The USMNT faced off against St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday night, looking for an improved performance from their match against Jamaica. The Americans trailed early in the match but used an 88th-minute Brandon Vasquez goal to secure a point. The matchup was the first time that the USMNT faced off against St. Kitts and Nevis, and they were able to claim a huge three points as they look to work on claiming the top spot in Group A.
The final score of the match was 6-0, with the United States using goals from only three goal scorers: Djordje Mihailovic, Bryan Reynolds, and Jesus Ferreira. Ferreira would score a hat trick with Mihailovic scoring a brace and Reynolds scoring the other.
The Starting XI
Manager B.J. Callahan went with a heavily rotated starting eleven for this match, changing seven players from the one that started against Jamaica. Sean Johnson, Bryan Reynolds, Gianluca Busio, Cade Cowell, Djordje Mihailovic, DeJuan Jones, and Jalen Neal all got the start for this match, replacing Matt Turner, DeAndre Yedlin, Aidan Morris, Jordan Morris, Alan Sonora, John Tolkin, and Aaron Long. Callaghan also changed the formation up for the match, running a 4-3-3 rather than the 4-2-3-1 that he has become accustomed to using.
With both the changes to the formation and the lineup, the Starting XI for the USMNT looked like the following: Johnson, Jones, Neal, Miazga, Reynolds, Mihailovic, Sands, Busio, Cowell, Zendejas, and Ferreira. The bench for the USMNT was as follows: Sonora, Vazquez, A. Morris, Roldan, Gressel, J. Morris, Long, Yedlin, Tolkin, Robinson, Slonina, and Turner.
Dominant First Half
If United States interim manager B.J. Callaghan was looking for a fast start and a dominant first-half performance, he sure would have been happy with the way the US looked for the early parts of the match. Goals were scored by Djordje Mihailovic, Bryan Reynolds, and Jesus Ferreira, as the USMNT would go into the half-time break leading St. Kitts and Nevis by a score of 4-0.
Djordje Mihailovic opened up the scoring for the USMNT early, giving the team the lead in the 12th minute. Gianluca Busio sent a ball into the box, and Mihailovic made no mistake in the finish. It was a nice one-timer off of the left foot of the AZ Alkmaar player, and it would not be the only impact that he would have in the match. Mihailovic would finish the night with two goals and two assists, being a top contributor to the United States’ huge win.
The second goal for the United States came two minutes after the first, with Bryan Reynolds scoring his first-ever goal for the USMNT. Alex Zendejas sent in a ball from a corner kick, and it took a few bounces in the box, leading to Reynolds right outside of the box. Reynolds would then proceed to shoot the ball off of the bounce and volley it with his right foot. The ball went right through the keeper on the left side, and it gave the USMNT a 2-0 lead in the match after only 14 minutes.
The third goal for the United States came two minutes after the second, giving the team a total of three goals in six minutes. It would be another individual to go on the scoresheet, as Jesus Ferreira would put a ball past Julani Archibald to give the United States a huge lead only 16 minutes into the match. Gianluca Busio would get his second assist of the match, as he would send a perfect through ball into Jesus Ferreira, and Ferreira would make no mistake on the finish. Ferreira would send it right past the keeper’s right, and what would be the first of a few goals on the night.
The United States would not be done for the half, as Jesus Ferriera would pick up his second of the game. Djordje Mihailovic would send a fantastic through ball into Ferreira, and Ferreira would have one of the easiest finishes he could have. The St. Kitts and Nevis’ keeper was almost at the edge of the box, and all Ferreira had to do was slot it past him, and it was 4-0 to the USMNT. Ferreira’s second goal would end a dominant first-half performance by B.J. Callaghan and would put them in the driver’s seat to grab the three points.
Who is Next for the USMNT?
The next match for the United States will be against Trinidad and Tobago, which will be the final group-stage match for the team. They will be looking to secure a place in the knockout stages, with three points doing that and most likely securing the United States the top spot in Group A.
This matchup will be the 28th one between the two nations, with the United States dominating with a 20-3-4 record. In the Gold Cup so far, Trinidad and Tobago has won one match and lost one match. Trinidad defeated St. Kitts and Nevis by a score of 3-0 and fell to Jamaica by a score of 4-1. The Caribbean side needs a win to move onto the knockout stage, and they will definitely be trying their best to do so.
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