Gonzalez and Lichaj Become Third Pair of U.S. MNT Defenders to Score in Same Match

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 41^st minute before Eric Lichaj hit home his first international strike in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.

• READ MORE: Gonzalez Talks Gold Cup Scoring Touch

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:

Two U.S. MNT Defenders Scoring in the Same Game
Date	Result	U.S. Defenders	Competition
March 26, 2008	3-0 W at Poland	Onyewu, Bocanegra	Friendly
Jan. 31, 2016	3-2 W vs. Iceland	Orozco, Birnbaum	Friendly
July 19, 2017	2-0 W vs. El Salvador	Gonzalez, Lichaj	2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinal