A diving header by Jordan Siebatcheu one minute from full time lifted the US men's national team to a 1-0 win over Honduras in the Concacaf Nations League Semifinals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver Thursday night.
The USMNT advance to Sunday's Nations League Final to face the winner of the second Semifinal between Mexico and Costa Rica later Thursday night.
They reach that championship tilt without the complications of a penalty kick shootout thanks to Siebatcheu's 89th-minute winner. John Brooks' chipped a ball into the box was headed into space by Weston McKennie, with Siebatcheu there to meet it and put a diving header past Honduran goalkeeper Luis Lopez from the edge of the six-yard box for the winner.
The night could have been made more straightforward for the USMNT had they taken advantage of a pair of high-quality chances coming in the opening 45 minutes.
Gio Reyna had the USMNT’s first opportunity, slaloming through a pair of Honduran defenders before putting his low shot just wide of the far post in the 10th minute. Then later Josh Sargent latched onto an Antonee Robinson cross and headed on frame, forcing Luis Lopez to parry away.
But three minutes earlier Sargent came up huge defensively with a headed clearance off the line off an Alberth Elis attempt in the 27th minute.
Second half opportunities were at a premium and just when it looked like the teams would line up for a PK shootout, Siebatcheu came up with the late drama.
Goals
- 89’ — USA — Jordan Siebatcheu | WATCH
Three ThingsÂ
- THE BIG PICTURE: OK, it wasn’t pretty — few Concacaf knockout games are — and the USMNT need to be more decisive in the final third, but they found a way and they found it late to advance to play in a competitive final.Â
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Ultimately it’s got to be the late winner by Siebatcheu.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Brooks set the tone early, letting Elis know it was going to be a long day for the former Houston Dynamo star. And the center back started the sequence that resulted in the late winner.
Next Up
- USA: Sunday, June 6 vs. Mexico/Costa Rica winner | 9 pm ET | Univision, TUDN, Paramount+, CBS Sports Network | Concacaf Nations League Final
- HON: Sunday, June 6 vs. Mexico/Costa Rica loser | 6:30 pm ET | Univision, TUDN, Paramount+, CBS Sports Network | Concacaf Nations League Third Place Match
