Justin Ellis helps US cap a perfect international window with 1-0 win over Canada

A chippy and at times ugly friendly nonetheless gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side four wins out of four, with another young player making the difference Before 1878, a referee trying to get players’ attention was left to waive a white handkerchief in the air. It was an imperfect practice, asking an infractor to be self-aware enough to look for a doffed doily after hard contact. The game forever changed when Joseph Hudson, a Birmingham-bred tool maker who founded Acme Whistles, showed up to an FA Cup match in 1878 with his signature product in tow.

On Tuesday, nearly 150 years after Hudson’s innovation, referee Steven Madrigal paid the architect a hearty tribute. The United States and Canada closed the international window with a stop-start, physical and at times ugly affair, the hosts claiming a 1-0 victory on an otherwise gorgeous autumn evening in St Paul, Minnesota. Justin Ellis bagged his