The U.S. Men’s National Team won the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup after defeating the Jamaican National Team 2-1 in the final game. The USMNT were able to win their sixth title with help from coach Bruce Arena as well as both returning stars and standout fresh faces.
Key Players:
- Michael Bradley (Toronto FC):
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li>Golden Ball for tournament MVP</li><li>Played all 270 minutes of the knockout rounds</li><li>Best XI of the tournament</li></ul></li><li><strong>Jordan Morris</strong> (Seattle Sounders FC)
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li>Scored three goals in the tournament (tied with two others for first)</li><li>Scored the game-winning goal during the final game</li><li>Only U.S. player to appear in all six matches</li><li>Best XI of the tournament</li></ul></li><li><strong>Omar Gonzalez</strong> (C.F. Pachuca)
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li>Led the team in clearances with 19 during his five matches</li><li>Scored two goals (second most for the U.S.)</li><li>Led the team in starts</li><li>Best XI of the tournament</li></ul></li></ul>
The Road to the Finals
The group stage started off slow for the USMNT. A 1-1 draw with Panama was the first time the U.S. failed to win the opening game in the Gold Cup. The USMNT returned to their typically-dominant form against Martinique and Nicaragua, whom they beat 3-2 and 3-0 respectively. The U.S. should have easily won Group B based on the opponents they faced, and though they did come out on top, Panama matched them for points.
The USMNT was fortunate with their positioning in the knockout bracket, with most of the toughest opponents in the competition lumped on the opposite end. In both the quarter- and semi-finals, the U.S. dominated each game and defeated both El Salvador and Costa Rica 2-0.
The Final Game
The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final took place in Santa Clara, California on July 26, 2017. The USMNT took on Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz. Two Philadelphia Union players were on the original 23-man roster for the 2017 Gold Cup, Alejandro Bedoya and Chris Pontius, however neither saw minutes in the final game; Bedoya returned to the club following the group stage.
The game started slow for both teams and scoring opened until in the 45th minute with a free-kick goal from Jozy Altidore. However, five minutes into the second half Jamaica’s Je-Vaughn Watson evened things up with a volley off a corner kick. For the rest of the match, the game remained close and both sides created chances until Jordan Morris slid the ball past the Jamaican goalkeeper in the 88th minute to give the United States its first Gold Cup title since 2013.
The United States will return to the Gold Cup on June 18, 2019, to play Warren Creavalle and Guyana in the first game of the group. New head coach Gregg Berhalter will lead out a yet-to-be-named 23-man roster for his first major tournament in charge.
