USA 4-2 Chile: Mathis Albert Becomes Youngest USMNT Goalscorer Ever
- 🔑 The United States men’s national team beat Chile 4-2 in an international friendly on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri, the second match of a four-game fall window under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, following a 4-1 win over Peru three days earlier.
- Sebastian Berhalter opened the scoring in the 37th minute with an assist from Sergiño Dest, but Chile leveled through Diego Ulloa in first-half stoppage time and then took a 2-1 lead early in the second half when Maximiliano Gutiérrez scored in the 49th minute.
- Julian Hall equalized in the 51st minute with a header from Gio Reyna’s cross, Chris Richards headed in Berhalter’s corner in the 72nd minute to put the U.S. ahead for good, and 17-year-old Mathis Albert capped the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time.
- At 17 years and 131 days old, Mathis Albert became the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history, surpassing the modern-era mark Christian Pulisic set in 2016; Julian Hall also scored in each of his first two senior caps, having debuted against Peru on September 26.
- A confrontation near the U.S. goal in second-half stoppage time led to yellow cards for USMNT defender Chris Richards and Chile’s Leandro Hernández, with an earlier yellow shown to Chile’s Jonathan Villagra in the 13th minute; no further cards or ejections followed. No betting odds or win probabilities are used anywhere in this article.
- Pochettino made 10 changes to his Peru starting lineup, fielding the youngest USMNT starting eleven of his tenure at an average age of roughly 23, as the team’s rebuild continues ahead of two more fall friendlies: Mexico on October 3 in Glendale, Arizona, and Canada on October 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The United States men’s national team beat Chile 4-2 in an international friendly on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri, with 17-year-old Mathis Albert’s stoppage-time goal making him the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history. The result was the second win of a four-game fall friendly window under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, coming three days after a 4-1 win over Peru in Orlando. Here’s how the match unfolded, who scored, and what happened in a tense finish.
What was the final score?
The United States beat Chile 4-2 in front of 21,680 fans at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri. The U.S. led 1-0 at the break before Chile equalized with the last kick of the first half, then Chile briefly went ahead early in the second half before the U.S. scored three unanswered goals to close out the win. The match was the second of four fall friendlies for Pochettino’s USMNT, following the 4-1 win over Peru on September 26.
How did each of the six goals happen?
Sebastian Berhalter opened the scoring in the 37th minute, finishing a low shot into the far corner after Julian Hall squared a Sergiño Dest cross into his path. Chile leveled at 1-1 in first-half stoppage time when Diego Ulloa converted from a scrambled corner kick. Three minutes into the second half, Maximiliano Gutiérrez struck from around 20 yards to put Chile ahead 2-1, but Hall answered two minutes later, heading in a Gio Reyna cross to make it 2-2. Chris Richards, on shortly before as a substitute, headed home a Berhalter corner in the 72nd minute for the eventual winner, and Mathis Albert added a fourth U.S. goal in the third minute of stoppage time, assisted by Auston Trusty.
| Min | Scorer | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 37' | Berhalter | USA |
| 45+1' | Ulloa | Chile |
| 49' | Gutiérrez | Chile |
| 51' | Hall | USA |
| 72' | Richards | USA |
| 90+3' | Albert | USA |
What makes Mathis Albert’s goal historic?
At 17 years and 131 days old, Mathis Albert became the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history when he scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. The Borussia Dortmund forward’s goal moved him past the previous modern-era mark, which Christian Pulisic had set in a 2016 friendly at 17 years and 253 days. Julian Hall, an 18-year-old New York Red Bulls forward, also scored in each of his first two senior appearances, having debuted in the win over Peru on September 26 before adding his second goal against Chile.
What happened in the late confrontation?
A confrontation broke out near the U.S. goal in second-half stoppage time after Chile’s Leandro Hernández appeared to swipe at the ball after U.S. goalkeeper Brian Schwake had already gathered it inside the box. Players from both benches came together as tempers flared, and referee Jorge Abraham Camacho Peregrina issued yellow cards to Richards and Hernández. Chile’s Jonathan Villagra had picked up an earlier yellow card in the 13th minute. No further cards or ejections followed, and no additional discipline had been reported as of publication.
What did Pochettino change from the Peru lineup?
Pochettino made 10 changes to the starting lineup that had beaten Peru three days earlier, with Gio Reyna the only player to start both matches. The resulting XI was the youngest of Pochettino’s tenure, with an average age of roughly 23, as the new head coach continued auditioning his broader player pool during the fall window. Six players made their first USMNT start against Chile.
What’s next for the USMNT?
Two more fall friendlies remain: the USMNT plays Mexico on October 3 in Glendale, Arizona, and Canada on October 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Both matches close out the four-game window that opened Pochettino’s new cycle in charge following the 2026 World Cup.
The bottom line
The Chile match added another data point to a fall window built around giving Pochettino a long look at younger USMNT talent, with a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old combining for three of the team’s four goals. For more on how this fall window began, see our recap of the USMNT’s 4-1 win over Peru three days earlier. We’ll have the Mexico and Canada recaps once those matches wrap up.