In a contest shorn of many clear chances, with both sides reticent to give much away in their first fixture, Slonina didn’t have a great deal to do, but when called upon he was commanding in his box and confident in possession.

Slonina, who has represented the US at senior level, skippered his nation in San Juan and ended on the winning side courtesy of Jonathan Gomez’s 92nd-minute rocket, a moment of sheer quality worthy of deciding the game.

USA are next in action against Fiji on Tuesday, with Slovakia next on Friday. There is also Chelsea interest with England (who have Harvey Vale, Teddy Sharman-Lowe and Bashir Humphreys in their squad), Italy (Cesare Casadei) and Brazil (Andrey Santos). Their tournaments start on Monday and Sunday respectively.