If the U.S. men’s national team is going to lift its first Concacaf Gold Cup since 2017, the Americans will need to defeat the same team it beat in the 2017 final to do it.
The USMNT will take on Jamaica in the Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Jamaicans suffered a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica on Tuesday, sealing their second-place finish in Group C, and thus a rematch with the United States, which the Reggae Boyz placed in March, suffering a 4-1 loss in a friendly played in Austria.
The USMNT and Jamaica have an extensive history in the Gold Cup, most recently playing in the 2019 semifinals, with the Americans prevailing, 3-1. In fact, the two rivals have met in the knockout rounds in four of the past five Gold Cups, with the Americans winning three and Jamaica’s lone win coming in the 2015 semifinals.
The Jamaicans are led by Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey and Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, two of several Reggae Boyz starters who were rested against Costa Rica after the Jamaicans began the Gold Cup with consecutive victories.
The Americans are one of two teams to finish the group stage with a perfect 3-0 record (Costa Rica being the other), though their struggles in Sunday’s 1-0 against Canada should give Jamaica confidence that it can defeat the USMNT, especially with starting defender Walker Zimmerman ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
Here are the Concacaf Gold Cup knockout round matchups:
Quarterfinals
Saturday – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Qatar vs El Salvador
Mexico vs Honduras
Sunday – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Costa Rica vs Canada
USA vs Jamaica
Semifinals
Q2 Stadium, Austin, TX
Winner of Qatar/El Salvador vs. Winner of USA/Jamaica
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Winner of Mexico/Honduras vs. Winner of Costa Rica/Jamaica
The 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup final is set for Sunday, August 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The final sold out just 90 minutes after tickets went on sale.
