LOS ANGELES:
The US put one foot within the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League after a late flurry of targets secured a nervy 3-Zero win over Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday.
Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson and Gio Reyna scored within the remaining 10 minutes in Austin, Texas, to depart Gregg Berhalter’s aspect firmly on the right track for a spot within the final 4.
The People can e-book their place within the semi-finals — and a ticket to subsequent 12 months’s Copa America going down in the US — after they head to Port of Spain subsequent Monday for the return leg.
However the US will put together for the second leg taking nothing with no consideration after struggling to impose themselves on a Trinidad & Tobago crew who have been lowered to 10 males following Noah Powder’s first-half dismissal.
“It was simply a kind of days the place it felt like nothing was moving into,” Robinson stated after the win.
“I really feel like we created extra possibilities, however I feel we’ll be upset — we must be placing extra previous them with 10 males actually.
“However 3-Zero remains to be an honest lead going into the following leg, and hopefully we’ll have a greater efficiency subsequent time.”
It regarded for lengthy intervals as if the “Soca Warriors” would maintain on to safe a draw towards the People, who didn’t register a shot on the right track within the first half.
Nonetheless a tactical swap by Berhalter within the second half, transferring Borussia Dortmund’s Reyna right into a extra central function, paid off because the US started to dominate.
The People regarded able to make a breakthrough within the 60th minute when Daniel Phillips introduced down Weston McKennie within the penalty space.
Jamaican referee Oshane Nation pointed to the spot however after an intervention from the VAR the penalty award was overturned.
The impasse was lastly damaged within the 82nd minute when good play from Reyna noticed the ball labored to Fulham defender Robinson on the left flank.
Robinson whipped in a low ball and Pepi was ready on the close to put up with the deftest of flicks to lastly beat Trinidad goalkeeper Denzil Smith.
4 minutes later Robinson doubled the lead along with his first worldwide objective, his well-struck shot from the sting of the realm taking a deflection on its approach into the online.
As reduction coursed across the Q2 Stadium, Reyna added a 3rd on 89 minutes, enjoying a neat one-two with Folarin Balogun earlier than ending to present the People a 3-Zero benefit heading into the second leg.