Sporting Kansas City’s Graham Zusi and Benny Feilhaber donned U.S. colors on Sunday as the United States Men’s National Team battled Serbia to a 0-0 friendly draw at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.
Zusi started and played 90 minutes, making his 43rd international appearance, while Feilhaber made his long-awaited return to the U.S. MNT in the 77th minute — his first cap since February 2014 and the 42nd of his career.
Beginning his second tenure as the U.S. MNT head coach, Bruce Arena deployed a new-look 4-2-3-1 formation with Zusi at right back — his first career start at the position for the MNT.
"I think our back line played well," Arena said postgame, assessing a performance that limited Serbia to two attempts on frame. "The Zusi experiment at right back was productive today. He played really well."
The first half unfolded with neither side putting a shot on goal, though midfielders Jermaine Jones and Darlington Nagbe both went close with long-range efforts that curled narrowly wide of the target.
Midfielder Sebastian Lletget came on at halftime and made an instant impact on his U.S. debut, winning possession to spark an attack that culminated with Jozy Altidore — on his 100th cap — forcing Serbian goalkeeper Filip Manojlovic into the first save of the day. The Americans continued to control proceedings as Lletget’s cross was headed inches wide by Sacha Kljestan just before the hour mark.
At the opposite end, goalkeeper Nick Rimando wasn’t called into action until the 71st minute when he produced a routine stop to deny Milos Simonivic. Five minutes later, Zusi’s heroic defensive intervention in the six-yard box prevented Nikola Cirkovic’s cross from being turned into the net.
Feilhaber took the field with 13 minutes left, replacing Klejstan in an attacking midfield role behind forward Jordan Morris. Feilhaber effectively opened the game up, and debutant Chris Pontius nearly bagged the game-winner in the 90th minute but dragged a low strike agonizingly wide of the far left post.
Arena’s men will conclude January Camp with one more tune-up match prior to the resumption of FIFA World Cup qualifying in March. The U.S. and Jamaica will lock horns Friday in a friendly at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. CT on FS1 and UniMas.
Afterward, Feilhaber and Zusi will join Sporting Kansas City for the second phase of its 2017 preseason, presented by Children’s Mercy, set to run from Feb. 14-25 in Tucson, Arizona.
