Christian Pulisic, Pepi Praised by USMNT Fans After Nations League Win vs. Jamaica
November 15, 2024
The U.S. Men's National Team is one step closer to a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal win.
Ricardo Pepi's early goal stood as the decider as Team USA won 1-0 on Thursday night in head coach Mauricio Pochettino's first game with the team.
The quarterfinal will continue with a second game on Monday. Whichever team wins the set will advance to both the Nations League Finals in March and the Gold Cup in June.
Pepi's early goal continued what has so far been a strong season for the 21-year-old USMNT star.
OptaJack⚽️ @OptaJack4 - Ricardo Pepi is the fourth player to score 12 goals for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USMNT</a> before turning 22 years old, joining Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Christian Pulisic. Dozen. <a href="https://t.co/zbTo8tnbRw">pic.twitter.com/zbTo8tnbRw</a>
AC Milan star Christian Pulisic meanwhile sparked praise by setting up Pepi's go-ahead goal in the fifth minute.
The game marked a historic night for both Pulisic, who became the 33rd player in USMNT history to make 75 appearances for the U.S., and Pepi, who became the fourth USMNT player to score 12 times on international stages before turning 22, per the AP.
Pulisic also took several hits from Jamaica as USMNT worked to preserve the lead in the second half.
Jamaica's Demarai Gray received a penalty kick in the 14th minute, but Team USA goaltender Matt Turner blocked the shot to keep the Americans ahead.
The hosts got another opportunity to tie the game in the 65th minute, but Mason Holgate missed an opportunity on the goal line.
Telemundo Deportes @TelemundoSports😳 ¡CEEEERCA EL GOL DE JAMAICA! <br><br>Los locales se quedaron a nada del empate, Musah salva de forma espectacular 👀<br><br>🇯🇲 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jamaica?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jamaica</a> 0-1 <a href="https://twitter.com/USMNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USMNT</a> 🇺🇸<br><br>📺📱 EN VIVO por <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCUniverso?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCUniverso</a> y Telemundo APP ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/luCUYvoX4H">https://t.co/luCUYvoX4H</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Concacaf?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Concacaf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FutbolUSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FutbolUSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USMNT</a> <a href="https://t.co/6NBmc3BYlr">pic.twitter.com/6NBmc3BYlr</a>
The second half was marked by whistles, with Holgate getting dismissed after receiving his second yellow card of the game in the 86th minute.
The win led fans to celebrate the U.S. Soccer Federation's decision to sign Pochettino as the successor to former manager Gregg Berhalter.
Pochettino coached Team USA through a pair of friendlies last month, but the win marked his first in a competitive match.
OptaJack⚽️ @OptaJack3 - Mauricio Pochettino is the third full-time <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USMNT</a> manager to win his first competitive away match, joining Bob Bradley (2008) and Steve Sampson (1996). Undaunted. <a href="https://t.co/9VrTvqDhL1">pic.twitter.com/9VrTvqDhL1</a>
Team USA won the first three editions of the Concacaf Nationals League tournament. The United States will see if they can set themselves on track for a fourth straight victory by claiming the team's second official win of the Pochettino era on Monday.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET in St. Louis. The winner of the aggregate-goal series will advance to a semifinal match on March 20 in Inglewood, California.