#FIFAWorldCup
Showing posts with label usmnt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label usmnt. Show all posts
United States: 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Champions
ARLINGTON, Texas – Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna each struck for goals to help the United States complete a Concacaf Nations League three-peat in a 2-0 victory against Mexico in the Final of 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Finals on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Adams scored right before halftime with a wondergoal from long-distance, while Reyna fired in a strike midway through the second half to account for the night’s scoring.
The U.S. have now won all three editions of the Concacaf Nations League, having defeated their long-time rivals for the second time in the Final (2021).
A scintillating environment greeted the two teams and the intensity started from the beginning, with Christian Pulisic getting denied by Mexico GK Guillermo Ochoa in 5’.
Mexico countered by applying more pressure in the U.S. half and one of the best chances of the first half came for the Mexicans in the 22’ when a flicked-on header reached the feet of Luis Chavez, who sent a shot straight to U.S. GK Matt Turner.
The U.S. started to try their luck from distance and some fancy moves from Sergino Dest set up a shot that sailed just over the crossbar in the 38’.
The next attempt, though, from long-range could not have been better, as Tyler Adams hammered a right-footed shot into the top left side of net from 35 yards out to hand the U.S. a 1-0 lead right before halftime.
Mexico looked to respond to start the second half, but it was tough sledding against a resolute U.S. defense.
Instead, the U.S. asserted their control more in the 63’ when an initial clearance from the Mexican defense fell to Gio Reyna, who fired into net at the near post past Guillermo Ochoa for a 2-0 U.S. advantage.
As time continued to tick away, Mexico committed more numbers forward and increased the pressure in search of a goal, but the U.S. defense never wavered and confidently saw things out until the final whistle to earn the crown once again.
USA: 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League Winners
There is little question as to which national team is the best men’s side in Concacaf.
The U.S. national left little doubt on Sunday night, registering a 2-0 triumph over Canada in the Concacaf Nations League final before a half-filled Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Chris Richards and Flo Balogun scored their first international goals as Gio Reyna set up both goals as the USA finished a perfect four days after dispatching Mexico quite handily in the semifinals on Thursday night, 3-0.
Reyna, however, never had an opportunity to add to his total in the second half as he was forced out of the match halftime after suffering an apparent right ankle injury. Luca de la Torre replaced him.
There also other heroes for the U.S., which defending the first CNL crown it earned in 2021.
Goalkeeper Matt Turner turned away four shots when Canada penetrated the Americans backline. Left back Antonee Robinson was outstanding as was Richards and Walker Zimmerman, who replaced an injured Miles Robinson at center back.
Right Joe Scally, in place of the suspended Sergino Dest (red card), played very well in the back on both sides of the ball. Scally had a strong attacking presence on the flank, picking his spots. After suffering an apparent injury while covering Alphonso Davies, the Lake Grove, N.Y. native was replaced by Austin Trusty in the 79th minute.
The USA also played without midfielder Weston McKennie, who also was red carded in the Mexico win.
It did seem the Americans missed McKennie or Dest, they were so dominant on Sunday night.
The USA started its youngest Starting XI in a final with an average age of 23 years and 314 days old. The Americans’ lineup used three 20-year-old players – Yunus Musah, Reyna and Scally – for the first time to start a final.
The Americans put together another full match, using their speed and well-timed passes to keep the Canadians off balance for a good portion of the night.
In contrast to the win over Mexico, Christian Pulisic did not make much of an impression in the opening half. But Reyna stepped up and assisted on both goals as the Americans grabbed a 2-0 lead.
They kept the pressure on Canada for a good portion of the opening half, winning several corner and free kicks, within striking distance.
The USMNT cashed in in the 12th minute when Richards headed home in a perfect corner kick from Reyna in traffic from yards for a 1-0 lead.
Reyna demonstrated he could do some playmaking from the run of play in the 34th minute as he threaded the needle to an onrushing Balogun, who beat goalkeeper Milan Borjan from eight yards on the right side for his debut goal in his second international appearance.
The Canadians came out pushing forward in the second half, but the U.S. regained possession and put pressure in its attempt to put the game away early on. Borjan saved a pair of Antonee Robinson shots in the 56th minute, parrying the first off of the crossbar for a corner kick, to keep the score at 2-0.
Turner had his moments as well. He denied Cyle Larin in the ninth minute and saved attempts by Stephen Eustaquio and Richie Laryea in the 37th and 39th minutes, respectively. Two minutes into the second half, the Arsenal keeper stopped Ismael Kone’s try.
With the USA winning a major confederation title, head coach B.J. Callaghan and his staff will set their sights on another one later this week. That’s when the USMNT starts its run in the Concacaf Gold Cup. There will be another American squad wearing the red, white and blue as it will face Jamaica in its group opener in Chicago on Saturday, June 24.
COMMENTARY: Amid the Gold Cup final festival: Mexico's fans celebrate, cope and hope
COMMENTARY
Amid the Gold Cup final festival: Mexico's fans celebrate, cope and hope
by Andrea Canales Twitter: @soccercanales
While visiting Spain for a summer years ago, I attended a bullfight. Beyond having read Ernest Hemingway, I didn’t know much about bullfighting. I watched and listened as the crowd cheered the matadors and the event finally closed with the defeated bulls being dragged out of the arena. Between the swords, horses and the elaborate costumes, the bullfight felt like an ancient art. That spell was broken somewhat when the woman sitting next to me pulled out her cell phone to update her husband. “Torearon bien, pero mataron muy mal,” she reported.
They fought well, but they killed very poorly. That’s the basic translation. All the excellent capework and the elegant stances even as the bull’s horns passed by with mere inches to spare didn’t matter in the end if the climax of the event was sloppy and prolonged because of hesitation or lack of strength or discipline to hold the sword steady and accurate for a clean, killing blow.
Watching Mexico vs. the USA in the Gold Cup final in Las Vegas' sold-out (61,514) Allegiant Stadium on Sunday night, I was reminded of that description. Time and again, El Tri, which controled the majority of the run of play, would build up nicely for a shot, but either the U.S. defense and goalkeeper Matt Turner would come up big or the final Mexico shot would be off target.
“Faltaron contundencia.” Another phrase that came to mind was one that has cropped up in the past with Mexico before. This one translates generally to lack of forcefulness, or concluding energy and finishing strength. Indeed, even when the USA had passes going awry in the final and was off target in their few counterattacking chances, they seemed energetic against Mexico all game long, though that often involved rather frantically defending much of the time.
It’s not necessarily a fair assessment of Mexico to consider it an aged team when their best young players are contending for an Olympic medal in Tokyo and therefore not at the Gold Cup. It’s also interesting to note that the star player many El Tri fans longed for Mexico coach Tata Martino to bring into this roster, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, wouldn’t have, at age 33, turned the dial more to youth and the team’s future.
COMMENTARY
Amid the Gold Cup final festival: Mexico's fans celebrate, cope and hopeby Andrea Canales @soccercanales, Yesterday
While visiting Spain for a summer years ago, I attended a bullfight. Beyond having read Ernest Hemingway, I didn’t know much about bullfighting. I watched and listened as the crowd cheered the matadors and the event finally closed with the defeated bulls being dragged out of the arena. Between the swords, horses and the elaborate costumes, the bullfight felt like an ancient art. That spell was broken somewhat when the woman sitting next to me pulled out her cell phone to update her husband. “Torearon bien, pero mataron muy mal,” she reported.
They fought well, but they killed very poorly. That’s the basic translation. All the excellent capework and the elegant stances even as the bull’s horns passed by with mere inches to spare didn’t matter in the end if the climax of the event was sloppy and prolonged because of hesitation or lack of strength or discipline to hold the sword steady and accurate for a clean, killing blow.
Watching Mexico vs. the USA in the Gold Cup final in Las Vegas' sold-out (61,514) Allegiant Stadium on Sunday night, I was reminded of that description. Time and again, El Tri, which controled the majority of the run of play, would build up nicely for a shot, but either the U.S. defense and goalkeeper Matt Turner would come up big or the final Mexico shot would be off target.
“Faltaron contundencia.” Another phrase that came to mind was one that has cropped up in the past with Mexico before. This one translates generally to lack of forcefulness, or concluding energy and finishing strength. Indeed, even when the USA had passes going awry in the final and was off target in their few counterattacking chances, they seemed energetic against Mexico all game long, though that often involved rather frantically defending much of the time.
It’s not necessarily a fair assessment of Mexico to consider it an aged team when their best young players are contending for an Olympic medal in Tokyo and therefore not at the Gold Cup. It’s also interesting to note that the star player many El Tri fans longed for Mexico coach Tata Martino to bring into this roster, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, wouldn’t have, at age 33, turned the dial more to youth and the team’s future.
The passion of Mexico fans is evident hours before a match actually begins. For many El Tri supporters, game day is an all-day event of costuming, food and mutual celebration of family, friends and fans. The fact that a global pandemic is still ongoing puts a dent in even the most fervent festival of futbol. There were other negative elements factoring in as well for Mexico.
Though he hasn’t been called into the team in over a year, Hernandez, Mexico’s top all-time goalscorer, was by far the most popular jersey name on the many Mexico shirts being worn in Vegas. Hernandez’s absence, beloved player that he is, cast a bit of a pall on the Gold Cup squad partly because his lack of selection hasn’t really been explained by Martino, other than to say, “Javier Hernandez wasn’t in this roster because I picked other players.” Hernandez, in the midst of a stellar season with his club team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, suffered a calf injury early in July, which alleviated some of the pressure on Martino’s decision to not call him.
El Tri players also had to deal with the pressure of their own fans becoming a liability during the Gold Cup, when the recurrence of the homophobic chant by some in the crowds during the group stage and other matches, including very briefly in the final, threatened the squad with FIFA sanctions that could affect whether fan crowds are present at upcoming World Cup qualifying games.
There was also a sorrowful burden placed on the Mexican team both early and late in the Gold Cup tournament. In the debut match for Mexico, plucky Hirving “Chucky” Lozano suffered head and neck injuries in a collision with Trinidad & Tobago goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, required facial surgery, and was obviously ruled out of the tournament. Another blow hit the team last week when Zizinho, the father of midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos, died at age 59, reportedly of Covid-19 complications.
Mexico soldiered on after a dour draw in the opening game of the tournament, but never seemed to be firing on all cylinders as a team, even as it advanced. It took a moment of individual magic against Canada by Hector Herrera late in injury time for El Tri to escape that game with a victory.
Until last night, U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter had never won against El Tri in a Gold Cup final, either as an unused player in 1998 or as coach in 2019. Both those games, the USA lost 1-0. With the youngest roster in the tournament and some questioning his tactical nous all during the tournament, Berhalter and his players finally silenced many doubters. The fact that the victory came on his 48th birthday made the triumph extra sweet.
The USA displayed an odd consistency in all their games, winning each one, 1-0, except for their game against Martinique, where they surrendered their only goal of the tournament in a 6-1 victory. Most U.S. players improved not only as the tournament went on, but in the final against Mexico, it was interesting to see some of them adjusting in real time to the skill and ability of their opponents. Though at times the U.S. players looked overwhelmed, they did just enough to prevent goals, and eventually worked well enough together to create chances. It’s likely that the American team, with less expectation to win than Mexico, played with more freedom as a result.
Walking out of the stadium almost an hour after the match concluded, I wasn’t surprised to see that the throngs of people still mingling in the parking lots were exclusively Mexico fans. Some were coordinating rides or plans, but most were sharing their own somber debriefs of the game with each other, many hands still clutching Tricolor flags.
“I’ve never seen the team play so tired.”
“We played well, though. We were really aggressive early on, weren’t we? I kept thinking the next chance was going to score.”
“Matt Turner was the difference. How does the U.S. always produce such good keepers? Maybe it’s because they play basketball.”
“We need our killer instinct back. We need Chicharito to return.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get the USA in qualifying. Tata’s going to regroup, the best players will be back together, and El Tri will come back stronger than ever.”
I couldn’t help but smile, picking up these bits of conversation. Even in the disappointment over a close loss, the passion of the Mexico supporters was always at the forefront. Long live the rivalry.
United States: 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup Champions
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The United States are champions of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup after downing Mexico 1-0 in extra time in the Final on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Miles Robinson scored the decisive goal deep into extra time to earn the U.S. a seventh Gold Cup title.
There was an electricity in the building from the very start and it took a diving save from U.S. GK Matt Turner to keep Mexico FW Rogelio Funes Mori from finding an early goal in the 11’ via a header off a corner kick.
The best chance for the U.S. in the first 45 minutes came in the 26’ when Sebastian Lletget recovered a Mexico giveaway and fed Paul Arriola, whose shot glanced off the post.
Funes Mori continued to be a pest for the U.S. defense and Turner was called on another two times to deny the Monterrey man in the 31’ and 38’.
Mexico came out flying to start the second half and had a trio of chances in the first seven minutes after the re-start through Hector Herrera and twice from Orbelin Pineda, but were unable to find the target.
The U.S. started to carve out some chances of their own, including a loose ball in front of the Mexico goal for Arriola that was blocked by Mexico GK Alfredo Talavera in the 74’.
The intensity grew as every minute passed, but no winner could be found, so on to extra time it went.
Just when it looked like the teams would have to decide matters in penalties, Robinson would strike for the title-winning goal by smacking in a header off a free kick in the 118’ to give the U.S. the 1-0 victory.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Almoez Ali of Qatar earned the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Top Scorer Award presented by Qatar Airways after finishing as the top scorer in the 2021 Gold Cup with four goals in five games.
Qatar was the guest nation of this year’s Gold Cup and didn’t disappoint, scoring 12 goals in five matches. Ali was a big part of that with his quartet of goals.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Jamaica FW Bobby Reid has been named the winner of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Goal of the Tournament presented by Toyota.
Reid’s fantastic strike came in the 26’ of Jamaica’s 2-0 win over Suriname in the opening match of Group C at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
With Jamaica holding a 1-0 lead and on the attack, a long ball was played forward, only for a Suriname defender to head the ball away in hopes of clearing danger.
Instead, it fell perfectly for Reid, who latched onto the ball and hammered a right-footed volley that went screaming past Suriname GK Warner Hahn and into net for the goal.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – El Salvador DF Bryan Tamacas has won the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Fighting Spirit Award presented by Modelo for the fighting spirit shown in El Salvador’s quarterfinal match with Qatar.
Down 3-0 in the second half, El Salvador mounted a memorable comeback attempt beginning with a Joaquin Rivas goal in the 63’ to make it 3-1.
That was then followed by a play in the 66’ from Tamacas that brought the fans inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to their feet.
A Qatar defender with the ball looked set to avoid any type of danger from the Salvadoran attack, but Tamacas never gave up on the play and won possession with a perfectly timed tackle, enabling him to feed Rivas for the second El Salvador goal of the night.
While El Salvador’s attempted comeback fell just short in a 3-2 final, the competitive spirit shown by Tamacas will be one of the lasting images of the 2021 Gold Cup.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Hector Herrera was Mexico’s midfield engine, powering the team to the 2021 Gold Cup Final. As a result of his excellent performances, he has earned the Scotiabank Best Player Award.
The midfielder appeared in all six matches for his side, scoring one goal and providing two assists. It was his winner against Canada that saw El Tricolor make it to the 2021 Final.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Matt Turner of the United States was named the winner of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Best Goalkeeper Award presented by Allstate.
The 27-year-old appeared in all six matches for his side and was dominant for the Stars and Stripes, notching an unbelievable 26 saves, allowing just one goal, and racking up five clean sheets.
The U.S. wouldn’t have lifted the Gold Cup without his performances. Turner is a star goalkeeper for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – United States has earned the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Fair Play Award presented by Scotiabank.
Stars and Stripes captain Paul Arriola accepted the award on the team’s behalf, a reward given to the most disciplined team in the tournament.
USA: 2020-21 CONCACAF Nations League Champions
DENVER, Colorado – The United States are champions of the first ever Concacaf Nations League after a thrilling 3-2 extra-time victory over rivals Mexico in the Final of the 2021 CNL Finals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
Christian Pulisic scored a goal in the extra period and substitute GK Ethan Horvath saved a penalty to seal the triumph for the U.S.
It was a dream start for Mexico, as a giveaway deep in the U.S. half allowed Jesus Corona to swoop in and score for a 1-0 lead just 70 seconds gone in the game.
The U.S. would respond in the 27’ though, as a Weston McKennie header off a corner kick hit the post and it fell right to the feet of Gio Reyna, who fired in from a few yards out to make it 1-1.
Mexico sought to regain control and Hirving Lozano looked set to tally his team’s second of the night in the 43’, but he was denied on a spectacular save from U.S. GK Zack Steffen.
The teams would trade chances as play continued into the second half, with Mexico coming close on a Carlos Rodriguez shot that flashed wide in the 57’ and Josh Sargent of the U.S. narrowly missing in the 62’, followed by Mexico GK Guillermo Ochoa denying McKennie’s header on the goal-line in the 69’.
Things stood on a knife’s edge going into the final quarter-hour and they would tilt Mexico’s way in the 79’ as substitute Diego Lainez, just minutes on the field, fired in a left-footed shot to hand Mexico a 2-1 lead.
But once again there was a response from the U.S. and a soaring header from McKennie brought the U.S. back on level terms 2-2 in the 82’.
Back and forth the teams went and Horvath, who had replaced the injured Steffen, came up with a massive stop on a Lozano effort.
The full-time whistle sounded, meaning 30 minutes of extra time, and for the first time of the night the U.S. took the lead, 3-2, when Pulisic converted a penalty in the 114’ after being fouled in the Mexico area.
It was up to Mexico to respond and they would get a chance in the 120+4’ when a penalty was called for a U.S. handball in the area, but Horvath would come up with the big stop on Andres Guardado’s penalty kick to keep the U.S. ahead until the final whistle.
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