USMNT salvages late Gold Cup draw as second-choice side struggles vs. Jamaica

The USMNT really missed its big names vs. the Reggae Boyz

The U.S. men’s national team was hoping to keep the good times rolling in the Gold Cup, but the party rarely lasts in CONCACAF.

With almost no overlap between the squad that won the recent Nations League final with ease and the roster for the Gold Cup, a largely second-choice USMNT struggled through a sloppy Group A opener against Jamaica, saving a 1-1 draw thanks to a late Brandon Vazquez goal.

While the USMNT will take some positives from the performance of its substitutes, the overall showing at Chicago’s Soldier Field made it clear that this tournament won’t be the cakewalk seen in the Nations League.

The USMNT took some exception to Damion Lowe only collecting a yellow card after a knee-high challenge on James Sands. They were probably a bit more upset ten minutes later, as the Philadelphia Union center back’s flying header gave the Reggae Boyz the lead.

A stagnant USMNT was getting nowhere near threatening Andre Blake, and seemed set to receive even more bad news in the 27th minute. Aidan Morris clearly caught Kevon Lambert with a clumsy, flailing kick, gifting Jamaica a penalty kick.

However, Matt Turner would come up big, saving Leon Bailey’s effort from the spot, and the Aston Villa midfielder would inexplicably send the rebound wide of an empty net.

A halftime break to sort out a disjointed performance made no real difference, as the USMNT’s build-up patterns ran into a wall of yellow shirts at midfield time and again.

Finally, with Cade Cowell, Cristian Roldan, and Djordje Mihailovic entering as second-half substitutes, the U.S. started to find ways into the final third. At long last, a lifeless game had some kind of momentum.

However, even when they opened Jamaica’s defense up, it just wasn’t the USMNT’s night. Mihailovic, Cowell, and Jesús Ferreira combined on a 71st minute chance, only for Blake to somehow deny Roldan. The follow-up? Aidan Morris got there, only to blast a shot straight into Roldan’s head.

At long last, with interim coach B.J. Callaghan throwing all of his weapons into the fray, the last gamble paid off. Brandon Vazquez, not long after entering the match as the final U.S. sub, calmly finished from seven yards after Ferreira’s delicate cross was blocked into his path.

Snatching a draw will keep the USMNT in position to win the group, but the overall performance may hurt the case for many individual players in terms of breaking into the full-strength squad.

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