Peru Upsets U.S. by a Head

SAN DIEGO — Against a backdrop of bulldozers, cranes and temporary fences, a makeshift United States lineup opened U.S. Cup ’97 Friday night in the same condition as Jack Murphy Stadium--rough-hewn, unsightly, a work in progress hoping for better days.

Steve Sampson’s experimental 11, featuring national-team debutant Steve Ralston and two other starters with fewer than five international appearances, surrendered an eighth-minute goal and then squandered second-half opportunities as Peru held on for a 1-0 victory before 35,232.

In Friday night’s second game, Mexico defeated Denmark, 3-1.

With seven U.S. regulars out of the lineup for a variety of reasons--injury, rest, club team commitment--Sampson started a team that included Ralston, Major League Soccer’s 1996 rookie of the year, and such relative newcomers as Frankie Hejduk, Brian McBride and Preki.

Peru, fielding the same squad that recently defeated Chile, 2-1, in a World Cup qualifying match, caught the young Americans on their heels early on. An eighth-minute cross by Alex Magallanes found German Carty unmarked at the far goal post, and Carty headed past U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel for the game’s only goal.

The United States outshot Peru, 11-10, and had eight shots in the second half--most of them after Sampson brought on substitute Jovan Kirovski and, eventually, Cobi Jones and Jason Kreis.

Kirovski, the former Manchester United reserve now playing for Borussia Dortmund of the German first division, delivered a dangerous cross that just missed connecting with Roy Lassiter in the 67th minute and pounded a tee shot just over the crossbar two minutes later.

Alexi Lalas also headed a ball inches over the bar and an 86th-minute shot by Jones struck the side of the net as Peru withstood a late U.S. attempt to equalize.

“I told [the U.S. players] I was very pleased with their play, with one exception--the ability to put the ball in the back of the net,” Sampson said. “I felt we controlled all phases of the game. . . . I felt we created more opportunities in the first half, even though they scored first, and came away with the impression we dominated most of the game. Especially the second half.”

Especially after the substitutions, which Sampson had to concede.

“Obviously, we would have been better had we started with Joe-Max [Moore] out wide instead of Ralston and with Kirovski and Cobi,” Sampson said. “But I want to see these [new] players.

“I’m not going to risk it in World Cup qualifying--I have to see them now.

“Obviously, we improved when we put in more experienced players in the second half. Having said that, I am proud of Steve Ralston’s first start.”

Moore wasn’t keen on accepting any moral victory. Asked what he was feeling after the game, Moore replied, “Only disappointment. I mean, I thought we were the better team out there. I thought we controlled the game, but we weren’t very precise with our finishing. That was our biggest problem.

“I think if we played them again, it would be a whole different game. I think we’d come out on top.”

As a scouting tool, Friday’s game showed Sampson that a three-man back line of Lalas, Jeff Agoos and Mike Burns is vulnerable, especially went fronted by an inexperienced midfield. At left wing, Ralston was an untested rookie and at right wing, Hejduk was making only his third U.S. appearance.

“We started kind of slow the first 15 or 20 minutes,” said Preki, making his fifth appearance for the United States.

“We had a few good chances in the second half. We didn’t put them away and it cost us the game.”

Preki alluded to a first-half breakaway by Lassiter, who saw his shot snuffed by a diving Julio Balerio, the Peruvian goalkeeper, in the 23rd minute.

“At this level, you have one or two chances to score,” Preki said. “Roy Lassiter had a great chance. [Had he scored] it would been a totally different game. It would’ve been 1-1 and it would have forced [Peru] to come out and attack.”