After making his national team debut on Thursday, Chicago Fire forward Elliot Collier earned his first start for his native New Zealand in a friendly against Lithuania on Sunday.
At National Stadium in Vilnius, Lithuania, Collier played 63 minutes for the visitors -- eventually being replaced by forward Max Mata -- in what became in a 1-0 win for Lithuania. A 45th minute goal from Lithuania's Arvydas Novikovas made the difference on the day.
Collier spent the 2019 season on loan in the USL Championship with first-year team Memphis 901 FC. In 26 USL Championship appearances, Collier scored the second-most goals (six) on the team. The Hamilton, New Zealand, native scored his first career hat trick in a 4-1 home win on July 6, becoming the first player in Memphis’ history to notch three goals in a game.
Since being selected in the third round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, Collier has 16 appearances (nine starts) for the Fire.
