Another Day at "The Office"

After a chaotic first 15 minutes, the USMNT

settled in and held on in first-leg victory

The U.S. Men's National Team took a big step toward qualifying for two important competitions next year with a 1-0 win over Jamaica in the opening leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series on Thursday in Kingston.

Striker Ricardo Pepi scored the game's lone goal in the 5th minute, finishing off a well-worked move involving Christian Pulisic and Johnny Cardoso. Goalkeeper Matt Turner also came up big for the Americans, saving a 14th-minute penalty kick to preserve the lead.

The win gives the USMNT a narrow 1-0 aggregate advantage heading into the second leg, which will be played on Nov. 18 in St. Louis. The winner of the two-game series will qualify for both the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals and next summer's Concacaf Gold Cup.

In his third game in charge, new USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino named a starting lineup featuring the same back four as his first USMNT match, with Joe Scally, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson in front of Turner. Midfielders Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah also returned to the XI.

Jamaica quickly made their intentions known, pressing the Americans aggressively and trying to take advantage of the uneven playing surface at the National Stadium. But the U.S. found a swift response, with Pulisic setting up Pepi's opener in the opening five minutes. Pulisic, playing in a more free role, turned in the central space and found Pepi streaking in toward the goal.

The visitors nearly doubled their lead a couple of minutes later through chances from Robinson and Pulisic, but then, Jamaica were awarded a penalty when Turner fouled Shamar Nicholson. However, the goalkeeper atoned for his mistake, diving to his right to parry Demarai Gray's spot kick.

The second half saw the USMNT control possession more comfortably, though Jamaica did threaten late on. Substitute Brandon Vazquez nearly scored an insurance goal for the Americans, but his shot was blocked.

It became increasingly heated, with seven yellow cards shown in the second half, including a second caution for Jamaica's Mason Holgate which reduced them to 10 men. The U.S. saw out the victory, earning their fourth all-time win on Jamaican soil.

Next up for the USMNT is the decisive second leg on Nov. 18 in St. Louis, where a spot in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals and Gold Cup will be on the line.

Pochettino Post Match Quotes

USMNT Manager Mauricio Pochettino praised his team's performance in a challenging 1-0 victory against Jamaica, acknowledging the need for improvement. He emphasized the importance of learning from tough matches and preparing for the next leg in St. Louis, while recognizing Jamaica's quality as a team.

Question: “You came in an arena packed with a lot of eager and excited Jamaica fans. How will you manage to silence the noise and stick to the objectives and get a crucial goal and a win heading into the second?"

Pochettino's Answer: "I think the first step is done. I want to congratulate my players because in a difficult situation, they competed really well. We competed really well, and I am so pleased. Of course, we need to improve in all areas; that is logical because it's only one month that we are working, and it is only our second camp. But I think to come here and face and play against Jamaica, a very good player, was tough for us. I think we defended well in the second half. We conceded some chances that maybe Jamaica could score, but overall I am happy with the way the team competed. We didn't concede, and now we need to prepare for the second leg in St. Louis. It's going to be tough because Jamaica, like today, showed that they are a very good team and they have very good players."

Question: “Also in the second half, we saw that the Jamaicans actually came back and applied a lot of pressure. How were you able to kind of handle that pressure and still maintain the score at the end?"

Pochettino's Answer: "I think for us it is really good to have this type of opponent like Jamaica to make us realize that we need to fight to match the aggressivity of the opponent. It's true that it's not easy competition, but we learn. We need to learn, and today is another step. Learning is easier when you win games; you can learn fast. But I think yes, it was a tough game. We need to be pleased and now try to design all the strategy to recover and be ready for Monday."

Musah’s Game-Saving Clearance

Midfielder’s quick reflexes preserve clean sheet

In the 66th minute of the match, the United States' lead was hanging in the balance. Jamaica had earned a free kick near midfield. Renaldo Cephas received Leon Bailey’s free-kick, pushing into the right side of the box before slotting a pass centrally to Mason Holgate, who was positioned just yards from the goal.

With the chance to level the game, Holgate prepared to tap the ball past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner. But in a moment of brilliance, Yunus Musah stepped up and delivered a perfectly timed and placed tackle, denying Holgate the opportunity and keeping the U.S. lead and clean sheet intact.

Musah has been playing off the right side of midfield under new manager   Mauricio Pochettino. Musah's timely intervention proved crucial, as the match soon descended into controversy. During the ensuing corner kick, tensions flared between the two sides, leading to a shoving match between the U.S.'s Antonee Robinson and Bailey. Both players were booked for their involvement in the altercation.

Despite the heated exchanges, Musah's defensive heroics ensured the United States maintained their advantage, showcasing the young midfielder's composure and defensive prowess in a high-pressure situation. His clutch play was integral to the U.S. securing a crucial victory.

Turner’s Redemption

Goalkeeper makes penalty save
after committing foul that led to the spot kick

Right after Ricardo Pepi scored in the 5th minute, the USMNT created two more clear chances with Antonee Robinson and Christian Pulisic missing those chances.

The match shifted back to the home side in the 12th minute when Matt Turner brought down Shamar Nicholson after a slaloming run. A few are at fault before Nicholson even gets close to Turner. It starts with Joe Scally giving the ball away on a pass after Johnny Cardoso intercepted a Jamaican pass. Kasey Palmer played the initial pass into Nicholson, who now just has centerbacks Mark McKenzie and Tim Ream in his way.

Nicholson makes a nice touch and spin move to elude Ream and a cutback on the right foot that leaves Ream in the dust. McKenzie steps over to defend and does well to tackle the ball, but it falls back to Nicholson, who just has Turner to beat.

Turner dives for the ball, Nicholson gets a touch on the ball and the goalkeeper clips the attacker's foot, dragging him down. It appears on replay that Nicholson was expecting the contact as he lunged to poke the ball away from the goalkeeper.

Demarai Gray stepped up to face Turner from the spot. His right-footed shot was struck with some force to the goalkeeper’s right. The shot was at a height perfect for Turner to save. The American guessed correctly, diving to his right to push the shot wide. Turner was pumped after the save, screaming and celebrating with his teammates.

“Needed a play like that for a long time now,” Turner said. The Washington Post

Turner had been struggling for minutes since making the move from Nottingham Forest to Crystal Palace over the summer, playing just 90 minutes so far this season — an EFL Cup Fourth Round match.

“I’m just going to keep plugging away, keep controlling what I can control right now, and when my number’s called, I’m going to play the best that I can,” Turner said. The Athletic

Turner has now saved three-of-six penalties from open play in his international career. He made a penalty save on Trinidad’s Alvin Jones on his debut and last summer in the Gold Cup against Jamaica’s Leon Bailey.

Injury Issues

Injury Woes Continue for USMNT as Johnny Cardoso Joins Growing Casualty List

The United States' victory over Jamaica in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals came at a cost, as the team's depth has been further tested by injuries. Among the casualties is Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who was forced to exit the match against Jamaica with a hamstring problem.

Cardoso's absence is the latest blow for the USMNT, who are already missing the likes of Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent. With the team's schedule limited to fewer competitive matches in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, opportunities for young players like Cardoso to prove their readiness are crucial.

The 20-year-old Cardoso had earned his place in the starting lineup, only to have his performance cut short. As the USMNT prepares for the second leg against Jamaica, Mauricio Pochettino must quickly find a solution to fill the void left by Cardoso's absence.