USMNT Stuns Saudi Arabia 1-0 to Storm Into Gold Cup Quarterfinals
The United States Men's National Team edged past Saudi Arabia with a narrow 1-0 victory, booking their spot in the Gold Cup quarterfinals. However, the display lacked conviction after what had been an encouraging start to the competition.
The opening 45 minutes proved largely forgettable, with neither side creating meaningful scoring chances. While the Americans dominated ball possession, they struggled to threaten going forward, registering their initial shot on goal just before the break. Saudi Arabia came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first period, though Chris Richards made a crucial intervention to deny Abdulrahman Al Obud's effort.
Mauricio Pochettino's team failed to elevate their performance after the interval, but mirroring Mexico's approach from the previous day, the USMNT escaped their struggles through a dead-ball situation. Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter delivered an inch-perfect delivery that found Richards, who converted the breakthrough goal for America in the 63rd minute. The Crystal Palace center-back looked to be in an offside position initially, but following an extended VAR check, the strike was allowed to stand.
Richards' header proved sufficient to earn another win for the USMNT and secure passage to the Gold Cup quarterfinals. Saudi Arabia struggled to manufacture genuine opportunities after halftime and concluded the match with just a single effort on target.
The showing from Pochettino's squad was troubling from an overall perspective. The USMNT simply didn't perform to standard, leaving the Argentine coach with considerable preparation needed before the elimination phase commences. The Americans' next assignment sees them face Haiti to conclude group stage action.
Individual player assessments from the encounter are listed below.
Saudi Arabia Player Ratings vs. USMNT (4-3-3)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Nawaf Alaqidi | 7.3 |
RB: Ali Majrashi | 7.4 |
CB: Abdulelah Al Amri | 6.8 |
CB: Abdullah Madu | 6.3 |
LB: Nawaf Bu Washl | 6 |
CM: Saud Abdulhamid | 6.4 |
CM: Ali Al Hassan | 6.1 |
CM: Ziyad Al Johani | 6.2 |
RW: Aiman Yahya | 5.8 |
LW: Abdulrahman Al Obud | 6.7 |
ST: Feras Al Brikan | 6.1 |
SUB: Saleh Al Shehri (57' for Yahya) | 5.8 |
SUB: Mukhtar Ali (57' for Al Hassan) | 6.1 |
SUB: Marwan Al Sahafi (76' for Bu Washl) | 5.8 |
SUB: Abdullah Al Salem (85' for Al Brikan) | N/A |
USMNT Player Ratings vs. Saudi Arabia (4-2-3-1)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Matt Freese | 7.8 |
RB: Alex Freeman | 7.1 |
CB: Chris Richards | 8.2 |
CB: Tim Ream | 7.6 |
LB: Max Arfsten | 7.8 |
CM: Sebastian Berhalter | 8 |
CM: Luca de la Torre | 6.3 |
RW: Jack McGlynn | 7 |
AM: Diego Luna | 6.3 |
LW: Malik Tillman | 7.2 |
ST: Patrick Agyemang | 6.6 |
SUB: Tyler Adams (62' for De la Torre) | 6.6 |
SUB: Damion Downs (62' for McGlynn) | 6.4 |
SUB: Brenden Aaronson (76' for Luna) | 6.1 |
SUB: Johnny Cardoso (89' for Freeman) | N/A |
SUB: Miles Robinson (89' for Agyemang) | N/A |
Player of the Match: Chris Richards (USMNT)