1 week Ago
A pair of players with much to prove lifted the U.S. men’s national team to a 1-0 win over Jamaica on Thursday night in the first leg of a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.
Two days before facing Jamaica, U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner and forward Ricardo Pepi sat down to speak with media members.
Both knew they had important opportunities in this November international window, their second under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Advertisement For Turner, who has not been playing at the club level, it was about holding on to his starting job in goal. “I’m just going to keep plugging away, keep controlling what I can control right now and when my number’s called, I’m going to play the best that I can,” Turner said.
For Pepi, who has seen more minutes this season for PSV in the Netherlands, injuries at the forward position meant he was likely to get a rare start for the U.S. “I’m at a point in my career right now where I’m ready,” Pepi said Tuesday.
“I’m ready to start, to get more playing time. I feel like I’ve been showing that, whether with my club or national team.” Pochettino called on both players to start against Jamaica on Thursday, and both players came through with standout performances.
Pepi scored the opening goal in the fifth minute, and Turner saved a penalty in the 14th minute to help the U.S. secure a victory over the Reggae Boyz, setting up a clear path to advance to the semifinals in March.
The U.S. has won the first three versions of this CONCACAF Nations League.
The lone goal of the night was set up by Christian Pulisic . In the fifth minute, the U.S.
star picked up the ball in midfield, split a pair of defenders off the dribble and slipped a pass behind the line to Pepi. The PSV striker picked out the back post to beat Andre Blake and give the U.S.
a lead. With Folarin Balogun (shoulder), Josh Sargent (groin) and Haji Wright (ankle) all injured, it was an important goal for Pepi, who has been a consistent scorer off the bench but wanted to show he can produce as the starter. The goal made Pepi the fourth player in USMNT history to score 12 goals before turning 22, joining Pulisic, Landon Donovan and Jozy Altidore.
Seven minutes after Pepi’s goal, however, the U.S. nearly gifted Jamaica an equalizer.
Right back Joe Scally had a near-costly giveaway in the defensive third that sprung a Jamaican counter. Center back Tim Ream was spun around by Shamar Nicholson and Mark McKenzie went in soft on a tackle that Nicholson played through. That forced Turner to come out, but he tripped Nicholson as he tried to make the save.
Advertisement The referee whistled for a penalty. Turner dove to his right to make a crucial save on Demarai Gray ’s penalty and maintain the one-goal lead. It was a typical CONCACAF game.
The field in Jamaica looked soft and slow, with chunks of grass coming up throughout the first half. Jamaica rarely threatened the U.S.
goal, and the U.S. mostly controlled possession.
Pochettino made some interesting tactical tweaks. He started Johnny Cardoso and Tanner Tessmann in a double pivot midfield, with Weston McKennie playing as a No. 10 and Yunus Musah starting on the right side again.
When Cardoso left the game injured in the 21st minute, Malik Tillman came in as a sub. Still, he played deeper in midfield while McKennie stayed in his higher midfield position. Historically, those two would have swapped spots in the midfield, with McKennie playing more as a No.
8 and Tillman as a 10. Jamaica had two good moments in the second half. Mason Holgate looked to have an easy finish in the 66th minute, but Yunus Musah made a huge sliding tackle to deny the opportunity.
The ensuing corner kick was nearly a direct Olimpico, but Turner got back in time to make the save and the ensuing shot was parried over the bar by Ream. It looked like Ream may have used his arm, but the ref ruled it was the shoulder and there was no video review. Holgate picked up a second yellow card in the 86th minute for pulling down U.
S. forward Brandon Vazquez . Jamaica was forced to finish the game with 10 men, and Holgate will not be able to play in the return fixture.
Now, the U.S. heads to St.
Louis for the second leg of the quarterfinals Monday with a goal advantage. (Top photo: John Dorton / Getty Images).
