First Touch

USMNT Beat Jamaica 4-2 In Missouri

USMNT forward Tim Weah
USMNT forward Tim Weah 21 reacts after scoring against Jamaica during the second half at CITYPark Photo Jeff Curry Imagn Images

The USMNT advanced to the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final with a convincing 4-2 win over Jamaica in the quarter-final second leg at CITYPark in Missouri.

USA 4 Jamaica 2 (USA win 5-2 on agg)

Report by USSoccer.com

A commanding attacking performance highlighted by two goals from Christian Pulisic and a pair of assists from Weston McKennie lifted the U.S. Men’s National Team to a 4-2 win over Jamaica in Monday’s second leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals in St. Louis. The Americans claimed the two-game series, 5-2, on aggregate and sealed qualification to both the Nations League Finals in March and next summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, the continental championship tournament. 

 

Following a rough and rugged 1-0 win in the Nov. 14 opener in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, the USA attacked with panache and precision before a crowd of 21,080 at St. Louis City’s CITYPARK. Pulisic scored in the 13th and 33rd minutes off gorgeous feeds from McKennie and Ricardo Pepi added the third shortly before halftime. Weah then marked his USMNT return with an emphatic fourth, in between second-half strikes from Jamaica’s Demarai Gray.  

 

The victory was the USMNT’s third in four matches under coach Mauricio Pochettino, who managed his first home competitive international in one of American soccer’s historic hotbeds. 

 

Pochettino made one personnel change and one key tactical change to his lineup for Monday’s second leg. 

 

Johnny Cardoso’s injury in the opener made room for the return of Weah, who made his debut under the new manager after returning from injury and suspension. The tactical wrinkle was Pulisic’s shift to the central playmaking role beneath Pepi. Pochettino pulled McKennie back to fill Cardoso’s midfield spot beside Tanner Tessman, brought Pulisic inside and put Weah on the left wing. Yunus Musah remained on the right while the back four of Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie and Joe Scally was deployed in front of goalkeeper Matt Turner for the third time in four games. 

 

Robinson earned his 50th cap while St. Louis native Ream wore the captain’s armband for the fourth time in Pochettino’s four matches in charge. 

First Half

The hosts opened the contest with almost three minutes of uninterrupted possession, which ended with a slick give-and-go between Weah and Robinson and then a blast from Weah that struck the left post. The Reggae Boyz appeared willing to cede the midfield, and the Americans looked comfortable passing, moving and probing for an opening. They found one in the 13th minute, shortly after Jamaica had finally committed some manpower to the attack. 

 

Offered an opportunity to search for space behind Jamaica’s compact formation for the first time, the Americans launched a devastating counter that began with an outlet to Pulisic, who then found Weah on the left. He switched the ball to McKennie, his Juventus teammate, and McKennie then picked out Pulisic with a perfect, curving cross from the right. Pulisic beat Jamaica’s Andre Blake to the ball and finished inside the right post. 

 

Twenty minutes later, Pulisic and McKennie unlocked the Reggae Boyz again. Tessman made the key pass, sending a ball from the midfield circle toward the right corner that McKennie was able to run down. He cut a feed back toward the top of the 18-yard box, which Tessman dummied brilliantly for Pulisic. His shot deflected off Jamaica’s Di’Shon Bernard and past a helpless Blake. Pulisic’s 33rd USMNT goal was also his team-leading fifth of 2024. 

 

Pepi appeared to put the series out of reach in the 43rd minute. He pressured Blake into a poor clearance that was controlled by Robinson and Weah on the left. Robinson found Pepi at the top of the penalty area, and the in-form striker turned deftly on the ball and laced a low, 20-yard shot just beyond the diving Blake and inside the right post. It was Pepi’s third goal in his three appearances under Pochettino (he notched the only goal in the quarterfinal opener in Kingston). He also has six for PSV Eindhoven this fall. 

USMNT defender Antonee Robinson (5) and defender Mark McKenzie (4) defend against Jamaica forward Shamar Nicholson during the first half of the nations league game at CITYPark
United States defender Antonee Robinson 5 and defender Mark McKenzie 4 defend against Jamaica forward Shamar Nicholson 11 during the first half at CITYPark Photo Jeff Curry Imagn Images

Second Half

The three-goal halftime margin sparked a wild, wide-open second period as Jamaica threw bodies forward, refusing to go quietly. Gray, who had his penalty kick saved by Turner in the opener, got a measure of revenge in the 53rd minute with a skillful, jumping volley that beat the U.S. goalkeeper. The USA answered three minutes later, restoring its three-goal aggregate advantage following some nice build-up play, a cross from Musah and a right-footed rocket from Weah. Weah’s seventh USMNT goal was his first in official competition since the go-ahead strike against Wales in the 2022 World Cup opener in Qatar. 

Gray wasn’t done, however. The former Leicester City, Bayer Leverkusen and Everton player, who’s now at Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq, tallied his second of the night off a 68th-minute rebound. Turner made the save on a shot from Renaldo Cephas, but the goalie parried the ball off Robinson and into Gray’s path. 

Time was running out on the Reggae Boyz and the Americans had the goals they needed, but they continued to create chances as rain became heavier at CITYPARK. Musah and substitute striker Brandon Vazquez had promising chances just miss the target in the latter stages. There wouldn’t be a fifth, but the four goals was the most in a single game by the USMNT in more than a year, since a 4-0 friendly win over Ghana on Oct. 17, 2023.  

The USA raised its record in the all-time series with Jamaica to 22W-3L-10D, and its current unbeaten run since losing a 2019 friendly lengthened to 7W-0L-2D. The victory also boosted the USA to .500 for the year—the Americans finished an eventful 2024 at 6W-6L-2D. Now the stage is set for 2025. 

usmnt logo

USMNT Line-up

1-Matt Turner; 22-Joe Scally, 4-Mark McKenzie, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 5-Antonee Robinson; 8-Weston McKennie (14-Gianluca Busio, 69), 18-Tanner Tessmann; 6-Yunus Musah (7-Alex Zendejas, 88), 10-Christian Pulisic (11-Brenden Aaronson, 69), 21-Tim Weah (19-Cade Cowell, 74); 9-Ricardo Pepi (20-Brandon Vazquez, 77)

Substitutes not used: 15-Diego Kochen, 16-Patrick Schulte, 23-Zack Steffen, 2-Auston Trusty, 3-Chris Richards, 12-Miles Robinson, 17-Malik Tillman

Head coach: Mauricio Pochettino

Jamaica Line-up

1-Andre Blake (Capt.); 4-Amari’I Bell, 6-Di’Shon Bernard, 7-Leon Bailey (21-Romario Williams, 73), 10-Demarai Gray, 11-Shamar Nicholson (20-Renaldo Cephas, 60), 12-Tayvon Gray (22-Greg Leigh, 60), 14-Isaac Hayden, 15-Joel Latibeaudiere, 17-Damion Lowe (16-Karoy Anderson, 73), 18-Tyreek Magee (5-Richard King, 46)

Substitutes not used: 13-Shaquan Davis, 23-Jahmali Waite, 2-Dexter Lembikisa, 3-Khori Bennett, 8-Kasey Palmer, 9-Ravel Morrison

Head coach: Steve McClaren

United States starting line up pose for a photo before a match against Jamaica at CITYPark Photo Jeff Curry Imagn Images

Next Game

Don’t forget to check out our live soccer tv page to stay updated. You can also download our free soccer TV app here.

Scroll to Top