Aaronson, Weah score in U.S. win over Morocco

The United States cruised past Morocco with an impressive 3-0 friendly win at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Wednesday night, with the team playing the first of four June matches serving as tuneups for the World Cup in November.

First-half goals from Brenden Aaronson and Timothy Weah set the U.S. on its way, with Haji Wright adding one from the spot in the second half and goalkeeper Matt Turner coming up with several nice saves throughout the match.

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Wearing rainbow numbers on white jerseys for LGBTQ Pride Month, the U.S. extended its home unbeaten streak to 24 matches since a September 2019 loss to Mexico, two shy of the team record.

The U.S. opened the scoring in the 26th minute after a stellar play by Christian Pulisic, who settled a long ball over the top of the Morocco defense, beat his defender and laid it off for Aaronson to steer his first-time shot past Yassine Bounou.

Weah, who had a good effort saved earlier in the first half, doubled the Americans’ lead shortly after the opener with a powerful, swerving shot from outside the penalty area that glanced off Bounou’s fingertips and into the back of the net as the U.S. took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Substitute Wright, making his first appearance for the senior USMNT, came on for Jesus Ferreira at the start of the second half and scored from the penalty spot in the 64th minute after Achraf Hakimi fouled Pulisic in the area to put Gregg Berhalter’s side up by three.

Wright, who drew rave reviews from his U17 World Cup teammate Pulisic on Tuesday, has been in fine form for Turkish Super Lig side Antalyaspor, but he had not played at any level for the U.S. since a pair of U23 games in 2019.

Next up for the U.S. is a match against Uruguay at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sunday, followed by a pair of CONCACAF Nations League encounters, first against Grenada at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 10, then a road game against El Salvador four days later.

In Qatar, the U.S. will face off against England, Iran and the winner of Sunday’s UEFA World Cup playoff between Wales and Ukraine in Group B play.

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