The U.S. men’s national soccer team (USMNT) advanced to the semifinals of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League with a dominant 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. The USMNT scored four goals in the first half and added two more in the second to seal the victory and set up a clash with Costa Rica in the next round.
USMNT Lineup and Formation
Head coach Gregg Berhalter made three changes to the starting lineup from the previous game against St. Kitts and Nevis, bringing in goalkeeper Matt Turner, defender Miles Robinson, and forward Cristian Roldan. Turner captained the side for the second time and became the seventh USMNT goalkeeper to reach 30 appearances. Robinson returned from injury and made his first appearance since the Nations League semifinal against Mexico in June. Roldan led the team with 35 caps and 13 Gold Cup appearances.
The USMNT lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Turner in goal, Bryan Reynolds, Robinson, Jalen Neal, and DeJuan Jones in defense, Gianluca Busio, James Sands, and Djordje Mihailovic in midfield, and Roldan, Jesús Ferreira and Alex Zendejas in the attack. The average age of the lineup was 24 years, 131 days, making it the fifth youngest in Gold Cup history.
USMNT Goals and Highlights
The USMNT wasted no time in taking control of the game, scoring the opening goal in the fourth minute. Reynolds crossed the ball from the right wing and Ferreira headed it past the goalkeeper for his third goal of the tournament. The USMNT doubled the lead in the 15th minute when Mihailovic curled a free kick into the top corner from 25 yards out. It was his second goal and fifth assist of the tournament.
The USMNT continued to dominate the possession and create chances and added two more goals before halftime. In the 32nd minute, Roldan played a one-two with Ferreira and slotted the ball into the bottom corner for his first goal of the tournament. In the 45th minute, Zendejas scored his third goal of the tournament with a low shot from the edge of the box after a pass from Busio.
The second half was more of the same, as the USMNT maintained the pressure and scored two more goals. In the 56th minute, Jones scored his first international goal with a powerful header from a corner kick by Mihailovic. In the 87th minute, substitute Cade Cowell scored his first international goal with a tap-in from a cross by fellow substitute Julian Gressel.
The USMNT finished the game with 76% possession, 28 shots, 12 on target, and six goals. Trinidad and Tobago had only two shots, none on target, and no goals. The USMNT also completed 657 passes with a 91% accuracy, while Trinidad and Tobago completed 199 passes with a 72% accuracy.
USMNT’s Next Opponent and Schedule
The USMNT will face Costa Rica in the semifinals of the Nations League on Friday, Nov. 24, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game will kick off at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, MAX, Peacock, and Futbol de Primera Radio. Costa Rica advanced to the semifinals after beating Panama 3-1 on penalties following a 0-0 draw in the quarterfinals.
The winner of the USMNT vs. Costa Rica game will face the winner of the other semifinal between Mexico and Canada in the final on Sunday, Nov. 26, at Allegiant Stadium. The losers of the semifinals will play in the third-place match on the same day.
