USMNT shows fight that Pochettino demands in win vs. Jamaica

Ricardo Pepi met the moment, and now the USA Men’s National Team is one step closer to the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) semifinals.

The USMNT striker, long restricted to a substitute role for both club (PSV Eindhoven) and country, had insisted all week that he was ready to make a difference in the starting XI. With three other forwards out injured, Pepi got his chance and delivered for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the quarter-final first leg against Jamaica in Kingston, scoring the only goal in a hard-fought 1-0 victory. The USMNT now heads into Monday’s second game in St. Louis with a one-goal advantage.

This was by no means a game that will live long in the memory, although that is the nature of American road games in Concacaf. They are often played in stifling conditions and have some robust play. This match was no different. Pepi for one, was ready and he is now the fourth player to score 12 goals for the USA before turning 22 (Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Christian Pulisic are the others).

“We were here to fight. We knew it was going to be difficult,” Pepi told TNT postmatch. “But at the end of the day we got the result and now it’s time to take care of it at home.”

After Pepi’s opener in the fifth minute, the visitors had two more chances to score Anthony Robinson and Pulisic—whose deft pass set up Pepi’s goal—and the U.S. wasted them both. At which point the game turned ugly as Jamaica slowly increased the pressure. American goalkeeper Matt Turner conceded a penalty in the first half but made up for it by saving Demarai Grey‘s spot kick.

There was also some desperate defending, especially in the second half, that allowed the USA to survive. Both Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie came up with some critical blocks. And Yunus Musah produced one of the defensive plays of the match as his 66th-minute tackle on Mason Holgate at the door of the American goal preserved the visitors’ lead.

But survived the US did, and that’s what mattered most in this match. The lead-up to the 2026 World Cup is light on competitive play, and victory in this quarterfinal would allow the USA to enter the final stage of the CNL — a competition the USA has won every time it’s been held — next March. As much as American manager Pochettino has played down the limited time he has with his players this cycle, this reality means the CNL has more value than it did in the past. This is an opportunity that cannot be missed.

All the more reason to enjoy this victory, even if it wasn’t easy on the eyes. Sure, the Pochettino era is still in its early stages and it could be argued that there hasn’t been much in the way of sparkling football so far. But since the start of 2020, the USMNT’s road record had been pretty mediocre: 3-6-5 before this game. A win on the road sets the team up for increased confidence and growth.

From the moment Pochettino was hired, the Argentine has preached competitiveness. In addition to a win, he got it from his team tonight. It was clear that Pochettino had an understanding of what kind of game his side were in when his midfield quintet of Pulisic, Weston McKenniemush, Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso possessed plenty of steel. It was also present in the face of some physical play from Jamaica that Costa Rican referee Juan Gabriel Calderón was inclined to let it go.

During a melee in the 69th minute, the U.S. did an effective job of standing up for Pulisic — who was headed for some tough challenges — while not straying into red-card territory. That kind of balance between standing up to opponents while maintaining team discipline is crucial to getting results, and something that seemed to be missing last summer at the Copa América. If the U.S. can maintain that kind of mental fortitude, it makes competing against some of the world’s better teams — like Copa América opponents Uruguay — a more even proposition.

Having some individual brilliance also helps, and that’s how Pepi and Turner came through. For Pepi, this was not a night full of scoring opportunities. In fact, the goal sequence turned out to be the only time all night that Pepi had a touch in the opposition penalty area. But he made the most of his opportunity, tapping his shot off the far post for his second goal of the Pochettino era. That kind of efficiency is what will keep him in the starting lineup in the future.

“I just saw Christian between the lines and I saw a lot of space behind so I ran and finished it,” Pepi said, before adding: “If I put myself in the right space I always find space to score a goal.”

Turner is also proving indispensable to the new American manager, although he is struggling to get minutes at club level with Crystal Palace. He was arguably the Man of the Match last month in the 2-0 win over Panama, and while he wasn’t tested that often in the match – according to ESPN Stats & Info, Jamaica was credited with just one shot on target – – he came through when called. Granted, his takedown of Shamar Nicholson was the last domino to fall in the game that led to the penalty kick, but he atoned for his mistake, saving his third kick in a U.S. jersey and his second against Jamaica. He let out a roar after the rescue.

“I was trying to stay grounded, but I was definitely encouraged in the moment,” Turner said. “I needed a play like that for a long time now, so it felt good.”

Staying grounded is exactly what the US needs to do in the second round. Jamaica has proven as difficult to subdue on American soil as it was last night. In the last edition of the CNL, the Reggae Boyz took the USA to overtime in the semi-finals. The competitiveness that Pochettino has preached will be needed again. Some more fluid gameplay would also be welcome. As Turner said, “We’ve got to keep building and moving forward.”