Sports Mole previews Sunday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup clash between USA and Trinidad and Tobago, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
With a place in the quarter-finals of the Gold Cup at stake this Sunday, the USA will take on Trinidad and Tobago at Bank of America Stadium in the final group fixture for both teams.
In midweek the Americans got back to winning ways, clobbering Saint Kitts and Nevis 6-0, moving to the top of the group, with the Soca Warriors losing 4-1 against Jamaica, dropping them down to third, a point behind the Yanks and Reggae Boyz.
Match preview
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BJ Callaghan was looking for a response from his players following a disappointing draw in their opening game against the Reggae Boyz (1-1), and they delivered in a big way, equalling a national team record for the biggest victory at this tournament.
The Americans bombarded Saint Kitts from the opening whistle, going up 3-0 after 16 minutes, with those three strikes coming in span of three minutes and 50 seconds, making it the fastest trio of goals ever scored in the history of this program.
That improved their Gold Cup record versus Caribbean sides in the group stage to 19-0-2, while they hold a 100% record versus Trinidad and Tobago in this competition and have not conceded in its two previous meetings against them.
They fired 17 shots in the opening half against Saint Kitts, the most for this team after 45 minutes since at least 2010, while their four goals scored over that span was the second time they accomplished that feat at this competition, with the first occurring in a 2015 encounter versus Cuba
Although they are now unbeaten in 18 successive group fixtures at this tournament, a loss on Sunday combined with a draw or victory by Jamaica against Saint Kitts would signal the first time the Yanks have ever been eliminated from the group stage of this competition.
In 10 of its previous 11 group stage fixtures at the Gold Cup, the Yanks have only allowed one first-half goal, which occurred in their opening match this year versus Jamaica.
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Facing a superior opponent in Jamaica on matchday two Angus Eve reverted back to the conservative approach that we have become accustomed to seeing from the Trinidad coach, employing a back five that looked uncertain and out of sorts, conceding three times within a half-hour.
Wednesday was the first time this year that the Soca Warriors had gone into the interval behind, while they have now suffered three successive defeats in the group stage of this competition when trailing at the break.
More than half of their Gold Cup squad (12 of 23 players) currently feature for clubs in Canada or the United States, though seven perform in lower divisions.
Trinidad have traded blows with the Americans in previous World Cup qualifying campaigns as Paul Caligiuri’s famous “Shot Heard Round the World” goal prevented this Caribbean nation from making it into Italia 90, though the Soca Warriors got some retribution in 2017 when a 2-1 home victory meant the US would miss the 2018 finals in Russia.
Since that upset, however, this team have not been able to hold a candle to the US, losing its last two matches against them by a combined score of 13-0.
If they can find a way to claim three points this weekend, it would not only be their first victory against the Yanks at the Gold Cup, but it would also put them into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2015.
USA CONCACAF Gold Cup form:
USA form (all competitions):
Trinidad and Tobago CONCACAF Gold Cup form:
Trinidad and Tobago form (all competitions):
Team News
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DeJuan Jones and Julian Gressel picked up their first caps in an official competition for the US this week, James Sands appeared in his eighth successive Gold Cup encounter, while Jalen Neal and Cade Cowell were the first pair of 19-year-olds to start a match for the Americans at this tournament since Gianluca Busio and George Bello did it two years ago.
Jesus Ferreira moved into the scoring lead at this competition, becoming the first American to have multiple hat-tricks in competitive matches since Clint Dempsey, while Bryan Reynolds became the first US player to score on his birthday since Earnie Stewart in 2001, Djordje Mihailovic had a pair of goals and assists, while Sean Johnson collected his seventh clean sheet with the national team, as the Toronto keeper has picked up 11 shutouts for them in only 13 appearances.
Alejandro Zendejas picked up his first career assist with the national team on Wednesday, while Ferreira and Miles Robinson were among the goalscorers in their previous meeting at this tournament against the Soca Warriors when Matt Turner earned a shutout in a 7-0 hammering in 2021.
Eve made four changes to his Trinidad starting 11 from matchday one to two, with Shannon Gomez, Aubrey David, Ajani Fortune and Malcolm Shaw coming into the lineup in place of Triston Hodge, Ryan Telfer, Kevin Molino and Kaile Auvray.
Andre Rampersad, who features in the Canadian Premier League for the HFX Wanderers, scored his first with the Soca Warriors in midweek, while Molik Jesse Khan made his first Gold Cup appearance for them in 2023, entering the match against the Reggae Boyz in place of Gomez with fewer than 15 minutes remaining.
An own-goal from American Omar Gonzalez and an insurance marker by the Soca Warriors’ Alvin Jones was enough for Trinidad and Tobago to claim a 2-1 victory against the US in 2017, preventing the Yanks from making the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
USA possible starting lineup:
Slonina; Yedlin, Robinson, Neal, Tolkin; Mihailovic, Roldan, Sonora; Vazquez; J. Morris, Cowell
Trinidad and Tobago possible starting lineup:
Frenderup; A. Jones, Bateau, Moses, Hodge, Archer; Molino, Rampersad, Hackshaw, J. Jones; Garcia
We say: USA 3-0 Trinidad and Tobago
The Soca Warriors’ are still in with a fighting chance to advance but given the depth of this US squad and their desire to avoid an in-form Mexican side in the quarter-finals, we believe the Yanks will be ruthless in front of goal, knowing that the Reggae Boyz might score a lopsided victory against the minnows of this competition, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data
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