The USMNT’s 5-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in Sunday’s 2025 Gold Cup opener lifted the cloud of negativity surrounding the camp.
A Malik Tillman brace and goals from Patrick Agyemang, Brendan Aaronson and Haji Wright capped a comprehensive win to start the U.S.’s Gold Cup campaign, while NYCFC’s Matt Freese made his competitive debut for The Stars and Stripes, keeping a clean sheet and making two saves.
The dominant display was preceded by two international friendlies: an encouraging display despite a 2-1 defeat to Tükiye and a 4-0 loss to Switzerland, where all four were conceded inside a 23-minute blitz in the first half. To pile on the pressure for head coach Mauricio Pochettino this week, Christian Pulisic requested to miss the Gold Cup to rest but still play in the friendlies.
The last time these two sides faced each other was in the CONCACAF Nations League finals when the USMNT advanced over two legs 4-2, despite losing 2-1 away from home. Midfielder Luca De La Torre’s last start for the U.S. in a competitive match was that loss, and he returned to the starting XI.
Freese did not have much to do in the first half, facing no shots and completing all of his passes. The game was mostly played in the Trinidad and Tobago half, with the U.S. registering 13 shots. It took 10 minutes for them to register two, and then in the 16th minute, Jack McGlynn was played in by Agyemang on the right wing. McGlynn feinted, giving himself time to place a cross into the path of Tillman. His deft touch set him up for an early goal and Tillman’s first of his international career.
The front four of McGlynn, Tillman, Diego Luna and Agyemang were energetic in the first half, creating five big chances — one of which was a long diagonal ball from McGlynn that sent Luna one-on-one with Trinidad goalkeeper Marvin Phillip. Phillip did well to get low and big to make the save in the 25th minute.
The 41st minute saw Alvin Jones’ backpass intercepted by Luna, who was immediately one-on-one again but unselfishly squared the pass to an oncoming Tillman, who slotted the ball into an empty net for his and the U.S.’s second.
Three minutes later, Luna, ever the dangerman, danced past two Trinidad defenders, cut inside and shot low, but found his shot deflected off Agyemang, who managed to direct it past Phillips for a third right before half-time.
Despite head coach Dwight Yorke making a triple substitution after the break, the U.S. came flying out of the gates, creating a flurry of dangerous chances that were either just wide or saved by Phillips.
Trinidad’s first chance came in the 57th minute, when Freese clawed away Tyrese Spicer’s cutback. The U.S. were dangerous on the counterattack, with the midfielders continually able to find an American forward breaking past the Trinidad defensive line. The chemistry is still lacking, as Agyemang had a chance to score another in the 55th minute but hesitated to allow Trinidad to get the ball clear.
Substitute Aaronson scored his goal with eight minutes left to play, finding some space down the left wing. His powerful shot snuck underneath Phillip’s goal for the fourth. Then Wright, another substitute, was allowed to cut inside from the left wing to slide a shot far post for the U.S’s fifth.
Trinidad and Tobago, who were 84 places below the 16th-ranked U.S. in the FIFA rankings, did not provide much against the Americans, with only three shots.
The U.S. will play Saudi Arabia in their second Gold Cup match on Thursday, June 19 at 9:15 P.M. EST in the Q2 stadium.
