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SPORTS A17
Monday 1 February 2016

Birnbaum’s DOMINATION
90th-minute header
Djokovic wins 6th Aussie Open title
puts U.S. men past
Iceland, 3-2 Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain in the men’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis
championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016.
AP Sports Writer
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Associated Press
Steve Birnbaum and the PAGE 20
U.S. men’s national team
both need some time to
shake off an up-and-down
2015 season.The defender
and his American team-
mates all got off to a fine
start on that process Sun-
day. Birnbaum headed
home the tiebreaking goal
on Michael Bradley’s cor-
ner kick in the 90th minute,
and the U.S. men’s nation-
al team opened its 2016
schedule with a 3-2 exhi-
bition victory over Iceland
on Sunday. Birnbaum had
his first international goal
and an assist as a second-
half substitute in his sec-
ond U.S. appearance. The
Orange County native set
up Michael Orozco’s ty-
ing goal in the 59th minute
before knocking in the late
winner, celebrating in front
of a crowd that included
his mother and grand-
mother. Considering Birn-
baum didn’t even know
he would be in this train-
ing camp with coach Jur-
gen Klinsmann’s team until
shortly before it started, he
was thrilled by the follow-
up to his U.S. debut last
year. “I didn’t really think I
was going to be called into
camp, and then a couple
of days before, (Klinsmann)
just said, ‘Can you be in on
Monday?’” said Birnbaum,
the D.C. United regular.
“(Last year) was an up-
and-down year. Getting
my first cap was great, and
then I got injured and it
was downhill, and I didn’t
really hear back from
them. It was an up-and-
down season at D.C., too.
I’m just happy to be back
to work.” Jozy Altidore
scored in the first half and
Bradley had two assists in
an entertaining start to the
Americans’ season after a
rough 2015 that included a
2-5-1 finish. q