Mathis Albert became the youngest player to score for the United States men’s national soccer team as the US defeated Chile 4-2 in a friendly match on Tuesday in St. Louis. At 17 years and four months old, Albert surpassed Christian Pulisic’s record by netting a late goal in stoppage time for the US.

The match featured a youthful US squad under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who fielded his youngest lineup since taking charge two years ago. The team’s average age was just over 23 years, with only Gio Reyna retained from the lineup that had beaten Peru 4-1 over the weekend. Antonee Robinson captained the side for the first time.

Julian Hall, an 18-year-old forward, also continued his strong start at the international level by scoring in back-to-back games. Hall was instrumental in the opening goal, setting up Sebastian Berhalter with a clever dummy before Berhalter fired the ball into the bottom-left corner. Hall later scored himself, becoming the youngest US player to score in his first two appearances.

Defender Chris Richards added a header to extend the lead, while Chile managed to score twice through Diego Ulloa and Maximiliano Gutierrez, who converted goals around the break to briefly give Chile the advantage. Chile’s England-born winger Ben Brereton Diaz came close to scoring with a shot that hit the crossbar, and Dario Osorio struck the post, but the US defense held firm overall.

Pochettino praised the young squad, highlighting their maturity despite their age. “They’re teenagers, but they are mature enough to compete,” he said, noting that calling up young players is a deliberate strategy based on confidence in their ability to perform.

The match also included an emotional pre-game ceremony to honor World Cup captain Tim Ream, who announced his retirement from international play. The victory over Chile added to a positive period for the US team as Pochettino continues to integrate new talent and build a competitive side for future competitions.