USMNT ends skid, nets 5 in Gold Cup opening win

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Malik Tillman scored doubly arsenic the United States built a three-goal, first-half pb and ended a four-game losing streak by routing Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 connected Sunday successful a Concacaf God Cup opener.

Tillman scored successful the 16th and 41st minutes for his archetypal 2 planetary goals, some pursuing giveaways by Alvin Jones, and Patrick Agyemang scored his 4th planetary extremity successful the 44th.

Brenden Aaronson added his ninth extremity successful the 82nd and Haji Wright his 5th conscionable 1 minute, 13 seconds aboriginal arsenic the 16th-ranked Americans overwhelmed the No. 100 Soca Warriors and ended their longest losing streak since 2007.

Victory successful the Group D opener came aft days of contention over Christian Pulisic's desire to remainder during the Gold Cup and manager Mauricio Pochettino not including the prima successful a brace of pre-tournament friendlies the attacker offered to play in.

The U.S. had 70.5% possession and a 21-3 vantage successful shots against the Soca Warriors, whose 2-1 location triumph against the Americans successful 2017 ended a streak of 7 consecutive World Cup appearances by the U.S.

The Americans person won their radical successful 16 of 17 Gold Cups, on with a second-place decorativeness down Panama successful 2011, and improved their radical signifier grounds to 41 wins, 1 nonaccomplishment and 5 draws. They play invited impermanent Saudi Arabia connected Thursday astatine Austin, Texas, past adjacent radical play connected June 22 against Haiti astatine Arlington, Texas.

Matt Freese was successful extremity successful spot Matt Turner, who had started 14 consecutive competitory matches for the U.S. and 23 of 24 dating to the 2022 World Cup. The lone objection was a Gold Cup radical signifier crippled against St. Kitts and Nevis successful 2023.

Missing Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, Giovanni Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest, the U.S. starting lineup averaged 14.8 planetary appearances. That was the second-fewest for the Americans successful a Gold Cup opener down 9.8 against Bermuda successful 2009, according to Opta.

Adams (turf toe), Johnny Cardoso and Damion Downs (both illness) didn't dress.

Defender Tim Ream started, extending his Gold Cup span for the U.S. to 14 years and surpassing DaMarcus Beasley (2002-15) for the American high.

Trinidad, coached by erstwhile prima Dwight Yorke, has mislaid 4 of its past 5 games.