USMNT crushes Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 after (another) Jesus Ferreira hat trick

Ferreira’s hat trick kept them atop Group A on goal difference

The U.S. men’s national team was tested on Sunday night, but only by the outcome of a game on the other side of the country.

Jesús Ferreira starred for the USMNT, scoring his second consecutive hat trick in a 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Charlotte, NC.

It turned out they really needed to pour those goals on: The USMNT and Jamaica — who defeated St. Kitts and Nevis 5-0 in Santa Clara, Calif. in a match played simultaneously — both notched seven points in Group A, with the U.S. winning the group by virtue of their superior goal difference (plus-12 for the USMNT, plus-8 for Jamaica). That outcome almost certainly places them opposite Mexico in the Gold Cup’s knockout round bracket.

It wasn’t pretty in the early going, with some strange hops on the temporary grass surface laid over turf at Bank of America Stadium and some clumsy play from both sides.

However, moments after Joevin Jones volleyed a promising look over the bar at one end, Ferreira was ice cold in finishing off the first coherent USMNT attack of the evening.

The heat was playing a major factor, with the USMNT looking to keep the game’s tempo in control in pursuit of big openings. Finally, their moment arrived, with Djordje Mihailovic and Alex Zendejas doing fine work to pry the Soca Warriors’ defense open.

Ferreira was again the goalscorer, though this time it was more the product of persistence than anything else.

The FC Dallas forward nearly added an assist to his brace just two minutes later, only for Cristian Roldan to scuff his shot attempt as Trinidad and Tobago began to sag deeper and deeper defensively.

Mihailovic was causing fits for any Soca Warriors players that approached him, and in first-half stoppage time won a penalty after Alvin Jones’ reckless lunge.

There was little mystery over who would get the spot kick, with Ferreira getting his second straight hat trick after striking three times in the USMNT’s 6-0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis on Thursday.

With a three-goal cushion leaving plenty of work to do for Jamaica in the group’s other game, the USMNT were a bit lackluster, and needed something of a wake-up call in the form of halftime substitute Shannon Gomez crashing a shot off the post.

Fortunately for the U.S., that seemed to get them going again. A poor touch at the back let Cade Cowell — on the field for just four minutes at that point — in alone to round Marvin Phillip and make it 4-0. The goal is the young San Jose Earthquakes star’s first at the senior international level.

Cowell thumped the post shortly thereafter, and just as Jamaica started to apply some pressure on the goal difference front, another substitute created a USMNT goal. This time, Julian Gressel’s inch-perfect cutback found Gianluca Busio, who guided home his first-ever USMNT goal.

Brandon Vazquez would snag a late sixth for the USMNT, running onto Cowell’s superb through ball to clip the ball past Phillip and give his side their second straight 6-0 win.

The USMNT’s success in Group A sets up a July 9 quarterfinal at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. They’ll take on the runners-up from Group D, which could be either Guatemala, Guadeloupe, or Canada.

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