Jeff Zelevansky/GETTY IMAGES - Juan Agudelo, left, and Oguchi Onyewu celebrate the tying goal against Lionel Messi and Argentina.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In the days leading up to the U.S. men’s soccer team’s first friendly of the year, Coach Bob Bradley admitted that the game against Argentina served as much for learning about new faces and reshaped systems as anything else.
Still, on a grand stage in front of a near-sellout crowd at New Meadowlands Stadium, Bradley remained clear that, long-term goals aside, the team still wanted a positive result against one of the world’s powerhouses.
On Saturday night the United States fulfilled both its short- and long-term desires, getting a second-half goal from one of its most promising young prospects, 18-year-old Juan Agudelo, to tie Argentina, 1-1, in front of a crowd of 78,936.
Agudelo, a second-half substitute making just his third appearance with the national team, continued to make a positive impression, scoring the second goal of his nascent international career give the Americans a deserved draw.
“At the end of the day, results are important,” U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan said. “For us, we’ve got a lot of meaningful games coming up so this was an opportunity to try things. And it’s an opportunity to put guys in a situation where it’s not easy and see how they react and certainly I think some of the new guys reacted very well today. That was a positive.”
Agudelo’s goal came in a markedly better second half after the United States switched to a 4-4-2 formation that paired Agudelo up top with Jozy Altidore. Whereas they had looked more defensive in the first 45 minutes, the Americans pushed up the wings with more fervor and created a number of dangerous moments.
The more aggressive U.S. team finally broke an Argentine side that looked uncomfortable defending.
Donovan served a free kick from the right side in the 59th minute that was headed by captain Carlos Bocanegra, forcing a save by Argentine goalkeeper Mariano Andujar. The rebound fell into the path of Agudelo, who did well to get position at the post, and the teenager smashed it into the net to even the score.
“As a forward you always have to look for any goal you can get,” Agudelo said. “I scored the goal but I feel like anybody can score that goal. But I thought I was in a good position and I was there for the rebound.”
Many in the stadium had come to see a star-laden Argentina roster and its brightest attraction, forward Lionel Messi, widely considered the best player in the world.
In a news conference the day before the game, Donovan agreed Messi deserved a respect not demanded by any other player. “There’s very few players in the world that can do what he does and maybe only one,” Donovan said.
Midfielders Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones stayed deep and defenders surrounded Messi when he touched the ball. Yet as he often does, Messi found space where there was seemingly none, using quick one-two passes and tiptoe touches to slide between defenders and create chances.
He was the catalyst of a number of dangerous moments and was finally rewarded when he got on the end of a chipped pass from Ezequiel Lavezzi on the left side of the box in the 42nd minute.
Messi brought the ball down the end line and passed through the legs of Bocanegra. Angel di Maria’s shot was stopped by a kick save from goalkeeper Tim Howard, but Esteban Cambiasso pounded the rebound into the net from six yards out to give Argentina a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
The Americans showed better in the second half, however, and Agudelo’s finish gave them a solid start to their new four-year cycle.
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