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Fact: The U.S. beat Jamaica 2-1 in the Gold Cup final on Wednesday night, winning its sixth Gold Cup title.
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A Jordan Morris goal in the 88th minute helped lead the United States to the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup title Wednesday.
The 22-year-old fired home the game-winner to break the 1-1 tie, leading the Americans to a 2-1 victory over Jamaica in the final at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Michael Bradley earned the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament despite playing only three of the six games.
This is the sixth Gold Cup title for the United States, one short of Mexico's seven. Canada is the only other team to win this tournament.
Jamaica has now lost consecutive Gold Cup finals after falling to Mexico in 2015.
Although the United States dominated play with 73 percent possession, per ESPN, the match remained tied at 1-1 for the majority of the second half, ironically with Jamaica equalizing on a mistake from Morris.
However, the forward redeemed himself on a great strike, which started on a cross from Gyasi Zardes:
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweeted about his excitement for Morris after the goal:
This U.S. victory continues an impressive 14-match unbeaten streak in manager Bruce Arena's current run with the men's national team.
However, the win over Jamaica was far from easy. The battle was close early, although a key moment came in the 19th minute. After stopping a shot by Jozy Altidore, Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake injured his hand on a rebound by Kellyn Acosta, and the Reggae Boyz had to sub Dwayne Miller into the match for the captain.
The United States was able to take advantage in the 45th minute when Altidore fired home a free kick from about 30 yards away to give his team the 1-0 lead, via Fox Soccer.
The beauty of a strike turned a lot of heads:
Jamaica didn't even get a shot off until the 50th minute, but the squad made it count with an equalizer off a corner kick. Kemar Lawrence sent the cross to the back post, and Je-Vaughn Watson beat Jordan Morris to the ball and finished it past Tim Howard.
Fox Soccer captured the score:
The match opened up from there, with both sides earning quality opportunities but unable to get the go-ahead goal until Morris hit the ball into the top corner for the win.
Stuart Holden of Fox Sports spoke about the forward's solid play throughout the tournament:
Wednesday's action will be Jamaica's biggest game for a while, as it failed to reach the final round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The squad has a friendly against Canada on Sept. 2 at BMO Field in Toronto.
Meanwhile, the drama only picks up for the United States in the hexagonal round as the Americans look to qualify for Russia. The squad has a key matchup with Costa Rica on Sept. 1 before taking on Honduras on Sept. 5. It then plays Panama and Trinidad & Tobago in October.
The United States and Jamaica will battle in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Wednesday, after holders Mexico crashed out in the last four.
Jamaica stung El Tri 1-0 in the semi-final with a goal from Kemar Lawrence just two minutes from time, and they will now face the hosts at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The exit of Mexico was a huge shock, opening the door for the U.S. to claim the title.
Here is how you can watch the final:
Date: Wednesday, July 26
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/2:30 a.m. BST (Thursday)
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: Fox Sports Go and fubo.tv
Preview
It was written in the stars that the United States would face old adversaries Mexico in the final, but not all such stories follow the script.
The Jamaicans have proved to be a tough defensive unit during the current edition of the Gold Cup, and they became the ultimate opportunist as they grabbed an unlikely berth in the final.
The U.S. men's national team advanced after a 2-0 win over Costa Rica in the semi-finals, with Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey the heroes for the host nation.
The United States had to wait deep into the second half to earn their victory, and despite a host of established names in their ranks, they have not always been convincing.
Jamaica have reached a second-successive Gold Cup final and will again play the role of underdog against tough opponents following their defeat to Mexico in 2015.
The USMNT defence is looking sharp, after conceding only three in the tournament and keeping clean sheets through the knockout phase.
Prediction
The United States showed character to beat a quality side in Costa Rica to advance, and it is difficult to imagine the Reggae Boyz being tougher opposition than the Group A winners.
However, Jamaica are riding the crest of a wave after beating Mexico, but it is worth noting the holders arrived at the Gold Cup with a rotated squad due to FIFA Confederations Cup duty.
The USMNT are desperate to capture this trophy—a feat they last achieved in 2013. However, they will be cautious against opponents who have grown in stature against strained odds.
The Stars and Stripes should still walk away with the victory in California, but it is likely to be a low-scoring affair with conservative tactics on offer.
Altidore will provide a physical presence in attack, and his style of play will disrupt the Jamaicans as they attempt to defend in numbers.
Score Prediction: United States win 1-0
The United States Men's National Team are the big favourites for glory in Wednesday's 2017 Gold Cup final, when they take on Jamaica at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The introduction of some big names after the group stage has given the USMNT a boost in the knockout rounds of the competition, as they breezed past El Salvador and eventually overcame Costa Rica to make it this far. Manager Bruce Arena will be expected to clinch this title for the United States for the first time in four years.
Jamaica are not a team to be taken lightly, though. Two years ago they were beaten in the final by Mexico, and on Sunday they earned their revenge over El Tri, securing their spot in another major showpiece.
Read on for the form of each side ahead of the final and a look ahead to what should be an absorbing climax to the competition.
United States Form
1-1 vs. Panama
3-2 vs. Martinique
3-0 vs. Nicaragua
2-0 vs. El Salvador
2-0 vs. Costa Rica
Jamaica Form
2-0 vs. Curacao
0-0 vs. Mexico
1-1 vs. El Salvador
2-1 vs. Canada
1-0 vs. Mexico
Preview
A much-changed USMNT failed to find much rhythm in the group stages of the competition and there were subsequently some doubts about how far they would go in the knockout rounds. Arena's decision to draft in experience has proved significant, though.
Tim Howard has settled things down between the sticks, Michael Bradley has controlled matters in midfield and Jozy Altidore has bulldozed over various defenders in the final third.
Clint Dempsey has galvanised the attacking play of the United States, too. As noted by Paul Carr of ESPN, his strike against Costa Rica was a historic one:
Now there's an expectation on this group of players to make more history. Victory on Wednesday would see the United States clinch their sixth Gold Cup, putting them a solitary triumph behind rivals Mexico in the all-time stakes.
Jamaica will be stern opposition, though, especially with confidence so high following their shock win over Mexico. That was after Kemar Lawrence scored a stunning late free-kick to dump out the holders.
"The best way I could put it is the Biblical story," said manager Theodore Whitmore, per the Associated Press (via USA Today). "David slew Goliath."
As we can see courtesy of the CONCACAF Twitter account, making it so far meant a lot to the Reggae Boyz:
While the win over Mexico represented a major shock, getting to finals is becoming a regular occurrence for Jamaica. They made it to the last hurdle in 2015 and earlier this year they played Curacao in the final of the Caribbean Cup. However, they lost both.
Whitmore will hope to see his side have learned from those defeats. Still, Caribbean football journalist Nathan Carr believes it is an achievement to have made it so far:
Jamaica have been strong in defence at this tournament, twice shutting out Mexico thanks to some excellent organisation and brilliant goalkeeping from Andre Blake. They will need to show these qualities again against the United States if they’re to win their maiden Gold Cup.
The USMNT represent a step up in quality for Jamaica. There's quality and big-game nous in spades in Arena's squad; eventually that'll see them over the line in this one.
Prediction: United States 2-1 Jamaica
After facing off in the semifinal of the 2015 Gold Cup, the United States and Jamaica will meet again in the final of the 2017 Gold Cup.
Goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey powered a 2-0 victory for the U.S. over Costa Rica Saturday night, while Jamaica got an 88th-minute winner from Kemar Lawrence to defeat Mexico 1-0 Sunday.
As a result, the United States and Jamaica will head to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for Wednesday's final. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET, with television coverage on FS1. Fans can also live-stream the game on Fox Soccer Match Pass and Fox Sports GO.
Going simply off the FIFA ranking, Jamaica is a far more preferable opponent for the United States. In the July 6 edition, Mexico was the highest-ranked CONCACAF country (16th), while Jamaica was 76th, two spots ahead of Trinidad and Tobago.
ESPN's Janusz Michallik argued, however, Mexico would've given the U.S. an easier road to its sixth Gold Cup title:
The Reggae Boyz's semifinal victory was a perfect example of why they can be so difficult to beat. They registered five shots on target, equaling Mexico, despite finishing with 32 percent of possession. Jamaica can be lethal on the counterattack when it's afforded the opportunity.
In Andre Blake, Jamaica also has a goalkeeper capable of putting the entire defense on his back to stifle the opposition. He was peerless in the first half against Mexico, with the Philadelphia Union, his club team in MLS, sharing highlights of his best saves:
Jamaica may need a similar performance from Blake in order to beat the United States.
The men's national team got stronger in each of its three group-stage matches before bringing in experienced veterans Dempsey, Altidore, Tim Howard and Michael Bradley as part of manager Bruce Arena's knockout-stage reshuffle to strengthen the roster.
Dempsey, in particular, gives the USMNT a different dimension in the attacking third. He was a 66th-minute substitute against Costa Rica before scoring 16 minutes later. MLSsoccer.com's Matthew Doyle thought the Seattle Sounders star operated as an excellent playmaker in addition to doubling the United States' lead:
Whoever scores first between the United States and Jamaica will likely be the winner.
If the United States takes the lead, then Jamaica will be forced to come out of its defensive shell, leaving the defense more and more exposed as it chases an equalizer. By going ahead, though, the Reggae Boyz would have even more license to drop deeper in their own half to stymie the U.S.
A moment of magic from a player such as Dempsey, Bradley or Darlington Nagbe may be what's needed in order to crack Jamaica's defense, which has conceded two goals for the entire tournament.
With regard to Dempsey specifically, limiting his minutes is the best way to maximize his impact at 34 years old. He can do far more damage in 20 to 30 minutes than he could if he's forced to conserve his stamina over the course of an entire match.
As was the case in the Costa Rica win, bringing on Dempsey in the second half could provide the spark the U.S. needs.
Kemar Lawrence sent Jamaica into the 2017 Gold Cup final with his 88th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over Mexico Sunday night in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Lawrence scored with a free kick into the top left corner after a foul by Mexico's Hugo Ayala. Fox Soccer shared a replay of the goal:
World soccer announcer Derek Rae praised Lawrence's technique on the shot:
With the win, Jamaica sets up a final against the United States Wednesday in Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Lawrence's goal was the difference between the two sides, but Jamaica wouldn't have been in a position to prevail were it not for a standout performance by goalkeeper Andre Blake.
The 26-year-old was particularly important for the Reggae Boyz in the 12th minute when he needed to pull off a double save on a pair of rapid-fire shots from Jesus Duenas and Erick Torres. Blake denied Torres again in the 25th minute, stopping a close-range header from the Houston Dynamo forward.
Naturally, Blake's big night was a topic of discussion on social media:
Jamaica was far from a one-man show, though. It may have only had 32 percent of possession but was very effective on the counterattack. Its five shots on target equaled Mexico, and Damion Lowe forced Jesus Corona to make an impressive save in the 78th minute to keep the game scoreless.
ESPN FC's Eric Gomez thought Corona spoiled the goodwill from that save with his inability to stop Lawrence's winning goal:
Even though Mexico was playing with its second-choice team in the Gold Cup, Sunday's defeat will likely lead to plenty of finger-pointing. El Tri defeated Jamaica 3-1 in the final of the 2015 edition, and ESPN Stats & Info noted they were unbeaten in their previous seven matches against Jamaica in the tournament.
Where Is Football's Maxi Rodriguez attempted to find the silver lining:
Jamaica will be a difficult opponent for the United States in Wednesday's final. The Reggae Boyz won the last Gold Cup encounter between the two countries, earning a 2-1 win despite being out-shot 20-10.
The United States was scoreless for the first 71 minutes of its semifinal clash with Costa Rica before Jozy Altidore broke the deadlock. A similarly frustrating night for the U.S. attack could prove far more troublesome against a Jamaica team that has shown how difficult it can be defensively when it's on its best night.
The United States men's national team punched its ticket to the 2017 Gold Cup Final on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Costa Rica at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The victory was anchored by a 72nd-minute breakthrough from Jozy Altidore and free-kick brilliance courtesy of Clint Dempsey.
Altidore's goal, which was set up by a beautiful feed from Dempsey, was his first in his last 10 USMNT appearances.
Fox Soccer relayed video of the game's opening tally:
Dempsey provided the icing on the cake 10 minutes later when he curled in a low free kick past Patrick Pemberton to tie Landon Donovan's U.S. goal-scoring record with his 57th tally for the Stars and Stripes.
After Los Ticos dismantled the United States 4-0 last November in a hexagonal World Cup qualifier, the Red, White and Blue were determined to come out with some pep in their step and press forward.
That much was clear in the first minute when Jordan Morris rattled a shot off the post that nearly gave the U.S. an immediate 1-0 lead, as Fox Soccer documented on Twitter:
Another strong scoring opportunity presented itself in the 15th minute when Altidore passed up a chance near post and centered a pass inside the box to Kellyn Acosta, who couldn't quite corral the ball for a shot on goal.
And while manager Bruce Arena's squad dominated more than 60 percent of the first-half possession, a lack of finishing power in the attacking third left the door open for Costa Rica.
ESPN Stats & Info's Paul Carr relayed a graphic that illustrated some of USMNT's anemic tendencies over the first 45 minutes:
Another Pulisic-sized hole in the #USMNT first-half touch map (attacking left to right): pic.twitter.com/x1L7ct4W4j
— Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) July 23, 2017
The first 20 minutes of the second half were more of the same, but Dempsey's entrance as a substitute in the 66th minute provided the U.S. with a necessary energy boost.
After Dempsey nearly set up Acosta for a blistering goal from outside the box, some tremendous buildup and a savvy look-ahead to Altidore allowed the U.S. to jump in front.
The 34-year-old's free-kick stunner capped off what proved to be a fruitful final 25 minutes of regulation for USMNT, and that stretch should give Arena's squad loads of confidence entering the final.
By virtue of the win, the U.S. will head to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for Wednesday's championship tilt, where it will await the winner of Sunday's semifinal between Mexico and Jamaica.
CONCACAF suspended El Salvador's Henry Romero and Darwin Ceren six and three games, respectively, Saturday for biting United States men's national team players in a 2-0 quarterfinal loss at the Gold Cup, according to Fox Sports' Jenny Taft.
Romero appeared to bite USA forward Jozy Altidore in the 59th minute of Wednesday's loss, while Ceren was seen on tape attempting to bite defender Omar Gonzalez with time winding down in the second half.
"When the guy bit me, I was a bit shocked," Gonzalez said, according to ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle. "But you just have to move on as quick as possible and look toward the next play."
Altidore also disclosed that Romero twisted his nipples during what proved to be a fairly heated showdown in Philadelphia.
"You can't go around biting people," goalkeeper Tim Howard added, per Carlisle. "That's crazy. [Nipple twisting], that should be allowed, but the biting, no good."
