Two defenders scoring in the same game? It’s certainly not unheard of, but it’s still pretty rare, especially at the international level.
It happened for the U.S. MNT in its 2-0 Gold Cup Quarterfinal victory against El Salvador on Tuesday night. Center back Omar Gonzalez recorded his second goal in as many matches in the 41st minute before Eric Lichaj hit home his first international strike in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
The duo’s scoring exploits marked just the third time in the Modern Era (1990-present) that the MNT has had two defenders score in the same match. It was the second occurrence in the last two years, and first time it happened in official competition.
Here’s a rundown of the three instances:
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Two U.S. MNT Defenders Scoring in the Same Game |
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Date |
Result |
U.S. Defenders |
Competition |
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March 26, 2008 |
Onyewu, Bocanegra |
Friendly |
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Jan. 31, 2016 |
Orozco, Birnbaum |
Friendly |
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July 19, 2017 |
Gonzalez, Lichaj |
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinal |
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