USA vs. Iceland: Score and Twitter Reaction for 2016 Friendly

Steve Birnbaum’s 90th-minute header catapulted the U.S. Men’s National Team to its first win of the 2016 campaign, 3-2, over Iceland in Sunday’s international friendly at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

At the 11th hour, Birnbaum headed the go-ahead score from the center of the box that hit the upper-right corner of the net, just past the outstretched hand of the Iceland goalkeeper. Michael Bradley was credited with the assist. 

World Soccer Shop captured the thrilling go-ahead play that gave the U.S. its first win of 2016: 

"

FINAL! USA 3-2 Iceland! #USA gets 1st win of 2016!https://t.co/8YXQ9llumg
Celebrate with official #USMNT gear HERE: https://t.co/DaRkdkOGZm

— World Soccer Shop (@worldsoccershop) January 31, 2016"

Birnbaum was the team’s second-half catalyst, also contributing a timely assist to Michael Orozco and displaying impressive vertical ability in going up for the head pass over two Icelandic defenders. Orozco was perfectly positioned at the goal line on the play to tie the game at 2-2 in the 58th minute. 

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated noted how fluid the exchange was between the four involved:

The American Outlaws shared an extensive look at how the goal played out:

While the win came in nail-biting fashion with plenty of great moments, Birnbaum’s efforts overshadowed what was a sloppy defensive outing for most of the afternoon. 

Each of Iceland’s goals manifested from poor execution from the Americans and could’ve been prevented. 

Iceland’s first goal came when Kristinn Steindorsson scored on a deflected shot off Orozco that crept past goalkeeper Luis Robles in the 13th minute. The second occurred while the Americans were out of position when the whistle was blown to continue play while Bradley was still in discussion with the referee off a free-kick the the play prior.

Iceland’s Björn Sigurdarson quickly capitalized, nailing the bottom-right portion of the net from the left side of the box for quite a breakout for his international debut. 

The U.S. was understandably frustrated with how the exchange played out, but Liviu Bird of Sports Illustrated argued they should’ve immediately returned to focus once the whistle resumed play:

"

Nothing to complain about on that quick free kick. Have to have your head on a swivel and be switched on at all times. | USA 1-2 ISL | 51'

— Liviu Bird (@liviubird) January 31, 2016"

Here is a look at the score, courtesy of soccer writer Ben Jata:

Despite needing a last-minute goal for the win, the stat sheet showed that if the U.S. can clean up its defensive mistakes, it should be encouraged with Sunday’s outing as it prepares for a big year, which includes World Cup Qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Stat	USA	Iceland
Shots (on goal)	16(4)	6(3)
Fouls	8	8
Corner Kicks	8	2
Offsides	8	2
Time of Possession	62%	38%
Yellow Cards	1	1
Red Cards	1	1
Saves	2	2

As expected, given its strong camp in January, the U.S. got convincing performances from the usual suspects. 

Jozy Altidore got the Americans on the board in the 20th minute on a perfect pass from Bradley, his Toronto FC teammate, netting the game-tying score from near the penalty spot. 

The goal was Altidore’s 32nd in international competition, now only two behind Eric Wynalda for third place in U.S. soccer history.

Univision Deportes captured Altidore’s score in enthusiastic fashion:

Altidore, playing in his 90th cap, is among the most tenured leaders with the U.S. entering his 10th season. He arrived early in the team’s January camp in Carson to get a head start after two straight years of play that he described as underachieving, per USSoccer.com:

"

The World Cup year was tough for me, last year was tough for me. The one common denominator was injury, so the biggest thing for me is to stay healthy, stay fit, and if I can do that, I can be back to my best. That's what I want, and that's what I need if I want to help my teams.

"

The Americans advanced to 3-2-1 against their opponents from the chilly North—who have now lost five of their last six—in their first meeting since 1994. 

The early-season friendly was the first of a two-game set in Carson, as the Americans will continue play Friday and look to build upon their 35-year unbeaten streak against Canada. 

Yet U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann isn’t taking the border rivals lightly, per Sam Stejskal of MLSSoccer.com:

“As we know from our past meetings, Canada is a difficult opponent that is not easy to break down,” Klinsmann said. “It’s a good experience to play against them, particularly for some of our younger players.”

Klinsmann’s Carson contingent consists of 26 players for the two-game set, 22 of whom have been training there for the month in preparation. Nine members came from the U-23 team that is preparing for the playoff series this March against Colombia that will determine its status for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The senior squad members are also prepping for a pivotal match this March against Guatemala in the semifinal round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. 

They’re only one match into a long season, but Sunday proved there is much to be excited about and build upon heading into a big year.