SAN JOSE, Calif. — After enduring their longest series of consecutive losses since 2007, the United States men’s national soccer team is looking to shift the narrative with a commanding victory in the opening match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The U.S. team made a statement with a 5-0 triumph over Trinidad and Tobago, ranked 100th in the world, at PayPal Park on Sunday. Malik Tillman emerged as a key player by scoring twice, while Diego Luna contributed with two assists during the match. Coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed the importance of starting the competition on a positive note, which hopefully will reduce some of the negativity surrounding the team.
The American team snapped a troublesome four-game losing streak with Sunday’s win, following a week marked by controversy surrounding Christian Pulisic’s decision to rest for the Gold Cup and his omission from pre-tournament friendlies despite his willingness to participate. Tillman found the net in the 16th and 41st minutes, capitalizing on turnovers by Alvin Jones, and Patrick Agyemang scored his fourth international goal just before halftime after Luna’s shot took a deflection.
Reflecting on the day’s performance, Tillman stated, “It was in our hands to show a reaction, and I think we’ve done it today. We played a good game, and it was nice to bounce back, have a good start to the tournament.” The Americans, ranked 16th globally, saw Brenden Aaronson score his ninth international goal in the 82nd minute, followed swiftly by Haji Wright’s fifth goal just over a minute later, though the match drew only 12,610 fans.
Pochettino had high praise for Tillman, noting, “Malik is a talented player. After meeting in October and November, it was hard to build the player-coach relationship that fosters mutual trust. Now, weeks into being together, we’re beginning to understand each other, and he’s proving himself as a special talent and individual.”
Luna, a rising 21-year-old who caught Pochettino’s attention in January by playing with a broken nose, thrilled approximately 30 family and friends in the crowd, stating, “It’s an honor to dream of this day, starting a tournament in my home city is awesome.” His agile play led to a vital second goal and played a crucial part in putting Tillman in position for a 3-0 advantage.
The Americans have excelled in previous Gold Cups, with first-place finishes in their group 16 times out of 17 appearances, slipping only once in 2011 behind Panama. Their exceptional group stage record now stands at 41 wins, one loss, and five draws. Moving forward, they will face Saudi Arabia in Austin, Texas, on Thursday and conclude their group matches against Haiti in Arlington, Texas, on June 22.
Matt Freese took charge in goal, replacing Matt Turner, who had been consistent in his previous 14 starts in competitive U.S. matches and 23 of 24 overall since the 2022 World Cup. This Gold Cup match marked a shift as Pochettino aims to cultivate healthy competition for Turner’s place, acknowledging that Turner expressed disappointment but understood the need to vie for his position.