Tyler Boyd (24, Santa Ynez, CA) - Vitória de Guimarães, Primeira Liga

The most consistent player across the two games in our view, Tyler Boyd showed that he can be a consistent threat off the wing and fill the role of a much needed winger with a drive to goal that the USMNT needed. Even in the game vs. Guyana where the USMNT was not always creating chances from open play, Boyd was able to create something out of nothing by driving at defenders and taking a strike from distance. More than that, Boyd stood out with dangerous runs in behind the opponent’s back-line in both games, adding a vertical element to the USMNT game when in possession. In fact, those driven runs led Boyd to produce several dangerous crosses across the face of the goal, something that had been missing from the USMNT game for some time.

If there is one weakness in Boyd’s arsenal, it seems to be his decision making. The winger tends to favor a strike on goal from virtually any position, at times at the expense of slotting in teammates in a more favorable position. However, all in all, Boyd (who has drawn interest from Turkish top club Besiktas in recent weeks) is a much needed spark in the final third for the USMNT and one of the clear winners of the Gold Cup so far, after his two goals against Guyana.



Aaron Long (26, Oak Hills, CA) - New York Red Bulls, MLS

The former USL and MLS Defender of the Year has had quite a rise in the past three years. From being cut by the Portland Timbers as a defensive midfielder to captaining the USMNT under Berhalter, Aaron Long underpinned why the head coach trusts him to lead with a two goal performance against T&T. Though Long did have some suspect moments in the friendlies prior to the tournament, Berhalter has stuck with Long (preferring him over Matt Miazga) and Long repaid his trust with a strong performance against T&T. While he was admittedly unchallenged for a majority of the game, Long and Zimmerman looked comfortable in the back, were positionally aware, dominated aerial duels, and most importantly, Long vastly improved at opening the play from the back by finding Michael Bradley or one of the wingers as outlets.

Solid in the back, Long also found himself on the scoresheet twice, as he clearly had a license to break into the T&T box to try and take advantage of physical mismatches. This game plan clearly worked out as Long was able to outmuscle his opponents on two occasions and bury the ball from close range. We’ve always known that the likes of McKennie, Long, and Zimmerman can pose serious threats on set pieces given their aerial abilities, so it was good to see the USMNT take advantage of these situations. While overwhelmingly positive on the night, in order to remain a mainstay in the starting XI, we continue to believe that Long needs to regain some of his from defensively - something we will be looking for against quality opponents later in the tournament.

Paul Arriola (24, Chula Vista, CA) - DC United, MLS

Paul Arriola shifted into a second gear this group stage. Some of his missed chances against Venezuela were unlucky, but he made no mistake with a sweet curled finish and an assist against Guyana. In both games, Arriola’s use of space on the wings and overlaps added another dimension going forward. Specifically in the second half against T&T, the California native was creating chance after chance, spurning some, but finally converting a tap in after hopping ahead of his marking defender. Arriola’s stamina and energy kept him going throughout the match - the consistency of the threat on the wings is one of the reasons why both opponents caved in the second half of each game.

Paul Arriola is beginning to solidify his case for being a starter for the USMNT instead of a second choice. Still some way to go if the entire squad is fully fit, but his form for DC United this season and his consistent output in the two Gold Cup games makes him a must have for the rest of the tournament.

MLS Spotlight

Jeremy Ebobisse (22, Bethesda, MD) - Portland Timbers, MLS

Jeremy Ebobisse notched his fifth goal of the season with a wonderful far post curler to seal a 4-0 victory for the Portland Timbers over the Houston Dynamo. Ebobisse, who must feel a bit left out from the senior USMNT team, has had a turn of form recently, nabbing an assist in his last match as well. Employed on the left wing, Ebobisse made surging runs throughout the match and kept a cool 81% pass accuracy too. Early in the game, he nearly pulled an assist for Fernandez after he played a delicately lofted ball into the box which the striker was unable to convert off of. Ebobisse’s goal was the exclamation point on a great win for Portland who have been struggling this season, but Ebobisse linking with star striker Fernandez is beginning to show some serious promise.

Ebobisse’s goal: