Christian Pulisic leads USMNT past Jamaica and into Nations League semifinals
ST. LOUIS — Christian Pulisic scored twice in the first half, Tim Weah got a goal in his return to the U.S. national team from a red card and the Americans beat Jamaica 4-2 on Monday night for a 5-2 aggregate win in their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.
Playing their first competitive matches under coach Mauricio Pochettino, the United States advanced to a semifinal on March 20 at SoFi Stadium. The Americans won the first three editions of the tournament.
The U.S. also qualified for next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Jamaica will have to play a qualifier.
Christian Pulisic headlines a diverse U.S. Soccer roster Mauricio Pochettino called up for his first meaningful matches as head coach.
Pulisic put the U.S. ahead in the 13th minute when he ran onto a long looping pass from Weston McKennie and kicked the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Andre Blake. Pulisic doubled the lead off a pass from McKennie that Tanner Tessmann dummied in the 33rd minute. Pulisic’s shot deflected in off Di’Shon Bernard for his 33rd international goal.
Ricardo Pepi, who scored off a Pulisic pass in the opening leg in Kingston on Thursday, boosted the lead to 3-0 in the 42nd with his 13th goal, a right-foot shot from just outside the penalty area.
Demarai Gray scored the first of his two goals for Jamaica in the 53rd and Weah, who hit a post in the fourth minute, put the U.S. ahead 4-1 in the 56th when he settled a pass from Yunus Musah and sent a shot just under the crossbar for his seventh goal.
Gray got his second goal in the 68th.
Costa Rica took a 1-0 lead into its home match against Panama on Monday night. On Tuesday, Mexico is at home trying to overturn a 2-0 first-leg loss at Honduras and Canada is home with a 1-0 lead against Suriname.
Weah started in place of injured Johnny Cardoso after completing a two-game suspension for a red card against Panama in the Copa America last summer. That was the only change made by Pochettino from the first leg.
Defender Tim Ream, at 37 the oldest player on the roster, captained the Americans in his hometown of St. Louis.
Jamaica coach Steve McLaren, a former England manager, told the media that star Michail Antonio wasn’t available because he lost his passport and couldn’t get a U.S. visa.
