HISTORY LESSON: Three U.S. MNT Goalkeepers Earn Wins at 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
While the ultimate goal of the U.S. Men’s National Team at this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup is to win its sixth confederation championship, head coach Bruce Arena has also made it a priority to evaluate the pool by spreading around minutes for players in the tournament.
Through four matches, 27 of the 29 players named either to the Group Stage or Knockout Round rosters have earned at least one start, and only one player – Jordan Morris – has participated in every game, coming off the bench in three of the four.
The strategy has also led to a little bit of history for the U.S. MNT, who with Wednesday’s 2-0 Quarterfinal win against El Salvador became the first team in 14 editions of the Gold Cup to collect victories with three different goalkeepers.
Brad Guzan was in net when the USA defeated Martinique 3-2 on July 12, Bill Hamid (both above) earned his first tournament appearance in a 3-0 shutout of Nicaragua on July 15 and roster addition Tim Howard completed the trifecta with his 40th career clean sheet in the 2-0 win against El Salvador.
The 2017 tournament is also the fifth time that multiple U.S. MNT goalkeepers have earned wins. Have a look at the details on that stat below and be sure to check out the U.S. MNT’s full individual statistics at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup by clicking here.
Wins by Multiple U.S. MNT Goalkeepers at the CONCACAF Gold Cup |
|
1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Brad Friedel (2), Kasey Keller (1) |
2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Kasey Keller (3), Marcus Hahnemann (1) |
2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Tim Howard (4), Kasey Keller (2) |
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Nick Rimando (5), Sean Johnson (1) |
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Brad Guzan (1), Bill Hamid (1), Tim Howard (1) |
Eric Lichaj Enjoys First International Goal for USA
A misplay three minutes into Wednesday night’s 2-0 Gold Cup Quarterfinal win against El Salvador could have dictated a different path for the game.
Defender Eric Lichaj’s seemingly innocuous back-pass for Tim Howard was too soft, allowing El Salvador attacker Rodolfo Zelaya a clean lane towards goal before the veteran U.S. goalkeeper alertly came off his line to clear the danger.
“I told Tim thank you after the game,” Lichaj said. “He got me out of the dirt there.”
Just before halftime, Lichaj earned redemption in spades. Finding himself in the unusual position of being higher up the field than normal, the right back made a darting run towards the area where Clint Dempsey deftly hit him in stride. Taking a touch into the box, the Nottingham Forest defender blistered his first international goal through the legs of El Salvador goalkeeper Derby Carrillo to send the U.S. into halftime up 2-0 and eventual into the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinals.
“I couldn’t remember the initial bit, but I was high up and I just thought I would continue my run,” Lichaj said about his positioning. “It was a good play, and I think it was Justin [Morrow], Gyasi [Zardes] and Clint. Clint ended up turning in a good position on the pitch and he just slipped me in. I shot low and hard at the goalkeeper and we got our second goal.”
Read moreGonzalez and Lichaj Become Third Pair of U.S. MNT Defenders to Score in Same Match
Two defenders scoring in the same game? It’s certainly not unheard of, but it’s still pretty rare, especially at the international level.
It happened for the U.S. MNT in its 2-0 Gold Cup Quarterfinal victory against El Salvador on Tuesday night. Center back Omar Gonzalez recorded his second goal in as many matches in the 41st minute before Eric Lichaj hit home his first international strike in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
- READ MORE: Gonzalez Talks Gold Cup Scoring Touch
The duo’s scoring exploits marked just the third time in the Modern Era (1990-present) that the MNT has had two defenders score in the same match. It was the second occurrence in the last two years, and first time it happened in official competition.
Here’s a rundown of the three instances:
Two U.S. MNT Defenders Scoring in the Same Game |
|||
Date |
Result |
U.S. Defenders |
Competition |
March 26, 2008 |
Onyewu, Bocanegra |
Friendly |
|
Jan. 31, 2016 |
Orozco, Birnbaum |
Friendly |
|
July 19, 2017 |
Gonzalez, Lichaj |
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinal |