ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 15, 2019) – The U.S. Men’s National Team paid back its northern neighbor with a 4-1 win vs. Canada in Concacaf Nations League A play at Exploria Stadium. Gyasi Zardes grabbed a brace, Jordan Morris tallied a goal and an assist while Aaron Long also scored in the victory that pulled the U.S. within three points of Canada atop Group A and made head coach Gregg Berhalter the second-fastest coach in team history to reach 10 wins.
The USMNT can win Group A with a victory in its final Concacaf Nations League A game against Cuba next Tuesday, Nov. 19 at Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town, Cayman Islands.
Coming into the game in scintillating form for club and country, Morris gave the USA the perfect start when he volleyed home Sergiño Dest’s chip in just the second minute. The right back, who earned his first career international assist on the USA’s opening goal and came up through Ajax and the U.S. Youth National Teams, is now officially cap tied to the USA due to his participation in the match after declaring he would pursue his international ambitions with the USA last month.
Zardes doubled the USA’s lead in the 23rd minute when he headed home a Morris cross, and the USMNT took flight from there, controlling the flow of the game and carving out scoring chances with nearly every offensive foray.
In the 34th minute, it was Long’s turn to add his name to the score sheet, snapping home a Tim Ream cross with a towering header that extended the USA’s lead to 3-0 and underlined the its control of the match.
Dest initially came closest to adding the USA’s fourth in the 37 th minute. The speedy defender burst past the Canada backline on a breakaway and gave Samuel Piette, who had the defensive angle but not the speed to stay with Dest, a stutter step to create space for a shot from the right side of the box that flashed just outside the left post.
The second half was more of a battle for both teams as the physicality ratcheted up and Canada coach John Herdman went to his bench for all three subs before the hour mark in an effort to bring the visitors back into the match. It seemed for a moment, Canada might find a way back into the back when Steven Vitória headed home in the 72nd minute to cut the lead to 3-1.
U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan made an important save in the 84th minute, denying Davies with a quality save on a low effort after the Canadian starlet had worked his way through the U.S. defense to get off a sharp-angle shot.
Five minutes later, Zardes put the game to bed with a fierce, one-timer that made it 4-1 and put the USA a win against Cuba away from winning Concacaf Nations League A, Group A.
