Jordan Morris' Late Goal Gives USA Draw in Friendly vs. Uruguay

The United States men's national soccer team partially salvaged its international break with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay.

Four days after a brutal 3-0 loss to Mexico, the Americans bounced back in Tuesday's friendly with a better showing at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Jordan Morris scored for the United States after a strong performance all game, evening the score in the 79th minute after a Brian Rodriguez goal initially gave Uruguay the lead.

Although it was mostly an ugly match, the result is encouraging against a quality opponent with a relatively inexperienced lineup.

Uruguay appeared to be in full control of the second half after a quiet first, utilizing the counterattack to perfection for the game's first goal.

Rodriguez found open space on the left side and then came through with an excellent finish to beat Brad Guzan in net:

The South American squad seemed ready to cruise to a 1-0 victory as the hosts looked listless for much of the second half. However, things finally changed in the 79th minute when a fortunate bounce led to a goal for Morris:

There was a little more energy after that, but the game ended with the score tied at one.

The Americans were easily the more aggressive team in the first half with 59 percent of possession and the only two shots on goal, even though there were no goals for either team.

They had several good chances in the opening 45 minutes despite failing to get it into the back of the net:

Uruguay also got away with a handball just before the end of the half that should have resulted in a penalty shot.

Despite the positives, Taylor Twellman of ESPN put the match in perspective:

The contest also featured several notable young players hoping to become key parts of the future for USMNT, although few of them turned heads.

Sergino Dest started for the second straight match but showed his youth defensively and failed to make much of an impact further up the field. Josh Sargent played 75 minutes but only got one shot as he seemed to sit further back on the field than you want from a striker.

Paxton Pomykal made his national team debut in the 85th minute and showed flashes of great play but didn't play enough to make a real difference in the match.

The equalizing goal helps the U.S. leave with some momentum, although there is still a lot of room for development following the latest friendly.

What's Next?

The United States will get back to competitive matches in October with the CONCACAF Nations League.