AFTER A SHOCKINGLY INEPT performance on Wednesday against France, the U.S. under-23 men’s national team rebounded on Friday, defeating Netherlands 3-1 in the second group match of the Toulon Tournament. First half goals from Jerome Kiesewetter and Alonso Hernandez proved to be the difference as defender Will Packwood added an insurance tally only minutes into the second half.

The much-needed three points moves the Americans into second place in Group A behind host-nation France and holding a slim margin over the Netherlands on goal differential.

Head coach Andreas Herzog rolled out his squad with a tried and true 4-4-2 lineup, which saw Fatai Alashe and Hernandez enter the starting XI as the only changes from Wednesday. Despite the new-look lineup, the Americans once again experienced a calamitous opening quarter hour. In the ninth minute, on what looked to be a routine save, a 20-yard shot from Brahim Darri smacked into goalkeeper Cody Cropper’s hand and somehow slipped into the back of the net. To say it was a gaffe would be polite. The exasperated arm-raising of Cropper's back four told the full story on that one.

Instead of getting overrun after the early goal, as they did against France, the Americans shouldered the adversity and responded in kind in the 18th minute. After a strong midfield run from Benji Joya, a blocked effort from Julian Green found the feet of Kiesewetter who steadied himself before rifling an exquisite eight-yard effort that curled past two defenders and snuck inside the right post for the equalizer.

Six minutes later the Americans would take the lead for good. Off a free kick delivery from Green, Stanford’s Jordan Morris—who once again showed that may well be the “real deal”—was able to head down the deflection to the feet of Hernandez who easily slotted his effort for the go-ahead tally.

Throughout the match the Americans were much improved in the midfield. Joya redeemed himself in the No. 8 role, but the team's imrovement can be attributed to the introduction of Alashe, the San Jose Earthquakes starting midfielder and the only player on this roster receiving regular, first-team, first-division minutes. It showed. Thanks to some reorganization in the middle the Americans were able to hold the Dutch at bay for the remainder of the first half.

Herzog’s team did not let up in the second period. Sixty seconds in, another set piece delivery from Green found the head of Will Packwood at the near post, and the tall central defencer flicked his effort past the Dutch keeper to give the Yanks a two-goal lead.

The Americans weren’t quite out of the woods yet. As the second half wore on, the Dutch set up camp in the American half, peppering Cropper’s goal with chances and forcing the out-of-contract keeper into several diving saves to the keep the U.S. lead at two. The U.S. will face a familiar CONCACAF foe, Costa Rica, on Sunday.

ASN Contributing Editor Josh Deaver is a former academic turned soccer obsessive. Follow him on Twitter.