Wisconsin Soccer Central

Andrija Novakovich (Muskego) scored his third international goal of the year, helping the U.S. Under-20 national team beat the Russian Under-21 side 4-3 in the opener of a tournament Wednesday in Marbella, Spain.

With the score tied at 1 in the 45th minute, Novakovich provided a tremendous end to the opening half for the Americans.

The 6-foot-4 Reading FC striker started the sequence with a nifty backheel pass to teammate Junior Flores, and the Borussia Dortmund midfielder returned the favor by playing Novakovich in down the left side. He finished just inside the near post over Russian goalkeeper Anton Mitryushkin to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead at the break. (Watch highlights below)

Novakovich was subbed out in the 67th minute and the score tied at 2. The Russians took the lead in the 71st, but the Americans converted penalty kicks in the 77th and 92nd to pull out the victory. The U.S. next plays the Republic of Ireland on Saturday.