The U.S. men’s national team will look to secure a return to the Concacaf Gold Cup final, but standing in the way is a dangerous opponent the Americans have never faced before.
The USMNT faces Qatar at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas in Thursday night’s Gold Cup semifinal (7:30 p.m., FS1/Univision/TUDN) and it’s a classic battle between the tournament’s stingiest defense and its most high-scoring attack.
The high-flying Qataris are reigning Asian champions, and are undefeated in Gold Cup play, having scored a tournament-high 12 goals. They face a USMNT defense that has allowed just one goal in four matches, which came via penalty kick, and with Miles Robinson and James Sands anchoring the middle, the Americans will look to try and neutralize that potent Qatar attack.
Here is the starting lineup the USMNT will deploy against Qatar:
The winner of Thursday’s semifinal will face the winner of the Mexico/Canada semifinal on Sunday in Las Vegas in the Concacaf Gold Cup final.
The SBI editorial staff will be providing updates and analysis in the comments section below, so feel free to follow the action here. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
Enjoy the action.
Final: Qatar 0 – USMNT 1. A missed opportunity from the PK spot from Qatar hurts them as the USMNT fights back and gets the winner through Gyasi Zardes. Matt Turner, Miles Robinson, and Matthew Hoppe all had good performances, but most importantly the USMNT advances to Sunday’s Gold Cup Final. Mexico or Canada awaits. Thanks for joining us and be sure to stay turned for post match content here at SBI
WHAT a game, WHAT a finish, the USMNT overcame the poor start and stepped it up in the second half. The subs came on and gave the Americans a big boost.
Williamson, Zardes, Roldan and Gioacchini helped the USA take control.
And how about Matt Turner? Man of the Match, kept the Americans in the game.
BIG win, and sure, it wasn’t pretty, and could have gone differently if not for Turner, but they got it done and are on to the final.
I’m sure there will be a lot of complaints but that was a great win for this team.
Depth, depth, depth
A very small gap between starters and subs makes the difference.
MOTM: Turner
Gyasi Zardes off the bench and scores the go-ahead goal. Williamson and Gioacchini connecting on the build-up play. 1-0.
Williamson on for Arriola and Gioacchini on for Hoppe.
Eryk Williamson also coming on it seems for USMNT. Haven’t seen much of him of late. 80′
Clever play from Vines and Hoppe on the left wing, but Qatar does well to get back and clear. 78′
Good spell of possession for the USMNT, Qatar is definitely starting to tire.
0-0, 72nd minute.
Qatar makes their first sub and out comes their number 10, Al Haydos. Defensive substitution.
Roldan with the header off Lletget’s corner kick, but its over the bar. 70′
Another dropped cross from Barsham, who failed to catch. A lot of pressure in the box, but the USMNT’s chances eventually end via a offensive foul. 67′
Cannon replacing Moore, Roldan replaces Busio, Zardes comes on for Dike. Have to think plenty of people wanted those three to start tonight. 63′
Moore sees yellow now for a late challenge on Afif.
Reggie Cannon, Cristian Roldan, and Gyasi Zardes all set to come on for USMNT.
Qatar misses the penalty and you can tell that Matt Turner’s decision to delay his movement caught the penalty taker by surprise, and he hit it over the bar, straight down the middle.
The Stars and Stripes need to stop playing around and score!
Afif and Acosta going at it and now both teams having a skirmish.
PENALTY to Qatar. Sands’ challenge is ruled a foul by VAR
VAR stepping in on the penalty call. Sands did look like he hacked down Afif.
Replays show Sands with a questionable challenge on Afif in the penalty area. VAR is reviewing. Call on the field was no foul.
Sands stands tall to poke the ball away from Afif in the box. Arriola was brought down by Ahmed. Both players get yellow.
The guys say it’s a penalty, that VAR ought to give it.
I think it’s a penalty!
Daryl Dike is clearly physically compromised, and needs to be replaced, can’t see him staying in this one much longer.
0-0, 52nd minute
Of course he gets a golden chance right after I said that, Matthew Hoppe set him up with a beautiful chance, but it was saved by the Qatar goalkeeper.
Marcelo Balboa, even spluttering a little over his Spanish, was frustrated that players like Hoppe, Arriola, Dike, and Busio don’t seem to be getting into the game at all. Some one else, maybe Diego Balado, commented earlier that Berhalter had said leading up to the game that he wanted Lletget as an experienced player to be more involved. Was it Lletget who drew that one free kick, that Busio took? But as for organizing the middle of the field … Anyway, they agree that it’s sheer luck so far that the US isn’t behind, and that Qatar has a good plan to attack and the US doesn’t have a plan to deal with it.
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For all of you who were already doubtful of the lineup, it looks like Berhalter at least wanted to give the same group a little more chance to play together. But 45 minutes went by like a shot, and they don’t seem to have gelled. Is there a Plan B, or will they just have to tough it out?
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Univisión, who at least have a sideline reporter, report no changes at the start of the 2nd half, but now they’re saying Zardes may be coming in for Dike.
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No offense in the middle of the pitch for the US. In one sequence US had the ball in transition and Lleget stepped on the ball and then he and Acosta passed back and forth four times without looking anywhere but at each other allowing Qatar to set up their block. Neither Lleget or Acosta are even faking that their going to turn just straight back or sideways everytime. Qatar quite chasing after 15 minutes because they didn’t have to move. When Lleget finally turned a couple times we had free kicks in good areas. This game is is screaming for Williamson.
Dike and Arriola were either losing possession or totally unavailable for the ball all half. A halftime change is in order here. Qatar realt should be ahead
Would imagine we’ll see subs by the 60th minute. Roldan and Zardes for Arriola and Dike makes plenty of sense.
Sub Arriola and Dike they are both useless
HT: Qatar 0 – USMNT 0. Hasn’t been pretty at all from the USMNT so far and if not for Matt Turner, Qatar could easily have a two goal advantage. Maybe Gregg Berhalter needs a change in his squad at the break. Something needs to change for the Americans to break through. More to come
Qatar with less possession at 40%, 10 more shots at goal and more dangerous looking. Could be worse but it is obvious the transition is horrible and failing by this US MLS team.
Been quite the opposite performances from the USMNT fullbacks. Shaq Moore has made himself available and delivered some dangerous passes. Sam Vines on the other hand has missed chances to connect with his teammates.
Quick feet from Lletget there to get out of pressure and the first yellow card goes to Boudiaf. 41′
I hope the players see that the refs are terrible!
Shaq Moore down after the corner kick. Stretched a little awkwardly there to clear the cross from Afif.
USMNT really needs to get a grip of this match. Qatar is owning the chances and if not for Turner, it’s 2-0. Need Busio, Acosta, and Lletget to start holding possession and directing traffic.
Would rather have Zardes than Arriola out wide. Arriola just appears non threatening
Roldan would be a good option to replace Arriola. Would help with possession and can provide service.
Zardes will replace Dike in the second half, the question is what minute?
Great ball in from Moore, but Dike can’t get to it before Barsham. 31′
Promising pass into Dike from Shaq Moore, but Dike’s first touch lets him down. He needed to get on that and at least get a shot on goal, but the chance is wasted.
0-0, 32nd Minute.
Everytime busio touches the ball guaranteed back pass…why?
He’s wary of forcing things and sparking a Qatar counter. He had a lot of turnovers in the first half against Jamaica and I’m sure he was instructed to be more careful, especially given Qatar’s dangerous attackers.
Understood Ives and thank you for the response. But he does lack looking around his surroundings. He looks at the ball, in one of the plays had he looked he would had notice Moore was open to his right.
Mckennie and Adams in contrast are good at doing that looking at their surroundings prior to getting the ball.
Hasn’t been the best start for the USMNT tonight. Sloppy from a few players and overall Qatar looking the more likely to score. 29′
There are scattered thunderstorms across the state, including one east of Austin. The cable has gone out a couple of times and is still rebooting, so I’m watching over the air in Spanish for the moment. So far the guys in Spanish were amazed at the latest TWO (or more?) saves from Turner, and have observed that much of the US defense looks nervous.
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At least the stadium is finally filling up after the usual rush-hour delay, though many of those young, loud, unmasked people are probably heavily breathing the Delta variant all over each other.
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Moore does well to bait Qatar’s left back there and win the corner kick. 26′
Another great reaction save from Turner bails the USMNT out again. Would’ve been 1-0 for sure.
Whoa, Matt Turner with a HUGE save to keep a James Sands own-goal out of the net. Sands accidentally re-directs a long-range Qatar shot on goal, and Turner dives to his right to keep it out.
0-0, 20th minute
Qatar’s turn to work the ball around now. Looks like we will see a lot of Kellyn Acosta man-marking Afif when he drops deep for possession.
Shaq Moore does well to stand tall and keep Afif at bay.
Hoppe with a good chance to test Barsham and the goalkeeper can’t handle cleanly. Arriola’s rebound attempt is saved, but the offsides flag comes up.
Best early chance for the USMNT, and seeing Qatar’s goalkeeper spill it should instruct the USA to consider taking some longer shots to keep testing this keeper.
Ali with the miss just past the post. James Sands with the poor giveaway and Qatar moves fast on the counter. USMNT living dangerously early. 7′
Dangerous chance for Qatar, hit out on the break after a USA turnover, but the chance is pulled wide of goal. The USMNT defense lucky not to give up the opener there.
Nice hard challenge early on from Busio. He’ll have plenty of defensive work to do tonight.
Good evening everybody. The action is underway in Austin. 5th minute and no early goals tonight (yet).
The USMNT holding possession early and working passes side-to-side. Eventually a pass is hit up for Dike, but it’s too far and out. Qatar content with giving USMNT possession.