USMNT vs. Canada score: Justin Ellis caps USA soccer's perfect international window with winning goal

The Americans finished their window with four matches played and four wins

The U.S. men's national team closed out the international break with a 1-0 win against Canada on Tuesday, going a perfect four for four in their first post-World Cup matches, headlined by a group of rising stars who have impressed in their first exposures to international soccer.

Canada controlled the tempo from start to finish with a physicality that was designed to disrupt the U.S. team's momentum, ultimately limiting the hosts to just five shots over 90 minutes, equal to the lowest total of Pochettino's two-year tenure. It did not stop the USMNT from capitalizing on the best chance of the night, though, which came midway through the first half.

Malik Tillman picked out a pass for Alex Freeman to his right, Canada offering the wingback plenty of space to advance the play. He ultimately made his way into a more central position before sending the ball Justin Ellis' way, the forward then coming up with a straightforward finish in the 28th minute. It was the 19-year-old's second goal for the USMNT in his second start, though he did come off at halftime with a knock after Canada captain Stephen Eustaquio kicked him in the ankle.

In the spirit of the youth movement, Mauricio Pochettino also handed Cole Campbell his debut, the forward becoming the 13th and final player to earn his first cap during the window.

Call it What You Want: A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. Catch the show YouTube live every Tuesday and Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

This marks the first time the USMNT have won four games in a row since January 2025. They return to play on Nov. 14 for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti, the second leg of which takes place three days later at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium.

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[Oct 6, 2026 at 10:07 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

That's a wrap in Saint Paul, Minn., where the USMNT go four for four in their first international window with a batch of newcomers. It has not always been pretty and that was especially true against Canada, who disrupted play often and limited the U.S. team to few meaningful spells of possession and ensured they did not have too many chances to speak of. The hosts were clinical in the one easy moment, though, and reaped the rewards in the end. Mission accomplished.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:49 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

There's a reason the fall friendlies marked a good opportunity to introduce the USMNT's next generation to the cadence of the senior national team -- competitive games are coming thick and fast, each of them important before World Cup qualification begins in a year's time. Here's a look at what's next on the schedule.

• Nov. 14 and 17: Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti
• December: friendly, TBD
• March 2027: Concacaf Nations League semifinals and third-place match or final (only if they win November's quarterfinals)
• June and July 2027: Concacaf Gold Cup
• Sept. and Oct. 2027: World Cup qualification begins

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:55 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

85' Canada have maintained their positioning in and around the USMNT's penalty area all half long but for all their efforts, they only have three shots and 0.2 expected goals after the break. The U.S. team have only fared so much better with two shots and 0.21 xG along the way, which is exactly where Canada want them but the visitors have not matched that with attacking opportunities of note of their own.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:42 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

73' Three more substitutions for the U.S. team -- Neil Pierre, Antonee Robinson and Adri Mehmeti come on for George Campbell, Auston Trusty and Malik Tillman. Trusty is getting medical treatment on his face while sitting on the bench after getting decked by Jonathan David earlier.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:41 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

70' The USMNT haven't been in a rhythm of choice but they did sneak a meaningful opportunity out of their recent spell of possession, Julian Hall beating the offside flag and taking a nice strike but the ball hits the outside of the net rather than the inside.

Meanwhile, Malik Tillman picks up a yellow card in a game that has become defined by them.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:38 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

68' For the first time in a long time, the USMNT have a meaningful moment of possession and go for goal but as the ball rotates through a few U.S. players like Sergino Dest, Julian Hall and Sebastian Berhalter, Canada get back into shape and cut off all the passing lanes. The play fizzles out which is, again, to Canada's credit for sucking much of the oomph out of the attack-minded U.S. team. The visitors, though, are still looking for that equalizer...

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:33 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

63' Canada are back in the U.S. team's box and look thisclose to scoring and Brian Schwake gets a touch on the ball to keep it out of the goal. George Campbell also reads the play well as Canada go again and so all the visitors have to show for their efforts is a shot off the post.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:30 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

61' Mauricio Pochettino goes to the bench again, this time to bring on Tyler Adams and Cole Campbell for Brooklyn Raines and Mathis Albert. Campbell is the 13th and final player to make his debut this window, missing opportunities in the early stretch with a small injury but he's trained fully since Thursday and finally gets to see the field.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:27 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

58' Canada have a corner and the USMNT clear the ball away, but not before Jonathan David smacks himself into Auston Trusty in the box to pick up a yellow card. The physicality never ends! Minutes later, Trusty's still holding his head but he seems to be okay for the most part.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:24 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

54' The physicality has returned for the second half but this time, the USMNT are (understandably) a bit more prepared for it. The intensity of the game has picked up in a healthy way as a result -- Canada keep finding themselves in and around the U.S. penalty area to start the half but haven't created a meaningful chance yet, while Malik Tillman pounces on a loose ball at one point in the hopes of kicking off a quick play but is stopped near the halway line.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:16 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

The second half is underway, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino making three changes to the lineup -- Sergino Dest, Sebastian Berhalter and Julian Hall come in for Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna and Justin Ellis. Canada also go to the bench to bring on Mathieu Choiniere for Stephen Eustaquio.

Ellis and Eustaquio both picked up injuries in the first half, the severity of them yet to be determined, though the USMNT have introduced a pair of game-changers in Berhalter and Hall. Berhalter has two goals and two assists during this international break, while Hall has three goals and one assist.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 9:02 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

We have ourselves a theme for this international break, and it isn't just the USMNT's generational shift. The U.S. team has not always been perfect during this four-game swing, in large part because chemistry falls to the wayside when 12 new players enter the fold, but to the credit of the different groups that have been on the pitch over the last week and change, they have found ways to solve their problems. Canada have done what they can to disrupt the USMNT's momentum but the best chance of the game fell to U.S. forward Justin Ellis and he converted with ease.

A peek at the expected goals tally ultimately tells the tale of the game thus far -- despite the visitors' best efforts, the U.S. team have a goal that they've earned.

	USA	CAN
Possession	59.3%	40.7%
Shots	2	4
Shots on goal	1	2
Expected goals	1.08	0.07

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:55 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

45' The USMNT earn their first corner, which Gio Reyna takes with hopes for the best. Stephen Eustaquio clears the ball away for a second U.S. corner and eventually another. Eustaquio appears to be playing through pain after the challenge from Reyna, his shoulder clearly impacted from the incident.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:50 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

40' Gio Reyna commits a challenge on Stephen Eustaquio and is booked as a result, a decision that probably feels right because Reyna's attempt did rise to the level of some of the fouls Canada has been coming up with for much of the game.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:41 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

31' The goal hasn't changed Canada's strategy just yet, so much so that Tani Oluwaseyi is booked for stepping on Brooklyn Raines. The USMNT coaching staff is probably breathing a sigh of relief after asking for the referee to dole out a yellow card for much of the opening half hour.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:37 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

29' Canada may have dominated the game but the USMNT needed just one chance to score! Malik Tillman spots Alex Freeman making a run on the right and picks a well-placed pass to his teammate, who then darts down the flank looking for an option in front of goal. Justin Ellis keeps himself just onside and then pulls off a straightforward finish for his second international goal in his second start for the senior team.

Add Ellis to the list of newcomers making a case for himself during this international window, especially after the challenge from Stephen Eustaquio that left him limping earlier.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:36 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

26' Canada have not generated a ton of meaningful shots yet but they keep nicking the ball off of the USMNT and charging towards goal, one shot deflecting off George Campbell and another cleared out by Auston Trusty. The visitors know they've disrupted the USMNT's rhythm completely, to the point that the attack-minded U.S. team hasn't taken a single shot. They haven't quit the strategy of keeping the game chippy, either, even if Mauricio Pochettino and his staff have their arms up periodically in protest.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:32 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

22' Canada's chippy approach continues, this time with captain Stephen Eustaquio kicking Justin Ellis in the ankle. Ellis goes down, receives medical attention and is off to the side while Julian Hall and Damion Downs get up off the bench to warm up a bit. There's a little scuffle in the midst, Nathan Saliba and Malik Tillman in a little bit of a shoving match but the drama comes to a close quickly. Ellis seems ready to come back on, too, and resume regular programming.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:29 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

17' Canada go for goal again and this time challenge the U.S. defense more seriously this time, Jacob Shaffelburg playing a big part along the way. He takes a shot from distance that goalkeeper Brian Schwake handles with relative ease and then the visitors nick the ball of the USMNT and speed towards goal, Shaffelburg making a run down the left but the group can't convert despite a strong effort.

It's another imperfect start for the USMNT after being slow to react to Mexico's strong early performance three days ago, though the method by which is very different. Canada have done well to disrupt the USMNT's rhythm with a much more chippy approach, while Mexico came out with an intensity that troubled the U.S. defense and midfield at first.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:23 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

14' Canada inch closer to goal with a corner and then a freekick near goal, but neither set piece routine troubles the U.S. defense all that much, their two shots registering a combined 0.04 expected goals. The visitors continue to keep things chippy -- the foul count keeps going up and the USMNT coaching staff is starting to lodge some complaints with the fourth official but there's no yellow cards for Canada for the time being.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:19 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

9' It's early in this one but neither side has been able to really enter the opposition box just yet, essentially taking a couple of passes before conceding the ball to the other side only to win it back in short order. You're seeing flickers of a plan from each side and perhaps the player to keep an eye on at this very early juncture is Mathis Albert -- the 17-year-old is known for his dribbling ability on the wing and he's troubled Canada a little bit so far to start this one.

Some of this play might be by design for Canada, who have committed six fouls in the opening nine minutes. Worth remembering that their head coach Jesse Marsch said today's about winning, not exactly getting players experience.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 8:01 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

The final game of the international break is officially underway in Saint Paul, Minn.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 7:45 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

The 2030 World cup is technically as far away as it gets but as former USMNT captain Tim Ream said this time almost a year ago, the World Cup "always feels close. Even when it felt far away, it felt close." Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has embraced that spirit with this prolonged international break, using the four-game swing to introduce a healthy number of new players to the rigors and demands of the senior national team, especially as official competition comes thick and fast even with the World Cup still roughly four years away.

As Pochettino argued on Monday, this is as perfect an opportunity to conduct a generational shift, especially to ensure that the journey to 2030 is as smooth and seamless as possible. The U.S. team's newcomers have had the privilege of guidance from their more experienced counterparts every step of the way, to the point that Pochettino has showered priase on the first-timers and veterans alike at various points during the international break.

• Pochettino: "That is the way to keep going, to build that chemistry in between the senior players with the new players. I think that was the most important thing that happened in this window, to have three weeks to build this relationship. That is an important thing. That is a tactical situation that is important to build. Without this, it's difficult, after, to propose something on the pitch and to feel the complicity inside."

[Oct 6, 2026 at 7:30 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Even before the opening whistle blows for the USMNT's clash with Canada, it's easy to describe the first post-World Cup international break as a success. Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan headline a group of newcomers that have impressed across the board, that pair in particular finding ways to make an impact in their early natioanl team games -- Hall has three goals and an assist in his first three caps, while Sullivan joined Hall on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win over Mexico on Saturday.

Their output has been noteworth and for longtime supporters of the team, it's extremely exciting. Just don't call it a surprise -- U.S. captain Tyler Adams said his younger teammates are simply showing off the abilities that have been easy to spot at the club level and putting in the kinds of performances they have always been capable of.

• Adams: "Surpassed my expectations? No. I think we all saw their qualities in the games that they were playing in MLS. You could see. It's clear how quickly it's going to translate to the national team level; you don't know. I think the balance that we've been able to have in lineups, surrounding them with guys that have experience, they can go under the radar for some parts of the game. They don't have to put in crazy, crazy performances. We just want to get them in the good spots where they're comfortable to score goals, to go 1v1, to show your qualities that they have, and we were able to do that so there was just a really good balance, I think, everywhere on the field and that brought out the best in them, for sure."

I was on the ground at State Farm Stadium on Saturday to take in the yuong USMNT's first statement win, one that that demonstrated the team's ability to solve problems and go from surviving from thriving. You can read more about the game here.

[Oct 6, 2026 at 7:15 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch also has a healthy number of young players and World Cup participants in his lineup, headlined by new Atletico Madrid forward Jonathan David. Here's a look at their lineup.

Canada starting XI: Owen Goodman, Niko Sigur, Luc De Fougerolles, Ralph Priso, Richie Laryea, Liam Millar, Stephen Eustaquio, Nathan Saliba, Jacob Shaffelburg, Daniel Jebbison, Jonathan David

Substitutes: James Pantemis, Dayne St. Clair, Richard Chukwu, Jovan Ivanisevic, Jamie Knight-Lebel, Luca Petrasso, Samuel Piette, Justin Smith, Mathieu Choiniere, Tani Oluwaseyi, Jacen Russell-Rowe, Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan, Promise David

[Oct 6, 2026 at 7:02 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Mauricio Pochettino mixes youth and experience one last time during this international break, handing goalkeeper Brian Schwake and midfielder Mathis Albert their first USMNT starts in the process. He makes five changes from the team that beat Mexico 3-0 on Saturday, but keeps one surprise figure in -- Gio Reyna. The midfielder is now starting his seventh straight game, the first time he's done that in his whole career for club and/or country.

USMNT starting XI: Brian Scwake, Alex Freeman, George Campbell, Chris Richards, Auston Trusty, Gio Reyna, Brooklyn Raines, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman, Mathis Albert, Justin Ellis

Substitutes: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Chris Brady, Cole Campbell, Sergino Dest, Damion Downs, Zavier Gozo, Julian Hall, Diego Kochen, Adri Mehmeti, Peyton Miller, Neil Pierre, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Cavan Sullivan

Not dressed: Matt Freese, Frankie Westfield

[Oct 6, 2026 at 12:06 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Three games might not be much to go by but so far, it's hard to deny that the U.S. men's national team's future looks bright. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino's post-World Cup generational shift is off to an impressive start with three wins out of three and a chance to add a fourth victory to the record against Canada , but the priority on Tuesday is not actually winning.

Pochettino earmarked this four-game swing as an opportunity to introduce a slate of newcomers, 12 of whom have earned their first caps in the last week and change, to the demands of the senior national team. The task, he said, was to merely do their best since high-pressure situations will come down the stretch. The wins over Peru, Chile and Mexico this fall, though, showcase not only their natural talents but a problem-solving ability that allowed them to pick up victories and add an injection of optimism for a national team that already hopes it is ushering in its most talented generation ever.

The Canada game will be a continuation of the same themes Pochettino introduced when camp opened two weeks ago, Tuesday's clash offering another chance for the USMNT newcomers to show what they've got. A healthy number of experienced players will likely be there to assist along the way, even if Pochettino offers the fresh faces plenty of responsibility against their rivals to the north.

Stick around for pre-game coverage and live updates once the game begins.