The U.S. men’s national team are two wins away from lifting its fourth-straight CONCACAF Nations League title.
Christian Pulisic scored twice while Ricardo Pepi and Tim Weah added goals as the USMNT defeated Jamaica 4-2 in quarterfinal second leg action on Monday. The Americans advanced 5-2 on aggregate after breezing past the Reggae Boyz at CITYPARK.
“I am so pleased. The first 45 minutes is the way that we want to grow, build our journey together and I think it was fantastic to see the player perform,” USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said.
“In a short period, and with not too [much] time to work, I think in the way that they adapt and receive all the concepts and in the way that we try to play, I think they show that we have unbelievable players with the capacity to understand quick, learn quick and that is because [of] our talented players.”
Weah came close to scoring in his USMNT return after rattling the left post in the third minute. Pulisic and Antonee Robinson connected down the left wing before Robinson’s pass allowed Weah to rip a shot at the top of the Jamaica box.
Pulisic opened the scoring in the 14th minute after a clever chipped finish past Andre Blake. Weston McKennie’s over-the-top ball allowed Pulisic to sneak behind the Jamaican backline and slot home into the far right corner.
It marked Pulisic’s 32nd international goal, which tied him with Eric Wynalda for the fourth-most in USMNT history.
Pulisic made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute after receiving help from a major deflection. Tanner Tessmann and Yunus Musah connected upfield before Musah’s cut back pass was rifled on target by Pulisic.
Di’Shon Bernard got in the way of the shot, but watched as it deflected into the bottom-left corner.
Pepi extended the USMNT’s lead to 3-0 before halftime after netting his second goal of the window. Robinson won possession on the left wing before eventually playing a pass into Pepi, who curled a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner.
It was his fourth goal in five career appearances vs. Jamaica.
Demarai Gray cut the Jamaica deficit to 3-1 after netting his sixth international goal. Issac Hayden’s cross from the right wing was volleyed home by Gray to give the Reggae Boyz a lifeline.
However, Weah would help the USMNT recapture their three-goal lead by delivering an emphatic finish in the 55th minute. Yunus Musah’s cross from the right wing found a wide-open Weah in the box before the Juventus winger struck home.
Gray kept Jamaica alive with his second goal of the night in the 68th minute. Matt Turner dove to deny Renaldo Cephas but the rebound fell right to Gray who made no mistake.
Brandon Vazquez, Cade Cowell, Brenden Aaronson, and Gianluca Busio all featured off the bench to earn important minutes. The USMNT would hang on to seal its Final Four spot, enjoying their first competitive home win under Pochettino.
“I’m so happy because in these two camps in two months I think it’s amazing in the way that we are one team,” Pochettino added. “I think it’s a team that is very careful about each other, that we fight for each other, how the staff look after the player but the player look for the staff. I think we are creating that idea of [being] all together and feel confidence and that is the most important thing.”
The USMNT will return to action in January with a home friendly vs. Venezuela to kick off a busy 2025.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Tim Weah & Jedi playing on the same side was the biggest difference. These 2 are the fastest players we have. No country in CONCACAF can handle these 2 on the same side. CP will score more and his job will be that much easier. I’ve been saying this since USA v Bolivia 2018! Remind you it’s 2024. CP will receive 100 percent of the credit. CP at LW doesn’t run when Jedi has ball because he’s not fast enough to keep up. You don’t put right footed players at RW if they don’t use their left foot, consistently. Lil Weah, the Allen Iverson of Soccer, is “left eye dominant”. News flash for Pochettino & coaching staff. 99 percent of right handed/ right footed players are left eye dominant. Duh?! Whoever doesn’t know this lives in a cave and doesn’t know a thing about American athletics. Musah isn’t good a RW for this exact reason. That’s why right handed batters stand on the left, so the left eye sees the ball 1st; same for left handed batters who are right eye dominant. Scally & Ream in the back line will get the US beat. There’s 10 field players for the U.S. and these 2 rank the lowest in athletic ability. After effort, athletic ability is the 2nd asset, a player needs on the defense side to be a successful defender. I’ve been saying this for a few years now. Gio, CP, Malik Tillman, BA, Busio, Tessman all play attacking midfield. Diego Luna, Paxton A, Brian Gutierrez all play attacking midfield. Everyone can’t play the same attacking role. You also don’t use CFs as wingers because it keeps other players who actually play that position from seeing the field. (Soccer isn’t position less; all athletes get paid according to their position. Every sport has a position & pay scale according to the position). Pochettino gets the positions right, stops uses CP for corners & set pieces and I finally get to see the base squad I’ve been waiting to see for 6 years and counting.
It is still early in the Pochettino era, but if the US can continue to play this well, I hope we will stop this silly “get rid of the old guys and bring in the inexperienced players that only I have heard of” posts. These posts implicitly assume that managers of big European clubs can’t evaluate talent. I heavily criticized the US in Jamaica and was given all the excuses for our poor play such as it was an away game, poor pitch, blah, blah, blah. I have been trying to point out that we have the most talent of any US men’s team and what we needed was to get them to play as a team such that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And we did this without a lot of players like Dest, Adams, Wright, Sargent, Richards, Balogun, and Reina. If we are completely healthy I think a big problem will be choosing the best 11.
A lot of posts reference specific players and that’s fine, but the real improvement is in how the 11 play together, and that’s where I see marked improvements. The team is unified, organized and more and more surgical on both sides of the ball with fewer mistakes even from the away game to the Monday game, and they are progressing to advanced tactics. Not too bad
Yup. I know folks are praising TT, and I am also, but that first 2025 in Kingston with Johnny had us in control. Johnny got hurt and we weren’t as strong in the middle. I think Johnny is gonna thrive under Poch. We are going to need some combo of JC, TT and hopefully a healthy Tyler A to help solidify that middle because our CB’s will not be good enough. Richards needs to get healthy (another one always freaking hurt) get back to playing, and improve. He is the best we have got, and then we need to cover the CB’s in some form. That middle 3 I mentioned are the main options to help. It will be what makes or breaks Poch. Can he come up with something? Gonna be tough. At least Turner isn’t looking like a disaster anymore. As usual many fans get to high or low. W shall se where it goes from here.
I can’t recall ever seeing the USMNT overload the midfield by pinching an outside back inside the way Jedi did last night. Jamaica couldn’t handle it and didn’t adjust until half-time. I’m looking forward to other tactical efforts to knock opponents off-center. It’s one game, but great to see the proposition that tactical flexibility leads to success demonstrated so clearly on the field. Also, Tessman continues to show promise, which is a welcome surprise.
Lima as RB during early Berhalter days.
US 1 Italy 0, 2012
Not exactly the same tactic but JK did start Danny Williams on the right wing as a midfielder. and kept him there the entire game.
It kept Italy from overrunning our midfield.,
Pulisic with that DT goal celebration, got me weak as heck. Looks like a drunk old head feelin himself, after a few shots of Jameson Whiskey lol.
Ruined the game (and Pulisic) for me if I’m honest – lol
I understand why racists hated the kneeling thing now – just from the other side.
Grow up. Pepi and Mck did it too. They’re having fun. It wasn’t a political statement.
Wes joined in also. Sadly, people will look for anything that justifies there views while diminishing others, while casting them off as the enemy. Case in point? I have lived around the country. I have an adopted Korean boy, my wife has been the major bread winner and allowed me to retire early, I was in the wedding party for my brother in laws gay wedding, and have quite a few gay friends. I have Hispanics and mixed color in my family. Fit a stereotypical bill….right? Moved near Boston 15 years ago as my son attended college there. Open minded Boston.
Bullshit. Pandering, close minded, censoring schools w scary authoritarian tendencies, zero alternative views tolerated….nuts. I never ever thought an elitist was a real thing but I know it is now. Hate to tell u most of the family agrees, and they will never speak up about it here publically or they will be targeted. Gay or colored. will beconsidered a traitor. Hell, folks in Texas, Georgia and Tennessee at least were willing to speak to me and exchange views, even if I thought they had real issues, some terrible issues. At least hey conversed and listened. Yes, my son and friends were looked at differently by some, there was bias, and it was by way fewer than you can imagine. It was there but life went on relatively well. Boston? STFU and do what we tell you or you are done. Don’t talk if you aren’t going to follow their rules….which we define. Never be certain you know what is actually going on, or know what people are, or believe to hard in one side or the other is the lesson. I’ve learned it.
Bearded Soccer – Grow up? Lol. The problem is I’m too grown. It’s hard to stand behind a national team whose coach is being paid for by a literal oligarch ($100 million to the DT campaign). It’s cool if you think it’s all good fun but I think your comment shows a touch of projection. Yeah, great first half. Hard to walk away feeling good about who this team/federation is. In all honesty it’s a pretty good reflection of the country at large isn’t it? Ugh.
STFU “Master of Morons.” Nobody cares about your opinion that reeks of stupidity, snowflake. Now go kneel and cry.
biggest difference I see is the freedom Jedi has to roam, literally all of the pitch, inside and outside, like another midfield in the attack. makes for some interesting counter opportunities for the opposition, interested to see if that’s the plan against all comps.
we played very differently on the road and then at home vs. the same opponent, tactics were adjusted. That was very cool to see. Jamaica physical, fast, talented, strong but not the most tactically organized group. other teams will test better but what a fun game to watch last night
Never to high after a good performance, never to low after a tough one.
Love the way we play forward from the middle now. We have enough quality mids to play this way also. Fits the talent. Johnny will do well under Poch after watching much of his club play. Adams to wingback? Pseudo sweeper like RB tried him for a while? Hmmm. We play on a quality field and the opp isn’t allowed to punch and kick us regularly…helps a lot.
On Dutch TV a criticism of Pepi is that he isn’t able to hold the ball up enough and connect. It is a real serious issue, he is piss poor at it, but damn can he hit the net. His club and international ceiling will be limited unless he can significantly improve this part of his game.
If the mythical Gio unicorn can ever play this style shoul have him as close to the opposing goal as possible, and quite honestly that is where he is best. He has real limitations many do not want to see running the show, or against physically capable/skilled team, but him playing is still fantasy stuff right now.
Tolkin seems like he could play on this team.
We will get burned playing out of the back sooner rather than later, but that’s the way things are these days. TBH, Panama is the litmus test for me. They are very well coached, have enough quality talent, play as a team, and of course will beat Christian up if we let them. A clear step up in quality and have shown that we are not some kind of fantasy, clear step up from them. That happens on the field when there is something to play for. I am actually looking forward to a US match up, and haven’t in a long time. That is where I will really start to judge Poch.
Will be fascinating to see what Poch does with a healthy Dest.
The tangibles most noteworthy are the depth we are building at critical positions in the roster.
– With Adams out for a long duration, Cardoso stepped up and performed well. Now we’re seeing Tessman show excellent quality after Cardoso’s injury.
– Pepi is still young, and just continues to improve. Balogun must realize he has real competition for that starting spot.
– Letting A Robinson play out of his more traditional LB role because of Weah’s versatility.
– McKenzie, despite s couple of slip-ups, showed he could be depended upon for a role on the back line
USMNT 4 vs JAMAICA 2
IMAGINE
Pepi having 2+ missed chances in front of goal
Weah’s missed chance hitting the post and coming across goal
Vasquez having two missed chances (that he makes at Cinci in his sleep)
……..AND WE STILL FOUND THE NET 4 TIMES!!!!!!
Mauricio Pochettino ability to adapt and change thing around, Matt turner’s reflex saves, Tessmann’s dummy over the ball to give Pulisic a shot, Jedi’s perfect pass through two defenders WITH INCHES TO SPARE to set up Pepi, Mckennie’s long ball to find Pulisic in stride…… we were absolutely firing on all cylinders and flying high for most of the game
Now imagine a healthy Sergiño Dest added to a healthy and in form Pulisic, Mckennie, Weah, Jedi and Musah………LOL, LET GGOOOOO
We really need to shore up our defense if we have any aspirations beyond winning in Concacaf.
What are you talking about? I said 4 positive things and two observations Vazquez got in his own head and missed a couple he usually makes and Zendajas never uses his right foot even when going right. Did you have money on the US -3 you seem wound pretty tight Alf?
An absolutely great first half. Best we have played in some time. That’s the way they should play regularly, we have the talent for it.
I would say since NL under Callahan. Played free and aggressive not afraid to play balls to runners.
US thoughts:
-Having Pepi, Pulisic, Wes, and Weah in good club form coming into camp is a bonus we haven’t always had.
-tonight almost every time Jamaica tried to counter we fouled, nothing egregious enough to pick up a card but just physical playing going for the ball.
-Zendajas is so left footed and not in a good Arjen Robben way
-Vazquez had a case of the Zendajas’ from the GC, that the goal got smaller every time he missed.
-looks like Canada or Panama in the semis.
-McKenzie wasn’t perfect but he certainly made a case.
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Jamaica thoughts:
-Bailey never plays as well for Jamaica as he does for club.
-Cephas is the Jamaican, Shaffelberg. Both are a handful with their speed.
-How on earth does Antonio lose his passport? Memories of Andrew Carleton not bringing his passport for a road trip to Montreal (kind of was the beginning of the end of his career).
How many matches has Poch had with these guys? He has to break all the bad habits that GB drilled into them and form a TEAM. Tonight was a positive movement towards a solid national team. If you can”t see that then shut the f–k up!
JR
“-Having Pepi, Pulisic, Wes, and Weah in good club form coming into camp is a bonus we haven’t always had.”
Maybe load management isn’t all bad
“-tonight almost every time Jamaica tried to counter we fouled, nothing egregious enough to pick up a card but just physical playing going for the ball.”
Straight rip off from Pep.
Man City do that almost unconciously.
“-Vazquez had a case of the Zendajas’ from the GC, that the goal got smaller every time he missed.”
With every miss Josh, Flo, Wright and Pefok breathed a sigh of relief.
“-McKenzie wasn’t perfect but he certainly made a case.”
Yes he did.
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Jamaica thoughts:
“-Bailey never plays as well for Jamaica as he does for club.”
True, but he is better supported at his club. Still, he showed just how important he is to Jamaica going forward. This is their very best chance to qualify for a World Cup.
“-How on earth does Antonio lose his passport? Memories of Andrew Carleton not bringing his passport for a road trip to Montreal (kind of was the beginning of the end of his career).”
Having done that once, while in a foreign country, I don’t wish that on anyone.
Montreal is in a foreign country? I’m not sure Carleton was ever that legit anyway. Where is he now?
I don’t think Carleton played anywhere this season. He had bounced around USL.