Laken Litman
School Soccer & Soccer Analyst
The U.S. males’s nationwide group dominated Trinidad and Tobago in its opening Gold Cup match on Sunday, cruising to a decisive 5-0 win. Malik Tillman and Patrick Agyemang mixed for 3 objectives earlier than halftime, whereas Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright got here off the bench so as to add two extra within the second.
The sturdy and relentless efficiency by a younger American squad was a whole 180-degree flip from the way in which the group seemed during the last week in consecutive losses to Turkiye and Switzerland, which drew mounds of public criticism. Whereas Trinidad and Tobago wasn’t precisely the identical caliber opponent, that is precisely how the U.S. needed to start match play.
Listed here are takeaways from the match:
McGlynn, Luna making early World Cup circumstances
Jack McGlynn and Diego Luna, two midfielders who’ve already been vibrant spots for this group up to now this calendar 12 months, are actually endearing themselves additional to Pochettino and his employees.
Sunday, Luna had two assists and will have scored within the first half. On the second objective within the forty first minute, Luna discovered himself alone streaking down the left wing. Relatively than take a shot himself, he slipped a pinpoint cross to a streaking Tillman, who nailed the ball into the again of the online.
On the third objective, Luna’s shot deflected off Agyemang and bounced previous goalkeeper Marvin Phillip.
McGlynn, in the meantime, regularly discovered himself in harmful areas and was inventive within the last third. Main as much as this match – and relationship again to the Concacaf Nations League Finals in March – the USMNT struggled to complete. That wasn’t a difficulty on Sunday, like on this opening objective within the first quarter-hour when McGlynn chipped the ball throughout the mouth of the objective to Tillman.
Stable efficiency in objective by Freese
Pochettino opted to play Matt Freese in objective over Matt Turner within the USMNT’s first Gold Cup match. The supervisor had mentioned he trusted Turner, however needed to present Freese, who had one cap coming into this recreation, extra expertise.
Whereas Trinidad and Tobago didn’t threaten usually – the USMNT out shot its opponent 21-3, 11-2 in photographs on objective – Freese wanted to spring into motion a couple of instances and was profitable.
Like on this early likelihood within the second half.
Can we anticipate Pochettino to rotate goalkeepers all through the Gold Cup? We’ll see who he begins later this week when the U.S. faces Saudi Arabia in its second match.
What’s subsequent for the USMNT?
The People will journey to Austin the place they’ll face Saudi Arabia on Thursday, June 19 (9:15 p.m. ET on FOX) at Q2 Stadium. The Saudis, who’re in the course of 2026 World Cup qualifying, may show to be a stiffer take a look at for the U.S. than Trinidad and Tobago turned out to be. The group is led by supervisor Herve Renard, who was the squad’s coach on the 2022 World Cup when it pulled off an enormous group stage upset over eventual champion Argentina.
The final time these nations met was the USMNT’s last tune-up match earlier than the 2022 World Cup and so they tied 0-0 in Murica, Spain.
United States vs. Trinidad and Tobago Highlights | Concacaf Gold Cup
Laken Litman covers school soccer, school basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA Right this moment and The Indianapolis Star. She is the writer of “Sturdy Like a Girl,” printed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Comply with her at @LakenLitman.
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