2017 Gold Cup Final: USA – Jamaica
The USMNT got the best of a valiant Costa Rican team 2-0 at the semifinal stage of the tournament. Clint Dempsey subbed in and broke the deadlock at the 72nd minute thanks to a precise assist to Altidore who concluded the offensive move. Only 10 minutes later, a free kick was awarded from the 25 yard line and Dempsey secured the win. His 57th goal for USMNT tying Landon Donovan’s record for most with the US team.
Jamaica upset Mexico late in the game when Lawrence shoot out a free kick at the 88th minute to score the only goal against El Tri. The Jamaicans have shown great progress and were able to contain a inoffensive Mexican team which lacks quality and punch. Once again Mexico disappointed their fans…
Although favorites for the title, coach bruce Arena warns his team against a worthy opponent:
On Jamaica: “I think in the tournament they’ve done very well. I think they’re a different type of Jamaica team than we’ve seen in the past. They have a lot of discipline, they’re very strong defensively and they’re hard to play against. That to me is not what you typically see out of a Jamaican team. They’re in the Final based on merit. They’re a powerful team, very athletic, and they’ve shown they defend very well. They get out on the break and they cause problems with their pace. It’ll be a tough game for us. I think the last two games have been tough for us. This one is no different.”
He added on his team:
“I think we played a really good team, I thought this was one of the first real tests for us. I thought Costa Rica played well and we have to give them a lot of credit.
Four months ago we were rebuilding our program – a program that was in desperate shape for being in position to qualify for the World Cup and all other things. I think we’ve made great strides over the last four months, and this is a great opportunity for us to continue to make progress”
