The annual January Camp game is never one for purists. It’s largely devoid of flow and creativity as a new-look team jumps into preseason with a friendly that is largely meaningless on a team level.
Sunday’s match was no different, as the U.S. Men’s National Team battled Bosnia & Herzegovina to a 0-0 draw in a match that featured little flash.
The game featured few legitimate chances, while several USMNT players made their debuts like Zack Steffen, Matt Polster and Ike Opara.
The first half was, by and large, a dull one for a U.S. team that very much looked like an inexperienced group in preseason form. The energy was there, with players like C.J. Sapong and Wil Trapp serving as highlights, but there was little creativity in the attacking half of the field.
Shortly before halftime, Bosnia & Herzegovina created the best chance of the match, forcing Bill Hamid into a big save. Following a bad giveaway from the USMNT goalkeeper, the visitors created down the right before Walker Zimmerman mishit a clearance. The ball fell to Luka Menalo, who was stopped from close-range by a strong Hamid save.
The second half began with some changes as Steffen, Paul Arriola and Kelyn Rowe entered the mix. Just five minutes in, Jordan Morris nearly provided a goal on a Trapp pass, but the Seattle Sounders forward scuffed his shot wide.
Seconds after Morris’ miss, Bosnia & Herzegovina was awarded a penalty kick as Zimmerman was called for a foul on the edge of the box. Fortunately for the U.S., midfielder Haris Medunjanin’s penalty kick caromed off the post as Steffen was sent the wrong way.
Following the early flurry to begin the second half, the tempo once again dropped as the two teams struggled to facilitate chances. The introduction of Juan Agudelo added a little bit to the attack, but not enough to put together a clear cut shot on goal.
Overall, the U.S. finished with nine shots, three of which were on goal.