Auston Trusty reaction emerges from USA media after 4-1 Peru victory

Auston Trusty completed the full match as the United States secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Peru, although the Celtic defender received some criticism from sections of the American media.

The friendly gave Mauricio Pochettino an opportunity to hand valuable minutes to several younger players, with Trusty among the more experienced members of the USA team.

Despite the comfortable scoreline, Trusty’s individual performance attracted mixed assessments from several major American outlets.

NBC Sports awarded the defender a 6.5/10 rating but felt he could have done more when Peru found the net. Their assessment focused on Gianluca Lapadula’s goal, with the outlet suggesting Trusty was too passive during the move.

ESPN was less impressed, handing the Celtic centre-back a 5/10. Their assessment pointed to Trusty losing his opponent for Peru’s goal, while also highlighting a couple of duels he failed to win.

Goal gave Trusty a 6/10 and considered him the stronger of the two American centre-backs. However, they felt he should have exerted more authority at the back, particularly given the lack of experience surrounding him in the USA defence.

Yahoo Sports also rated Trusty at 6/10 and highlighted the fact that he was the only American player to remain on the pitch for the entire game.

The appearance represents another opportunity for Trusty to strengthen his case for a regular starting role with the national team.

The Celtic defender was part of the USA squad at the 2026 World Cup and even found the net against Turkey, although he was only named in the starting XI once during the tournament.

His limited involvement at the World Cup ultimately led to criticism of his campaign, despite his goal providing one of the standout moments.

Trusty has previously spoken about the influence of Celtic’s winning mentality on his development and how his time in Glasgow helped him reach the World Cup. He has also insisted that he feels he is at the strongest stage of his career, both mentally and physically.

The defender has enjoyed a memorable period with both club and country, including Celtic’s dramatic title success, and he has spoken about why he believes that achievement deserves to be remembered.

Now, he has another full 90 minutes for the USA under his belt.

While the final scoreline against Peru was emphatic, the reaction to Trusty’s individual display was considerably more divided.