The US men’s national team drew 1-1 against Jamaica in their first group-stage game at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Damien Lowe scored the only goal for Jamaica in the 13th minute.
- Brandon Vasquez equalized in the 88th minute. It was his second goal for the United States
- The American men beat Jamaica 13-6. The USMNT held 68 percent, while Jamaica had 32 percent.
- The USMND’s next game is against St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday at 10pm ET.
AthleticInstant Analysis:
What this means for America
Vasquez’s goal tied the game at 1-1 and would have been the second time the U.S. had lost in the Gold Cup group stage. (The first and only time was to Panama in 2011.) Since the top two teams from each group advance to the knockouts, the U.S. is in a better position to advance out of the group stage, and favor the U.S. Their next two games are against St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago.
After Saturday’s draw, goal difference may factor into seeding, so the U.S. will need to get as many goals as possible against a St. Kitts and Nevis team on Wednesday night. — Tenorio
What to take from this draw?
It wasn’t pretty, but it would be hard to argue that Vasquez’s goal wasn’t a justified equalizer for the USMNT. The U.S. played a completely different team from the one that won the Nations League Cup in Las Vegas last week. Goalkeeper Matt Turner saved a penalty to keep the game within a goal, the only holdover from the starting lineup, and the lack of firepower on the offensive end was evident, as was the huge difference in how the U.S. was able to push. The game is through its middle. While Jamaica had many Premier League players in its ranks, the United States had a team made up of North American domestic players based in MLS or Liga MX.
The U.S. had a couple of dangerous moments, but never looked as fluid or dangerous as they did with their best players on the field against Mexico and Canada in Las Vegas. Players like Aidan Morris and Allan Sonora struggled, the U.S. conceded a goal on a defensive set piece and Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake made several crucial saves to stifle the Americans. Jamaica looked like they were going to get the win, but the USA controlled most of the ball and kept Jamaica on the back foot for much of the second half. In the end, Vázquez found the target and saved the result when the Jamaican failed to clear Jesus Ferreira’s cross.
There aren’t going to be a ton of positives to come out of this. Despite the obvious talent in the Jamaican team, the USA will need to be more decisive in games like this and play better to advance to the knockout stages. — Tenorio
Backstory
The US entered the CONCACAF Gold Cup on June 18 after winning the CONCACAF Nations League. The USMNT beat Canada 2-0 with goals from Chris Richards and Fowler Balogan. It was the USMNT’s second Nations League title in program history.
The USMNT is the defending champion of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2021, the team defeated Mexico 1–0 in the final to capture the country’s seventh Gold Cup title.
Highlight of the match
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(Photo: John Toure/USA Today)
