WASHINGTON: New Zealand teen striker Monty Patterson scored in the 73rd minute to lift the All Whites into a 1-1 draw with the United States in an international football friendly Tuesday.
German-born US striker Julian Green scored his second goal in as many matches in the 27th minute to open the scoring, but the Americans could not hold off the Kiwis in a final tuneup for both teams for World Cup qualifying matches next month.
New Zealand lost both prior matches to the US squad by 2-1 in the 1999 Confederations Cup and in a 2003 friendly on US soil.
The Americans were coming off a 2-0 victory over Cuba at Havana on Friday while New Zealand lost 2-1 to Mexico three days ago.
Green blasted a right-footed shot past two defenders and All Whites goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic in the 27th minute.
The 21-year-old Bayern Munich forward, in only his third US career start and eighth appearance for the Americans, took the ball down the left side, cut to the middle just beyond the penalty area and unleashed a rocket that went inside the near post.
New Zealand equalized off a corner kick. The ball went short to defender Michael Boxall, who knocked it down to the ground in a perfect set-up for Patterson.
The 19-year-old forward for England’s Ipswich Town fired a shot between the legs of US goalkeeper David Bingham, making only his second appearance as a half-time substitute for Mexican-born starter William Yarbrough.
Patterson nearly struck again in the 87th minute, rolling a ball past Bingham and a defender only to have US defender Michael Orozco kick it away before it threatened the goal line.
The US attacked late but German-born midfielder Danny Williams was twice denied in the 89th minute, once by Kiwi goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic and again on a smothered rebound. Omar Gonzalez sent two headers over the crossbar and Marinovic denied Michael Bradley with a diving save.
US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who made seven roster changes from the Cuba win in a bid to evaluate more players before qualifying begins, had a lineup with only six players having more than 30 caps.
The Americans extended their unbeaten run at RFK Stadium since 2002 to 8-0 with two drawn.
Lynden Gooch, a 20-year-old midfielder for Sunderland, made his US debut as a second-half subsitute.
The USA will open CONCACAF qualifying against arch-rival Mexico on November 11 in Columbus, Ohio, and four days later visit 2014 World Cup quarter-finalists Costa Rica, where they are winless in nine qualifying matches. Six teams will fight for three spots in Russia from the region.
