By Tommy Kane

Published: July 4th, 2019

The United States Men’s National Team defeated Jamaica, 3-1, in the Semifinals of the 2019 Gold Cup. The match between the two foes took place in Nashville, TN., on Jul. 3, 2019.

The two teams faced each other in the last two Gold Cups. In 2015, Jamaica defeated the Americans in the Semifinal, and in 2017, the U.S. beat Jamaica in the Gold Cup Final by a score of 2-1.

Head coach, Gregg Berhalter, made a few changes to the lineup and the formation, including the surprise captaincy decision of Tim Ream. In the end, the formation change paid off.

Lighting Strikes Early

The United States came into the game with a lot of fire-power, a stark contrast from the last match against Curacao. Christan Pulisic, Paul Arriola, and Jozy Altidore had great chances early.

Finally, in the 9th minute, Weston McKennie (shown below #8) gave the States their first goal of the game. The ball moved around the box and found McKennie, who was able to knock the ball past Jamaican keeper, Andre Blake. It was at point-blank range, with Blake having little chance to stop the goal.

In the 16th minute, the game was delayed due to lightning strikes in the area. The delay stunned the American momentum and caused both teams to head back into the locker room for an unknown amount of time.

The game was paused for about an hour and a half, maybe a few minutes less. Around 11:20 PM EST, the game was underway yet again.

The U.S. tried to pick up where they left off, but the delay swung in the Reggae Boyz’ favor, as they pounded the Americans with a few shots. American keeper, Zack Steffen, made a huge save right when the game resumed.

Before the half ended, Jozy Altidore and Junior Flemmings got into a scrappy battle which turned into a scrum, and both players received yellow cards. The U.S. used the battle and turned it into momentum heading into the second half.

Pulisic Strikes Twice

Three goals were scored in the second half, two from the U.S. and one from Jamaica.

In the 52nd minute, Jordan Morris got on the ball and had a great shot against Blake, which was batted away. Pulisic (shown below) found the rebound and put the ball into the back of the net to give the Americans a 2-0 lead.

The Stars and Stripes attempted to manage the 2-0 lead, but Jamaica ended their long shutout streak in the Gold Cup. Shamar Nicholson, who also scored a goal in a recent friendly against the U.S., headed the ball into the corner of the net, well out of Steffen’s reach. This came in the 69th minute, so the U.S. still had 20+ minutes to preserve the win.

Towards the end of the game, all were getting anxious. The Americans were playing slow and nervously, trying to make sure that Jamaica does not get any more opportunities. The time-management in the last few minutes were crucial for the United States.

Pulisic once again struck during the ‘time-killing’ period. It was another rebound goal that was shot perfectly past Blake. It was in the 86th minute and the American crowd rose to their feet, knowing that a date with Mexico in the Gold Cup Final was imminent now.

The Americans capped off the game and won by the score of 3-1. Both goalies were busy in the game, with the U.S. having seven shots on target and the Jamaicans having ten shots on target. Possession was close to even, but the U.S. had a slight edge in terms of possession with the ball 51% of the time.

Dos a Cero (Mexico Rivalry)

The ‘Dos a Cero (2 to 0)’ rivalry continues, with the United States taking on Mexico in the 2019 Gold Cup Final on Jul. 7, 2019, at 9 PM EST. The match will take place in Chicago, IL. The nickname for the rivalry, in short, came from results between the two teams that ended up being 2-0, no matter who won. Will the U.S. be on the winning side of this one?

Also, the United States Women’s National Team will be playing in the 2019 FIFA World Cup Final on the same day at 11 AM EST. They will play the Netherlands. It is an exciting day for U.S. Soccer.

Mexico just barely beat Haiti in the Semifinal, winning off a penalty kick in extra time. The American win against Jamaica looked a lot more convincing, and against a far more difficult opponent.

Steffen will be busy in the match as Mexico will look to get off shots. The defense for the U.S. also needs to be ready for Mexico’s offense as well. Offensively, the Americans did a great job passing and finding chances. If they could continue that and do better finishing off plays and scoring goals, the U.S. will be in good hands. Mexico’s goalie, Guillermo Ochoa, is an experienced goalie who has made big saves in the past. The U.S. needs to send all their shots at him and finish plays.

Other than that, it should be a great match to watch. A United States-Mexico final is always great soccer to see. It also will be big for all of the new players the Americans have, as well as the new coach, Berhalter. Mexico is an opponent of large magnitude, and winning the game would be huge for the United States on a worldwide scale.

GO USA! LET’S HOPE FOR A DOUBLE CHAMPIONSHIP ON JULY 7TH!

Match Stats Against Jamaica

Video Highlights Against Jamaica