Jeff Carlisle, US Soccer Correspondent
ST. LOUIS — Game 2 of the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) quarterfinals between the United States and Jamaica lacked drama. I didn’t feel nervous for a long time. But there were also some thrilling moments. It was exactly the kind of performance the United States hoped for when they hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager two months ago.
The USMNT defeated the Reggae Boyz 4-2 for a 5-2 aggregate victory and advanced to the CNL semifinals next March. To put this victory into context, eight months ago in the 2024 CNL semifinals, Jamaica pushed America to the limit, only to lose in overtime.
This time I couldn’t get close at all. Christian Pulisic took the lead in the 14th minute and celebrated with what he later admitted was a Donald Trump-style dance, although he insisted it was “not a political dance”, despite the NFL players doing it. He said he saw the dance and “thought it was interesting.” . ” The AC Milan star found the back of the net with his second shot in the 33rd minute, but Concacaf coach officially declared it an own goal for Dishon Bernardo. Ricardo Pepi and Tim Weah also scored. With the win, the U.S. secured two more games in the shortened World Cup cycle.
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The US currently appears to be on an upward trajectory. Last month’s victory over Panama and the loss against rival Mexico were a bit disjointed, with an underpowered U.S. team lacking in competitiveness and suffering a heartbreaking loss. This was somewhat expected. It always took Pochettino time to settle in, get to know his players and start communicating his style.
This camp showed improvement in many aspects. In the first leg against Jamaica in Kingston, the team proved they can withstand physical play with an ugly victory. On Monday, the USMNT displayed the most fluid and dynamic attack of the Pochettino era. This provided much-needed validation that the new boss’s way of doing things was working.
Not that a manager with Pochettino’s pedigree needs that. His reputation remains strong. But this is a project on an accelerated schedule. With the 2026 World Cup less than two years away, a hungry fan base needed concrete signs that the team was on the right track. USMNT has been delivered.
“We’re starting to feel like we’re a real group of people and we’re going to fight for something special,” Pochettino said. “On the one hand, it’s easy to improve because we have the talent of our players and we have a great coaching staff who can come up with better strategies than our opponents.”
Victory was achieved with the help of tactical wrinkles. When the United States had possession of the ball, left-back Anthony Robinson was wedged inside as a supplementary central midfielder. This allowed Pulisic and Weah to overload on the left, creating a dangerous situation in the fourth minute when Weah cut inside from the flank and hit the post with a shot.
Space appeared in other parts of the field, and it didn’t take long for the Americans to get on the scoreboard, with a deft touch from Pulisic off Weston McKennie’s cross to put the USMNT ahead. Pulisic helped extend the lead to two points in the 33rd minute when his shot from a feed from McKennie deflected off Bernard and Andre Blake misplaced it into the Jamaican goal.
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Pepi made it 3-0 from Robinson, who pounced on Blake’s wayward clearance. It was Pepi’s third consecutive goal and his fourth international goal against Jamaica.
From start to finish, Pochettino encouraged his players to move forward every time an opportunity presented itself. The USMNT played with a confidence not seen since the 2022 World Cup.
Jamaica fought back and Demarai Gray got a goal back in the 52nd minute. But Weah restored their lead to four goals four minutes later with a powerful shot on goal from Musa’s cross. Considering the venom of his shot, it’s tempting to think that Weah released more than four months of pent-up frustration with that one goal.
Before the game, Weah admitted that the red card he received in the Copa America match against Panama – a play that contributed significantly to the US team’s exit from the group stage – was “difficult” to deal with. He was forced to serve in the second match of his suspension in the first leg. But Ware said there was no anger or rage at the goal.
“I think I was more excited when other players scored,” he said. “I think it was great just to be able to go out there with them. I mean, I missed the last camp and obviously what happened over the summer, but for me, it was nice to be on the field with them again. I think I just wanted to stand up.”The whole thing was fun.” ”
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Christian Pulisic reacts to USMNT’s win over Jamaica
Christian Pulisic reflected on being the USMNT’s “leader” after their 4-2 win over Jamaica.
It is clear that the United States is missing Mr. Ware. There are few players in the American pool who can break through an opponent’s defense with pure speed, but this game also showcased his ability to find space in tight spaces. What I didn’t expect was where the clothing was lined up. He has been used almost exclusively on the right wing during his career. However, after talking to assistant coach Jesus Perez about his preferred position and testing his handedness, Pochettino decided to put Weah on the left wing, and the Juventus winger made the most of it.
“It’s beautiful to see it come together,” he said of the first half. “I mean, we didn’t have a lot of time to work on it, but the first half was really good. I’m really excited to see how far we can go.”
Certainly, there is still much work to be done. Some defensive sloppiness crept into the USMNT’s game in the second half, allowing the Reggae Boyz to score two points back. Future international contact points will need to strengthen this point.
Defender Tim Ream said: “Obviously they pressed a little higher, guys took more touches and took more risks than they should have.” “And, listen, at this level, any team can hurt you with what they have, and that really summed it up.”
Pochettino and his staff will address this issue between now and March. However, it was also clear that a bond was forming between Pochettino, his staff and players, to the extent that the manager did not want the camp to end.
“The progress is very good,” he said. “I think when I got together with the staff after the game, I said, ‘I’m going to miss all the players, all the staff,’ because I feel like 10 days is too short. And, yeah, I want tomorrow. ‘To see them again, but they have to come back. ”
Come March, they will do so with enthusiasm for how far this team can grow.
