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The United States’ national football team quite made the statement of beginning their Concacaf Gold Cup Group games on Sunday by dominating Trinidad and Tobago, 5-0, in Paypal Park in San Jose, California.
All the speech that led into the Gold Cup was about Christian Pulisic, the USMNT star who defended his reason for failing to play in the Gold Cup after his year with AC Milan. Both former players and fans called Pulisic, and it was definitely deteriorating from the schedule to play on Sunday.
However, this team obviously does not listen to the outside noise as they came down to business against “T&T” to start their group D plan.
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The United States tip Malik Tillman responds to scoring a goal in the first half during a group step match in the 2025 Gold Cup in Paypal Park in San Jose, Calif. (DARREN YAMASHITA-PREPARED PICTURES)
It was Malik Tillman, the 23-year-old, who plays for Holland’s PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie League, and got usmnt on the scoreboard with his first international career in the 16th minute.
Jack McGlynn made it happen when he was patient inside T & T’s 18-yard box, slipped past a defender and lifted a naughty care to Tillman who buried it for the tournament’s opening goal.
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But Tillman wasn’t done in the first half. He started sprinting when Diego Luna took advantage of a poor pass from a T&T defender, giving support if Luna would pass. That’s exactly what he did when Tillman got separation and he did it 2-0.
Usmnt was not finished in the first half when Patrick AgeMang deflected a shot from Luna just three minutes after Tillman’s second goal. The T&T keeper had no chance when he dived the other direction with the ball crossing the finish line.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson and Team USA celebrate after scoring the fourth goal of the game. (Robert Edwards-Preferred Pictures)
With a 3-0 lead after the first half, USMNT did not just go into cruise control. It was BRENDEN AARONSON in the 82nd minute that went to his right foot and kept his shot low past the T&T keeper to make it 4-0.
Then Haji Wright joined the scoring party with a perfectly placed shot to the right side of the net just three minutes after Aaronson.
That was quite the statement for this USMNT group less than a year out of the FIFA world championship held in the United States as well as Canada and Mexico.
USA forward Malik Tillman (17) celebrates scoring the first goal of the game during the first half. (DARREN YAMASHITA-PREPARED PICTURES)
Their next group stage games will be June 19 against Saudi Arabia, who also took Haiti, 1-0, Sunday down to win their opening of the Gold Cup match.
Both USMNT and Saudi Arabia have three points in the group.
