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Zendejas and Balogun Lift USA over Japan 2-0 in Friendly

On Tuesday, the United States men's national team ended a winless run against ranked opponents with a 2-0 victory over the Japan national team in Columbus, Ohio before 20,192 fans at Lower.com Field.
The U.S. had been coming off a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday in the first of eight friendlies, preparing as a host nation for next year's World Cup under coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Zendejas opened the scoring when he volleyed a Max Arfsten cross for his second goal in 13 international appearances, while the Americans controlled the match with a 19-11 shots advantage.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese said, `It shows us that it's working,` while Folarin Balogun added, `It was important to get the win,` reflecting rising team confidence.
Japan used essentially a B team by changing all 11 starters from Saturday's draw and starting eight players with 10 or fewer appearances, while some regulars entered in the 62nd-minute substitutions.

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