After two long years spent struggling in the English soccer wilderness, Brek Shea has gotten his 2015 off to a strong start.
First, the 24-year-old wide player engineered a move away from Premier League side Stoke City, leaving behind a lack of playing time and a series of disruptive loans to return to MLS with expansion club Orlando City SC.
Then, on Wednesday night, he found the back of the net for the US national team, going the full 90 and scoring the opening goal in the Americans’ 3-2 friendly loss at Chile.
Shea started Wednesday’s match at left wingback in manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s new 3-5-2, then switched to left back – his projected position with Orlando – when Klinsmann scrapped the three-man backline for a 4-4-2 at halftime.
He showed well early, starting things off with a bang when he put the US up 1-0 with a solid 6th-minute strike. Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler chipped a lovely ball over the top and Shea ran onto it, racing past his man in the left side of the area before smashing a first-time volley inside the far post.
It was a cathartic moment for Shea, whose last USMNT start came over three years ago.
“I’ve been waiting for a long time,” he said after the match. “I’m very excited to be playing for the national team again and to start the game and get a goal. Obviously, it wasn’t the result we wanted but I think we learned a lot and it was a good experience.”
Klinsmann was pleased with Shea’s performance, complimenting the former FC Dallas man in his postgame comments.
“I saw a lot of things that I think are encouraging, that are positives,” Klinsmann said.
“Brek coming through the flank, he’s intimidating. He can go at people, he has pace, he has the physical presence and can score, so I think this is great.”
While the US only stuck with the 3-5-2 formation for the first half, Shea enjoyed it, hugging the flank and causing problems on the left wing.
“It’s a new system, we just started it obviously, but I thought there were a lot of positives with it,” he said. “There’s things we need to work on, but first half we were ahead twice in that system. Obviously they had a lot of good chances and scored a goal, but I think we learned a lot and we can use it in the future.”
Shea and the rest of his USMNT teammates will look to improve upon Wednesday’s result on February 8, when they’ll host CONCACAF foes Panama in a friendly match at StubHub Center. It’ll be a big occasion for Shea, who hasn’t played in the US since scoring the game-winning goal against that same Panama side in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
“I’ve been away for a few years, out of the States, so I’m really excited to play in the US again,” he said
