USMNT aims to continue CONCACAF dominance with new roster
With the CONCACAF Nations League trophy that they won Sunday in Las Vegas in tow, an almost entirely different U.S. men's national team is hoping to claim another piece of silverware at the 2023 Gold Cup — which kicks Saturday when the Americans meet Jamaica in Chicago (9:30 p.m. ET, FS1).
Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun won't be there; most of the European-based stars in the USMNT's player pool are getting a badly needed vacation between club seasons. There's still plenty of experience on the roster, though, what with seven members of the 2022 World Cup squad included.
Their colleagues accomplished the program's first priority this summer by retaining the Nations League crown. Now this group will try to follow suit and match that accomplishment by winning the Gold Cup. If they do, it will complete a clean sweep of biennial regional competitions for the USMNT for the second time in as many tries.
"It's all [one] team, it's all one pool," said starting goalkeeper Matt Turner, one of just five U.S. players at the Gold Cup who also participated in the Nations League finals.
"Last week and we took care of business and we got a trophy, and now it's time to completely shift gears and win another one. We were able to do that in 2021, and we know how great that was for our federation and for our player pool. It gave a lot of guys opportunities that wouldn't have presented themselves otherwise. So we're looking for the same. And I know a lot of guys are really eager to represent the country."
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Having now taken consecutive Nations Leagues plus the 2021 Gold Cup, the U.S. is the clear favorite to win its fourth straight CONCACAF competition at next month's final in Los Angeles. That doesn't mean it will be easy — not against opponents who'll have the luxury of fielding their first-choice lineups.
It's part of the reason why the Americans are approaching a tournament they've won more than any nation besides Mexico the same way they did last year's World Cup in Qatar: by not taking anything for granted. Now as then, the primary objective is to accumulate enough points in group play to qualify for an invitation to the knockout stage. The U.S. will complete the first round against two other Caribbean foes: Saint Kitts and Nevis June 28 in St. Louis and next weekend versus Trinidad and Tobago in Charlotte.
Saturday's curtain raiser poses a considerable challenge. The Reggae Boyz boast perhaps their strongest collection of talent ever after recruiting a number of young, English-born dual citizens over the last few years. The most recent commit is 26-year-old winger Demarai Gray of Everton — one of five Premier Leaguers on Jamaica's roster. (The U.S. has two: Arsenal's Turner and fellow keeper Gaga Slonina of Chelsea.)
With CONCACAF heavyweights Canada, Mexico and the U.S. all shorthanded after the Nations League, some even consider these Jamaicans a dark horse to claim their first regional title. Jamaica is coached by Heimir Hallgrímsson, who led his native Iceland at the 2018 World Cup.
"We expect a direct, physical game, but also some good soccer," Turner said. "It's a strong team with strong individuals. We're hoping our collective is stronger."
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They'll have to be. Turner and defender Miles Robinson are the hosts' only Nations League starters at the Gold Cup. And U.S. interim coach B.J. Callaghan said Friday that Robinson is still dealing with the sore calf that kept him out of the Nations League decider and will be "a game time decision" on Saturday.
Much of the American lineup will be composed of international neophytes looking to establish themselves at the highest level — a stark contrast to Jamaica's.
"You have a tons of experienced players, young players," Callaghan said of the Reggae Boyz starting 11. "They can really beat you and hurt you in different ways."
Given all that, you'd forgive this U.S. squad for feeling some pressure to succeed the way the first string did.
"I don't think there's pressure," veteran fullback DeAndre Yedlin said. "We know what we're capable of. The group that was competing in the Nations League did an unbelievable job. And we're just trying to carry that on over. We're not defending the Gold Cup, were attacking it. We want to be aggressive and dominate the games, just as the group that was involved in the Nations League did.
"Gold Cup and Nations League," added Yedlin, "They're opportunities for us to compete, opportunities for us to show why we believe we're the best team in CONCACAF, and for us to make a statement – kind of to the whole world."
Hoisting the silverware again would say plenty.
"It's not every day you get to lift a trophy," said midfielder Alex Zendejas, another of the Nations League holdovers along with Turner, Robinson, and reserves Sean Johnson and Alan Soñora. "That's just extra motivation to do the same with this tournament."
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
