A goal on one side and a big save on the other… sometimes the game really is that simple. Yes, there were 90 minutes of largely disjointed, rough-and-tumble and sometimes feisty soccer played in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday night, but it all really came down to two kicks of the ball.
One found a corner, the other found a hand. Fortunately for the U.S. men’s national team, they were on the right side of both.
Ricardo Pepi provided the moment in the 5th minute on one end, scoring the only goal the U.S. would need in their 1-0 CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg win over Jamaica. Matt Turner provided the crucial moment in the 14th minute on the other, pushing away Demarai Gray’s penalty kick to make sure that the 1-0 lead would hold true.
There were moments in between for both sides, and both will feel that they will have deserved a result coming out of the National Stadium. The U.S. got it, however, and now they have the lead heading back home.
Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is in a good place. Protect this lead with a draw or win Monday night in St. Louis and they’re through to the semifinals – and on a path to their fourth straight Nation’s League title. The U.S. is effectively at halftime of this series, but this second half will be played in a friendlier atmosphere than the first, which proved to be a feisty match before a festive crowd.
If the U.S. can find one or two big moments, they’ll be in the clear thanks to the advantage they put together in Kingston on Thursday. GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the National Stadium.