USA Men's Sevens | Madrid Day One Recap

The USA Men's 7s National Team have finished Day One of Madrid Sevens 2-1. Two strong victories over Portugal and Spain marked a momentous start, after which the U.S. fell to a physically primed Argentina.

Overall, the Americans made a strong return to international rugby. Having not played against another senior side in a year, the competitive spirit and intensity in match play were a welcomed treat for all. Newcomers Christian Dyer and Jake Lachina were impressive all day. The duo represents a promised growth for the Men's Sevens program even after a significantly challenging year.

Tomorrow the USA Men's Sevens will face Kenya at 4:22 AM ET before the third-place (11:18 AM ET) and final rounds (12:02 PM ET). Matches are streamed LIVE on florugby.com.

Head Coach Mike Friday said:

"Really pleased with the effort and application today, especially to see the smiles and enjoyment of the lads representing. Yes, we are rusty and we made mistakes at times, including some that were costly. But we also did a lot of good things on both sides of the ball and we're starting to see that cohesion in match play come to life.

We will get back to the hotel, recover and reset for tomorrow. As a pack, we will strive to be better tomorrow than we were today.

All in all - it's bloody great to be back on the pitch.'

USA vs Portugal | 38-17 (W)

After scoring on the opening kick off, Portugal struggled to make any movement on subsequent possessions. The Eagles Sevens held onto the ball for most of the game, scoring six tries off quick phase plays all over the field. Young players showed their talent in spades with Faitala Talapusi drawing first blood while Harley Wheeler and Christian Dyer each added to the collective. In all, support players and precise handling led Coach Friday’s squad to their first victory of the day.

Tries | Faitala Talapusi, Harley Wheeler, Marcus Tupuola, Maka Unufe, Maceo Brown, Christian Dyer

Cons | Faitala Talapusi (4)

USA vs Spain | 35-5 (W)

Teams were toe-and-toe with penalties until Perry Baker broke free. Baker claimed a hat trick with three classic tries along the right flank. Spain drew a yellow card in the first half and Maka Unufe drew one in the second. Both sides had their chances to capitalize on extra space, but Spain couldn’t get much going. Army West Point products Jake Lachina and Cody Melphy combined for two exciting tries. In the first half, Lachina made a sharp pass to Melphy from the breakdown and Melphy returned the favor on the final play so Lachina could drive it in on the wing.

Tries | Perry Baker (3), Jake Lachina, Cody Melphy

Cons | Cody Melphy (5)

USA vs Argentina | 17-24 (L)

Argentina gave the U.S. a physical fight to conclude the day. The Pumas 7s were on the front foot early, charging down the pitch to score the opening points then boxing out Perry Baker to make the Americans work hard in response. Ben Pinkelman won the first points by edging himself in at the corner. His intensity on both sides of the ball were crucial in moving the ball through all 14-minutes of play. A yellow card on Kevon Williams led the Pumas to build their lead as tries by Christian Dyer and Brett Thompson kept the Eagles Sevens in it until final whistle.

Tries | Ben Pinkelman, Christian Dyer, Brett Thompson

Cons | Cody Melphy

USA Men’s Sevens Roster

PLAYER NAME	POSITION	HSBC TOURNAMENTS
Malon Al-Jiboori	Forward	10
Perry Baker	Wing	47
Maceo Brown	Utility	14
Christian Dyer	Utility	uncapped
Martin Iosefo (C)	Center	46
Jake Lachina	Utility	uncapped
Matai Leuta	Forward	40
Cody Melphy	Halfback	6
Ben Pinkelman	Forward	37
Joe Schroeder	Forward	12
Faitala Talapusi	Halfback	3
Brett Thompson	Forward	32
Marcus Tupuola	Center/Wing	8
Maka Unufe	Halfback/Center	43
Harley Wheeler	Utility	1
Kevon Williams (VC)	Halfback/Wing	27

USA Men’s Sevens Traveling Staff

Madrid Sevens Men’s Schedule (for USA)

Feb 20
vs Portugal | 38-17 (W)
vs Spain | 35-5 (W)
vs Argentina | 17-24 (L)
Feb 21
vs Kenya | 4:22 AM ET
3rd Place | 11:18 AM ET
Final | 12:02 PM ET

Watch LIVE on florugby.com