The final place in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals is on the line in Arlington, Texas as the U.S. men’s national team takes on Jamaica on Sunday night (10 p.m., FS1, Univision, TUDN).
The Americans enter the quarterfinals having finished with a perfect 3-0 record in group play, though two of those were hard-fought 1-0 victories. Jamaica posted a pair of group-stage wins before falling against Costa Rica in a match where the Reggae Boyz rested several starters.
The winner of Sunday’s quarterfinal takes on Qatar on Thursday in the semifinals, in Austin, Texas after Qatar eliminated El Salvador, 3-2, on Saturday. Canada secured a place in the semifinals with a 2-0 win against Costa Rica, and now will face Mexico, which posted a 3-0 quarterfinal victory against Honduras on Saturday.
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter is deploying his team in a 4-3-3 formation tonight, and going with several youngsters for the quarterfinal, including the trio of Daryl Dike, Matthew Hoppe and Gianluca Busio.
The USMNT and Jamaica are meeting in the Gold Cup knockout rounds for the fifth time in six tournaments, with Jamaica’s lone win in that run coming in the 2015 semifinals. The Americans defeated Jamaica in the 2017 final, and more recently posted a 3-1 victory over the Reggae Boyz in the 2019 semifinals.
Here is the USMNT lineup that will face Jamaica tonight:
The Jamaicans have made several lineup changes, including the surprising move to sit star attacker Leon Bailey.
🇯🇲📣 It’s time to leave it all on the field! A date with destiny for @jff_football! Here is their starting lineup against the @USMNT 🇺🇸 in the quarter finals presented by @qatarairways.#GoldCup21 🏆 #ThisIsOurs pic.twitter.com/HvG8L4zch2
— Gold Cup (@GoldCup) July 26, 2021
The SBI editorial staff will be sharing updates and opinions throughout the match so feel free to follow the action there. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions as well.
Enjoy the action.
outside backs played pretty well, thought Vines was excellent in his matchups. Qatar next, have never seen them play
The is great experience for WCQ for the new players. Jamaica is a quality side.
Robinson has raised his stock in the CB pool. A rock at CB. Maybe start in Sept?
Sands bring more flexibility to lineup choices, Can fill in at 6 and at CB.
Acosta has moved up the depth chart
Thought Busio’s weakness was defensive duels. Much better today.
Turner meets our expectations.
Dike needs lots of coaching on hold-up play. Sargent is much better in this area of the game.
On to Thursday…!
Ugly collision on a Jamaica corner kick sees Andre Blake and Miles Robinson collide heads. Blake is bleeding but looks fine. Robinson was in pain but is sitting up and shaking it off.
Both players look okay now, but more stoppage time will be added now.
deserved, good for Roldan
Acosta and Robinson kicking some butt out there
GOAL USA!! Matthew Hoppe heads home the cross from Cristian Roldan to give the Americans the 1-0 lead in the 83rd minute.
Busio as an 8, I like it
USMNT dodge a bullet as a dangerous free kick floats into the penalty area, but no Jamaican player can latch onto it.
0-0, 79th minute
Good spell of possession for the USMNT. Jamaica appear to be sitting back and defending. Can the USA stay aggressive and force Blake into a few more saves?
0-0, 72nd minute
SAVE BLAKE!! This time he denies Gyasi Zardes, who hit a well-struck shot.
0-0, 66th minute
Cristian Roldan and Gyasi Zardes coming on for USMNT. Paul Arriola and Daryl Dike are off.
US adjustment to play balls through the gaps to runners, coordinated, but haven”t pulled off the connection yet. Busio impressing
I kinda want to see Gioacchini or even Zardes vs Jamaica after the 60th minute? They need to wear them down.
Any midfield sub ideas? Williamson? Not sure Roldan would help?
DANGEROUS ball in from Hoppe is slapped away by Blake, good sequence there for the USA.
A minute later, Dike has a chance for a shot but can’t make contact.
More activity from the USA attack to start the second half.
Blake with a good save to preserve a screaming shot by Hoppe in the box.
SAVE BLAKE AGAIN! Denies Matthew Hoppe once again. Nice pass by Dike to set that shot up for Hoppe, but he can’t beat the Jamaican goalkeeper.
0-0, 48th minute.
This is 2nd youngest US lineup in a GC knockout game. Means the younger players are impressing.
Thinking Busio was coached on defensive duels this entire past week. He is showing some bite.
Robinson & Sands in a trial by fire. Better now than WCQ.
This looks close to Jamaica’s ‘A’ team. A good test for our ‘B’ team.
Never liked the temporary grass – always a failure.
Acosta the MotM so far for US imo, some important interventions stopping the counter. Can someone beside Lletget take the flippin corners please? Arriola off the pace, how many times did he or Busio lose the ball or not win the ball when it was played to them? a lot. Still 0-0 tho, not bad
Does possession futbol mean just make the easy pass?
HT: USMNT 0 – Jamaica 0. Both teams have had chances to take the lead, but both Andre Blake and Matt Turner have done well to keep it scoreless. USMNT needs to continue matching Jamaica and hopefully get Dike/Hoppe into better situations in final third. More to come.
What have you enjoyed so far?
HALFTIME- 0-0. Not a great half of soccer, but it’s been the battle we expected it to be against Jamaica.
The Americans have been lucky not to pay for some of their turnovers, and will need to show a bit more fight and tenacity against a Jamaica side that has certainly come to play and fight.
The ball really just dies on the grass field in Arlington, and you can see where so many passes come up short, and then players over-hit other passes trying to compensate. Not making for a pretty game, and makes build-up play very tough.
Jamaica seemed to have been prepared for that, given how aggressively they’ve challenged US back and side passes right from the start
BIG-TIME save from Matt Turner to deny a Jamaican chance. Best chance of the night so far, though on replay it looks as though that shot may have gone just wide. Turner wasn’t taking that chance though and makes the diving stop.
0-0, 40th minute.
Heck of a sequence there from Oniel Fisher to stick with Daryl Dike one-on-one before blocking the striker’s effort.
A Daryl Dike sighting, gets a long ball into space, dribbles into the area, but has his shot blocked by O’Neil Fisher, who only recently entered the match.
0-0, 36th minute.
After going down on separate occasions, Alvas Powell is coming off with an apparent leg injury. Oniel Fisher replacing him at RB.
What’s up with these corners? Are there not enough crossers to put one into the box?
Excellent contact from Hoppe, but Andre Blake makes his first save of the night. Hoppe getting into some dangerous spots already.
SAVE Andre Blake! Denies a blast from Matthew Hoppe, but you expect that from Blake.
0-0, 23rd minute.
Nice sequence for the USMNT sees Shaq Moore and Paul Arriola combine, but Moore has his shot blocked. Some good combination play on the build-up.
Jamaica answers back with a weak shot on Matt Turner that was never going to trouble him.
0-0, 14th minute.
Cory Burke is down and holding the back of his leg. Shamar Nicholson could be on for him if things don’t improve.
Busio is showing some early-game nerves. It’s a big stage for him, and the Jamaicans are going to make sure to try and pressure him.
0-0, 10th minute
Can already tell this will be an aggressive matchup between Shaq Moore and Junior Flemmings on the USMNT right wing. Two have bumped into one another a few times already.
Some nervy early moments for the Americans, but they get through it.
Jamaica isn’t here to sit back, they are on the front foot early.
0-0, 5th minute
Ummm… maybe Gregg can call a 20 second timeout… deer in headlights
The U.S. defense with a nervy moment off of the opening whistle and Matt Turner forced into a save, albeit ruled offsides.
Thanks Ives. Always enjoy when you do these.
What’s the word on Arriola & Dike’s injuries?
Both players are starting tonight so look good to go.
Hello everybody. The USMNT-Jamaica Gold Cup quarterfinal is just a few minutes away from kicking off as the teams take the field for the anthems.
Paul Arriola is the captain tonight for the USMNT.