CHICAGO (June 29, 2019) – Following a dominant run through the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage, the U.S. Men’s National Team now turns its focus to the quarterfinals where it will take on Caribbean side Curaçao on Sunday, June 30 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Coverage of USA-Curaçao begins at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, Univision, UDN and the Futbol de Primera Radio Networks. Fans can follow all the matches on the official U.S. Soccer app, as well as Facebook, Twitter (@USMNT) and Instagram (@USMNT) accounts.
DEFENDERS (8): 14-Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 4/0), 3-Omar Gonzalez (Toronto FC/CAN; 51/3), 2-Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 6/0), 23-Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 8/2), 16-Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact/CAN; 6/0), 19-Matt Miazga (Chelsea/ENG; 15/1), 13-Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 32/1), 5-Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 9/2)
MIDFIELDERS (6): 4-Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN; 147/17), 8-Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 11/1), 20-Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire; 5/1), 10-Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 28/11), 15-Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 13/0), 6-Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 19/0)
FORWARDS (6): 17-Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 113/42), 7-Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 25/5), 21-Tyler Boyd (Vitória Guimãres/POR; 4/2), 18-Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; 5/0), 11-Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 30/5), 9-Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 48/10)
After going with the same lineup through the first two matches, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter ran out a new XI for Wednesday’s group finale and the team responded by grinding out a 1-0 victory against Panama. A 66th minute bicycle kick from Jozy Altidore stood up as the lone goal, the strike marking the veteran forward’s 42nd international goal and fifth all-time in the Gold Cup. With the victory the USA clinched top spot in its Gold Cup group for the 14th time in 15 editions of the tournament.
Every time the USMNT has won a Concacaf Gold Cup, it’s leaned on contributions throughout the team, and this year’s edition is no different. Through three matches, 22 players have seen the field, with 10 contributing to the USA’s 11 goals thus far. On the defensive end, the team has achieved three straight clean sheets, marking just the second time the side has kept three shutouts during the group stage. The USA’s +11 goal difference in the group stage is also the team’s best in 15 editions of the Gold Cup.
|
2019 Gold Cup Group D Table |
|||||||
|
TEAMS |
W |
L |
D |
Pts. |
GF |
GA |
GD |
|
USA |
3 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
11 |
0 |
11 |
|
Panama |
2 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
|
Guyana |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
9 |
-6 |
|
Trinidad & Tobago |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
-7 |
June 18
USA 4, Guyana 0
Panama 2, Trinidad & Tobago 0
June 22
USA 6, Trinidad & Tobago 0
Panama 4, Guyana 2
June 26
USA 1, Panama 0
Guyana 1, Trinidad & Tobago 1
Altidore’s game-winning goal against Panama was the 42nd of his international career and fifth all-time in Gold Cup play.
The USA’s 11 goals have come through six different players: Zardes (3), Arriola, Boyd and Long (2 each), Altidore and Pulisic (1 each).
Six different players have provided assists: Morris and Pulisic (2 each), Arriola, Bradley, Lima and McKennie (1 each).
The USA’s +11 goal difference is the team’s best in Gold Cup group stage history.
The 2019 tournament marks the second time the USA has kept clean sheet in all three group stage matches. The other occurrence came in 2007.
Through three matches, 22 players have started at least one game. Only goalkeeper Tyler Miller has yet to make an appearance in the tournament.
With his brace against Trinidad & Tobago, Gyasi Zardes became the team’s leading scorer with four goals in 2019 – already a career high in a calendar year. The two goals also took Zardes’ career tally to 10, making him the 25th USMNT player to achieve double-digit goals.
Zardes, Arriola and Trapp jointly lead the team with eight appearances in 2019.
Playing his first minutes of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, Jordan Morris made a positive impact off the bench, providing two assists in the 6-0 win against T&T.
With his next appearance, veteran midfielder Michael Bradley (22 GP) would move into a tie with Kasey Keller (23 GP) for third on the USMNT’s all-time Gold Cup caps list.
As of June 18, 2019, the U.S. roster has an average age of 25 years, 251 days and 24 caps.
Ten players on the roster have previous Gold Cup experience, led by Michael Bradley (4 tournaments), Jozy Altidore, Omar Gonzalez and Sean Johnson (3), Tim Ream and Gyasi Zardes (2), and Paul Arriola, Matt Miazga Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan (1)
Of the 10 players above, only Tim Ream was not part of the 2017 Gold Cup championship squad.
A majority of the roster comes from Major League Soccer, with 17 players representing 12 clubs.
Six players come from clubs outside of MLS, with four from England, and one each from Germany and Portugal
Along with most tournament’s played, Bradley leads all players on the roster with 22 Gold Cup appearances, followed by Zardes (13), Altidore (11), Gonzalez (10), Jordan Morris (8) and Paul Arriola (7).
Eight players on the roster have registered goals in the Gold Cup: Altidore (5), Zardes (4), Bradley, Gonzalez and Morris (3 each), Arriola, Boyd and Long (2 each), Miazga and Pulisic (1 each).
LAFC goalkeeper Tyler Miller is the only player on the Gold Cup roster looking for his USMNT debut.
Only five players were born when the USA won the inaugural Gold Cup title in 1991: Altidore, Bradley, Gonzalez Johnson and Ream
Beginning with the inaugural title in 1991, the U.S. has lifted the Gold Cup on six occasions. The USA returned the trophy home in 2002 and won again in 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2017.
The USA has more wins in the Concacaf Gold Cup than any other nation, going 59-8-9 all-time.
The U.S. has gone an impressive 36-1-4 during the Group Stage.
The MNT has advanced to the final on 10 occasions: 1991, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2017.
The USA is 9-0-1 all-time in Gold Cup quarterfinal matches. The lone draw came during the 2000 tournament – a 2-2 tie with Colombia that saw the side go out on penalty kicks.
The USA has made it to the semifinals in 13 out of 14 tournaments, missing out only in 2000.
The 2019 Gold Cup Quarterfinal match will mark the third all-time meeting between the USA and Curaçao.
The two sides played a home-and-home series during qualifying for the 1985 Concacaf Championship, which served as qualification for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.
At the time, Curaçao was part of the Netherlands Antilles, but with that country’s dissolution in 2010, is now recognized by FIFA as the direct successor and takes on its historical records.
Playing the first leg in Willemstad, Curaçao, the teams drew 0-0 on Sept. 29, 1984, before a 4-0 victory on Oct. 6, 1984 in St. Louis saw the USA advance to the 1985 Concacaf Championship.
A constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaçao has deep Dutch roots, as does the management of the U.S. Men’s National Team.
A dual U.S. and Dutch citizen, USMNT General Manager Earnie Stewart was born in Veghel, Netherlands and spent most of his life living, playing and serving as a soccer executive there.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter also began his professional career in Holland, playing six seasons with Zwolle, Sparta Rotterdam and Cambuur.
The USA is 4-0-1 all-time at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field and 2-0-0 in Gold Cup matches at the stadium.
The team defeated Panama 2-1 in extra time during the 2009 Gold Cup quarterfinal and downed El Salvador 2-0 at this stage in the 2017 tournament.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Zeus de la Paz (Oldham Athletic/ENG; 2/0), Jairzinho Pieter (Vesta; 12/0), Eloy Room (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 29/0)
DEFENDERS (5): Jurich Carolina (Den Bosch/NED; 9/1), Juriën Caari (RKC Waalwijk/NED; 12/1), Darryl Lachman (PEC Zwolle/NED; 27/1), Cuco Martina (Feyenoord/NED; 43/2), Shermar Martina (MVV Maastricht/NED; 4/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Leandro Bacuna (Cardiff City/WAL; 25/11), Roly Bonevacia (Al-Faisaly/KSA; 2/1), Shanon Carmelia (IJsselmeervogels/NED; 36/2), Gersinio Constancia (Jong Holland; 3/0), Michaël Maria (Charlotte Independence/USA; 19/0), Shermaine Martina (MVV Maastricht/NED; 5/0), Ayrton Statie (Lienden/NED; 12/0), Jimbertson Vapor (Scherpenheuvel; 0/0)
FORWARDS (7): Jarchinio Antonia (Apollon Limassol/CYP; 21/0), Jafar Arias (Emmen/NED; 5/0), Charlison Benschop (De Graafschap/NED; 5/0), Kenji Gorre (Nacional/POR; 1/0), Elson Hooi (ADO Den Haag/NED; 22/7), Gevaro Nepomuceno (Oldham Athletic/ENG; 39/8), Gino van Kessel (Roeselare/BEL; 23/8)
Curaçao sits 79th in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
The team is coached by Remko Bicentini, who has held the position of head coach or assistant coach with Curaçao at different points over nine years.
Having been affiliated with FIFA since 1932 as the Netherlands Antilles, that nation’s dissolution resulted in Curaçao becoming its own independent country in 2010. As such, Curaçao is recognized by FIFA as the direct successor to the Netherlands Antilles, taking on its historical records similar to how Serbia does with Yugoslavia.
Fourteen players on the roster were born in the Netherlands, with eight born in Curaçao and one in Bonaire.
The squad is made up of players that play club football in nine different countries. The Netherlands leads the way with 12, followed by Curaçao (3), England (2), Belgium, Cyprus, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, USA and Wales (1 each).
The team’s captain Cuco Martina plays for Dutch giants Feyenoord and has previous experience in England with Everton and Stoke City.
Starting goalkeeper Eloy Room is also on the books at PSV Eindhoven and was teammates with USA defender Matt Miazga at Vitesse during the 2016-17 Eredivisie campaign.
