2019 Gold Cup Day 2
USA have dismantled Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 and have advanced to the tournament quarterfinals. The USMNT’s win combined with Panama’s 4-2 victory against Guyana earlier in the day sees both teams advance to the knockout round. The USA would finish first in Group D with a win or draw against Panama in Wednesday’s Group D finale in Kansas City.
US Soccer Press Release
The U.S. Men’s National Team recorded its largest ever margin of victory against Trinidad & Tobago with a 6-0 victory before 23,921 at FirstEnergy Stadium to book a spot in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals. Gyasi Zardes and Aaron Long scored two goals apiece, Christian Pulisic and Paul Arriola also tallied goal, while Zack Steffen and the U.S. defense kept a second consecutive clean sheet in an impressive result that also tied the U.S. MNT’s largest ever margin of victory in a Gold Cup game.
The USA (2-0-0; 6pts) sits tied atop Group D with a superior goal difference to Panama (2-0-0; 6pts), which defeated Guyana 4-2 in the day’s earlier game. Group D action will conclude at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City on Wednesday with the USA and Panama going head to head for first place in the final group standings.
Both teams had near misses in the opening stages of the match with the USA’s Tyler Boyd putting a difficult shot from the corner of the six just wide and Trinidad’s Alvin Jones ripping a free kick just over the bar in an early show of intent from the sides.
Steffen was forced into a strong save inside the first 10 minutes as Soca Warriors captain Khaleem Hyland blasted a loose ball through a U.S. defenders legs but right a Steffen who punched it clear in an early illustration of a solid night from the USA goalkeeper who finished up with three quality saves on the night.
After an active opening 15 minutes, the U.S. took things up a notch beginning in the 34th minute when some good possession resulted in Weston McKennie chipping to Zardes alone on the back post and he headed the ball across the face of goal looking for Arriola, but Trinidad ‘keeper Marvin Phillip smothered the ball at the D.C. man’s feet.
After a few more good spells of possession and half chances, Long provided the breakthrough with a headed goal in the 41st minute to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead it would build upon after the break.
A pair of opportunities for Boyd just before the hour struck bookended a small fracas as the USA pushed to take firm control of the game and passions flared. That five minutes marked the point that the U.S. ascended into the drivers seat as four goals in 12 minutes between the 66 th and 78thminutes put the reigning Gold Cup title holders out of sight.
Zardes, who nearly had a hattrick on the night, bagged the first two of the sequence in the 66th and 69th minutes before Pulisic and Arriola added to the margin in the 73rd and 78th minutes, respectively. Long, whose opening goal was the first of his MNT career, then capped off the night with a finally tally as the curtain came down in the 90th minute.
