Liberian-born striker Darlington Nagbe scored in the 90th minute on Wednesday to give the US a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in a warm-up match for the Copa America Centenario.
Nagbe, a 25-year-old midfielder for the reigning Major League Soccer champions the Portland Timbers, netted his first goal for the US squad in dramatic fashion after becoming a US citizen in September last year and making his US debut in November last year.
Bobby Wood, a 23-year-old forward of Japanese and African-American heritage, who signed with Bundesliga side Hamburg SV 10 days ago, crossed the ball in the dying seconds, racing onto a high header that failed to clear the penalty area, outleaping a defender and nodding the ball to unguarded Nagbe.
Photo: AP
Nagbe took the ball on his chest and fell to the turf while sweeping his right leg around and blasting the ball into the back of the net past Ecuador goalkeeper Esteban Dreer, who entered when starter Alexander Dominguez injured his left leg saving a free-kick in first-half stoppage-time.
Nagbe, a halftime substitute for Kyle Beckerman, was five months old when his mother fled their homeland due to a civil war. They joined his father, a soccer player in France, then moved to Greece and Switzerland before setting in the US.
The US face Bolivia tomorrow in their final warm-up match for the Copa America Centenario opener on Friday next week against Colombia in Santa Clara, California.
Ecuador begin their Copa run on Saturday next week against Brazil at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
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