The US men's national team rumbled past Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday night en route to a first-place finish in Gold Cup Group A.
On the back of a second-consecutive Jesús Ferreira hat trick, the Yanks cruised to a 6-0 win at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in a complete and unbothered performance.
Up next is a July 9 quarterfinal in Cincinnati against a to-be-determined opponent for interim head coach B.J. Callaghan and his squad, hoping to successfully defend their regional title.
Turner wasn't incredibly involved throughout the night, but the Arsenal shot-stopper was sharp when called on. He made three saves en route to a clean sheet.
It was a standout showing for DeJuan Jones. The New England Revolution fullback completed 100% of his passes on the night, created three chances, and overlapped selflessly to draw defenders away from Mihailovic down the left flank. His off-ball movement was dynamic, and he picked out a perfect cross for Ferreira to open the scoring in an all-around impressive performance.
The young LA Galaxy defender was challenged more defensively than he was on Wednesday (though without ever being under significant duress), but once again looked incredibly mature for a 19-year-old. Neal completed 92% of his passes, which was impressive considering how aggressively he broke lines – including an early pass that split the defense and put Ferreira in on goal. He did pick up a yellow card, leaving him in danger of a suspension if he earns another booking.
The Atlanta United defender was solid defensively without being tested too much and completed a tidy 97% of his passes. Robinson was taken off at the half in a pre-planned substitution.
Another quality outing for the Roma right back. Reynolds' delivery into the box was dangerous throughout the night, and he was poised in possession and reliable defensively. He ran out of gas a bit towards the end of his 77 minutes but was strong yet again in a US shirt.
It was another class performance from the AZ Alkmaar playmaker. His entry pass to Zendejas was perfectly weighted in the buildup to Ferreira's second goal, and he craftily drew the penalty for the third.
Sands didn't do much highlight-reel work, but he kept the metronome ticking at the base of midfield and was tough in the tackle. The New York City FC man kept the midfield organized and provided a platform for a dominant attacking performance. He's had a quietly excellent tournament so far.
Busio was dynamic in his return to North Carolina. Just down I-85 from his Greensboro hometown, the Venezia midfielder was energetic all night, buzzing around to win possession and crash late into the box. He was rewarded with a goal in the second half, picking up the ball on a late trailing run and finding the bottom corner with a cool finish.
Roldán worked hard in his 61-minute shift but lacked quality in the final third. The Seattle Sounders man had a couple of sloppy touches and mis-hit passes around the box and wasn't quite as efficient as he needed to be, but his movement opened space for Mihailovic and Jones and he played a part in the opening goal.
"Hold my beer!" – Jesús Ferreira (probably) after speculation that he couldn't top his hat trick against St. Kitts & Nevis.
Three goals in the first 45 minutes. Six in his last two games. The first USMNT player with hat tricks in back-to-back appearances. So what if it's not elite competition? You can only play the team in front of you. Plenty of players in the history of the USMNT have played these teams. Almost none have scored at the rate the FC Dallas attacker is doing. At some point, you just have to sit back and enjoy it.
Like he did on Wednesday, Zendejas consistently found the ball in promising positions and then consistently picked the wrong shot or pass. He did notch a really nice assist to Ferreira, taking the edge off another somewhat frustrating showing.
The winningest manager in USMNT history (by percentage) continued to put his players in the best positions to succeed. He's beaten the teams he's been expected to beat, and his second-half substitutions didn't just maintain the team's level, they raised the overall performance.
Substitutes
It was a professional performance for Miazga. On as a halftime substitute, he played a mistake-free and composed 45 minutes.
Cowell was dynamic as soon as he entered the match. He scored after just four minutes on the field, showing tremendous composure to round the 'keeper and beat a defender. He nearly made it a brace in his first 10 minutes with an electric run and drive off the post, and he set Vazquez up for the final goal of the evening with a slick through ball. The substitute performance provided a dazzling display of his potential.
Julian Gressel had a classic Julian Gressel display. Into the game with 30 minutes to go, he drifted to the right, where he delivered his trademark service into the box, eventually setting up Busio's goal with a slick cut-back cross. His set-piece delivery was also on point.
It looked set to be a frustrating night for the FC Cincinnati striker, who found plenty of chances but couldn't find the finishing touch. He put those frustrations to bed in the 94th minute, though, chipping the 'keeper to make it six for the Yanks.
Yedlin came on for the final 13 minutes to close out the evening and give Bryan Reynolds a breather.
