots is not passive football. Osorio was a real outlet with five shots and three key passes. Gutiérrez scored in the 49th minute and had three shots. Ulloa scored in the 45+1st minute before leaving in the 70th minute.

But Chile were more stretched than USA in the decisive zones. USA had 13 shots inside the box, kept 58% possession, and completed 527 passes at 85%. The American structure gave Pochettino control, even if Chile repeatedly tested the back line.

For R. Gareca, the frustration is obvious: Chile led in the 49th minute and still conceded three after that. For Pochettino, the value is equally clear: his team took a punch, corrected the game, and got goals from starters and substitutes.

Elsewhere in the international window, Mexico drew 1-1 with Peru, while Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands also finished 1-1 in Suva. For USA, though, this was the more useful kind of friendly: messy enough to expose problems, productive enough to confirm solutions.