The U.S. men’s national team resumes Concacaf World Cup qualifying tonight against Jamaica at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
The Americans enter having collected five points from September’s qualifiers, including a stirring 4-1 comeback romp against Honduras. They now face a Jamaica side that limps into October having failed to register a qualifying win yet.
Both teams are missing their top attacking stars, with Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna missing due to injury for the USMNT and Michail Antonio and Leon Bailey absent from the Reggae Boyz due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Here is the USMNT XI that will face Jamaica:
Here is the Jamaica lineup for tonight:
Here is a rundown of SBI’s coverage heading into tonight’s match:
The SBI Show: Episode 331 (USMNT-Jamaica Preview)
Who will, and who should start for the USMNT vs. Jamaica?
The USMNT is facing a familiar, but challenging foe in Jamaica
Tim Weah and Brenden Aaronson poised to fill the attacking void
Michail Antonio set to miss October qualifiers for Jamaica
John Brooks to miss October qualifiers
SBI will be providing live commentary in the comments section below, so feel free to follow the action there, and you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions on the match.
Enjoy the action.
Mexico pretty lucky to have not conceded at this point (40th min). Pitch is in terrible shape, word is the fans will come out at half and stomp the divots like at polo match. And before I hit send Osorio puts one past Memo. Canada with all the momentum just before half.
Jorge Sanchez said “Not so fast Julian Araujo, I’m still here.”
What was that long pause before the corner around minute 60 or so? If I understood correctly, the Univisión guys said none of them heard the offensive P-word, but of course they’re not unbiased, and there was a lot of noise, some of it possibly even piped in as coverup …
– For anyone who doubts the insanity of CONFAFAF WCQ, whether it’s the shoddy field, no VAR, and amateur officiating, there you go.
– Despite my surprise at Zimmerman starting, he played with confidence, and distributed pretty well tonight. I know, it’s Jamaica, but better than what Ream brings to the team.
– Get credit where it is due, Arriola has his faults, but he sure has a motor. He ran hard for 90 minutes, and sometimes that is what you need in WCQ.
– Pepi and Musah are both 18..goodness. They haven’t hit their ceiling yet.
– Reality is we are in better shape for game #2 than in September. No major injuries, defense wasn’t really tested, 3rd game at home.
The report was that Jamaica had speed up top. Where was it? Dest and A. Robinson pretty much smoked Jamaica’s wings starting out behind attackers and running them down repeatedly. Not the best for defenders to be caught having to chase, but they did it successfully.
They had some players not available for various reasons but I think those scouting reports were based more on reputation than fact. They certainly were stronger in shoulder to shoulder challenges but I don’t think in flat speed.
de la Torre…yes
Weah is a LW!!
Sergino’s best defensive game in the uni? pretty darn good so far
his need to showboat will get him killed in this region…please please learn that man!
Weston having himself a game out there
2H Pepi is the best player in the history of world football.
2 goals, 1 to go
Subs? I rest Adams, sub him out for Acosta. Take off Aaronson, Hoppe on for him. Eventually take Arriola off for Weah. For now, leave Arriola on late to use his motor.
Of course, why not take out your hot striker when he’s on a hat trick in front of friends and family, and give Zardes a run out? Makes total sense… sheesh.
It does when you want him to start 3 games. Plus Jamaica might start getting frustrated and start hacking him to death.
Fair enough, but give him another 10 minutes. 75th minute sub.
Like Zardes, but he just whiffed Pepi’s 3rd. Hahaha
more direct to goal this half, getting the ball back middle earlier
@THE IMPERATIVE VOICE, Totally agreed. Much more direct in attack during the 2nd half resulting in 2 good goals.
1 goal, 2 more to go!
GOAL USA!! Ricardo Pepi heads home the Sergino Dest cross.
Dest and Musah with the nice buildup on that sequence, great driving dribble by Musah, and Dest with the excellent cross.
CONCACAF referees never fail to disappoint. Two red cards not given, a no-call on the elbow to Adams mouth that led to a dangerous Jamaica shot and the Ariola sandwich that should have been a penalty. Maybe more I missed!
Sorry man, the second foul wasn’t a foul, much less a yellow, and god forbid a red. The replay clearly shows him kicking the ball away then hitting the player. I could maybe see calling a foul if you thought it was reckless, or overly violent, but man he would have been hard-done-by if he had gotten red.
Excuse my ignorance. Where was the verticality that Berhalter was talking about. Except the first few minutes, 99% of the passes were either lateral or back passes. On offense, we played a bit too safe and did not take enough risks to go after, or put pressure on the Jamaican defense IMO.
Wow Simonlovesusmnt, it’s like you didn’t watch the game at all.
real test here. can’t rely on the non calls, which are flippin ridiculous, to blame later. whole half to play to still get the result even with playing vs. 12, at home. LOL. keep playing boys!
all the good chances are throughballs, over the top, or balls on the ground into the box, the coach is right that we need directness and speed but he seems to have taught them too well to head to the flag and possession for its own sake.
fwiw at least early antonee had acres of green up the left wing, and was halfway dangerous.
the best openings have been weakside runs from Musah or McKennie into the weakside CB gap imo,both got in there a couple of times. Musah looks ready to break it there, he figured it out mid half or so, in the mid field too
Yup
I called that, yeah baby, Yunus
Had he not been fouled, I think Arriolla would have beaten the keeper, but hit the post. It would have ricocheted to the other post, bounced into the ground and then hit the cross bar and deflected back down into his face, and then gone out for a goal kick, but we will never a actually know.
arriola creates a few attacks harassing their backs but we seem to confuse getting the ball with having the personnel to do anything about it. aaronson seems to be one of the few out there to do more than chase. we need 1-2 more guys on the field like that so we can string something together on into the box. i mean, we dominated the ball but farted around with it so much turner probably had more actual saves. why i am not a fan of this two-way hustle stuff in too much abundance. at a point you need some technicians or speedsters who just put it away.
Right before half time Nicholson shoves Ariola in the box. Worst of the three questionable decisions by the referee tonight. Adam’s elbowed in the mouth— no call leads to one of Hamaica’s better looks. Not that we’re doing a lot, but this is getting silly.
Dest is a waste of space. FREE JOE SCALLY. Shaq Moore will do for now.
Pepi invisible in 1H. Hopefully some 2H subs (Moore for Dest, Weah for Arriola) unlock some opps like vs Honduras
Maybe I’m drinking the Pepi Koolaid, but I don’t blame Pepi for being invisible when balls aren’t not played into him. I saw him make a few runs that weren’t rewardewd.
Like IV is saying, there’s a lot of GGG Tiki Taka’ing around the edges, not much risk. Keep the kid on, maybe replace Arriola with Hoppe or Weah if for no other reason that Paul will not get the calls.
Gooooallllll Pepi!!!
TUDN announcers joking about the Arriola sandwich. How is that not called, one way or the other?
That was like when John Elway scored vs the Packers in the Super Bowl. That was a football play and should have been a clear PK
I really wish someone would put some Duck Tape over TT’s mouth. He is such a distraction to the game.
this
I love TT actually. He is passionate about the game. To me he adds to it. With Ian as the voice of reason. Good contrast those two.
We now have our 2021 candidate for the Peter Prendergest Memorial Award for Substandard Officiating. Poor even by CONCAFAF rock bottom standards.
the rush song about choosing not to decide still being a choice comes to mind. not a fan of recoiling from what the rules dictate because it’s a big game. in quali they all are, and the first play was a no doubter. not a close slide tackle like the second. he just yanked him down. do your job.
Freewill.. Permanent Waves..
The USMNT has another shout for a red card on Jamaica, but the referee sees otherwise.
Paul Arriola with the pass to spring Brenden Aaronson, who was fouled at the edge of the area by Damion Lowe.
The free kick that followed was deflected away.
Still 0-0, 37th minute.
Ives, take close look at that 2nd yellow. Defender makes contact with ball before going through Aaronson. Foul and yellow for sure but to pull out a RED and change game you need a stone cold, no doubt about it, DOGSO. Not case here.
Actually very disappointed in Twellman calling for red after seeing slow mo……
Casey Keller……calling a foul does not require a RED…..come on Casey…..you need to do better!!
The rule is simple, a foul on an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity is a Red Card. And it was an OGSO, Aaronson had the ball going toward goal and there were no other defenders to stop him.
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The referee made at least one mistake on that play.
was actually a good tackle by lowe. he got ball, what else is he supposed to do?
Well Ref called a foul. So it was a red card.
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The referee may have been wrong twice on the same play!
Calling a foul does not require a RED……honest tackle effort (and got ball first)……..
i see the “fitness” plan is keep switching the ball side to side and run jamaica. what is the “goal” plan? they don’t seem to have a plan or intent to get the ball to pepi other than get around the flanks and whack it in. why not “risk” some of this possession to combine and feed the ball closer to the middle — like what aaronson and mckennie just did?
i mean the “possession” starts out more direct then we revert to old habits and just take the ball to the flag.
Still 0-0 in Austin, 30th minute. No real dangerous chances for either side, save for the 2nd minute play where Kemar Lawrence got away with a red card-worthy pulldown of Paul Arriola.
I’m ok with the opening 20 minutes here. The attack is threatening and the midfield, while not dominant in defense, is at least moving the ball relatively well. I see no real standouts, positive or negative.
Lol Arriola with an off the mark shot. Of was that a cross?
how is that not a red?
Should have been a red card!
– A bit surprised to see Zimmerman starting at CB. Perhaps expecting a depleted Jamaica to bunker a bit more.
– Was expecting Lletget at MF with Musah or Busio at the 60’ mark. A vote of confidence, as he should mesh with McKennie and Adams.
– You know what you get with Arriola. A lot of hustle and tracking back on defense. Guessing he goes about 60, and makes way for Weah or Roldan to run at a tired defense.
Well…Musah’s a creative guy. I was honestly hoping for Luca Del La Torre because I think he could weave and combo his way through Jamaica when they sit back behind the ball but Musah’s got some of that.
Was definitely not hoping for Arriola. Here’s where cries of “BEERHOLDER!!!!” start echoing through the US soccer community again. No way, no how is Arriola our best option, or even in our Top 5.
Bleh. You make me crazy sometimes, Gregg.
DLT is overrated. how many G and A does he have and he plays in the No Defense Dutch League?
arriola over weah and then musah goes from off the list to starting. what a weird dude. far be it from me to solve his silliness and suggest that if you’re starting arriola and musah why isn’t musah the wing? just odd.
heck, if you’re gonna start arriola and dest then why not dest as the wing and put a RB out there who can mark.
Hoping Paul Arriola does great tonight, or at least enables Dest to have a great game.
That’s the positive take. I’ll stick with that for now. USA!!! USA!!!