Christian Pulisic & Ricardo Pepi lead USMNT to victory over Jamaica in first leg
The United States men's national team took a big step towards qualifying for the 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Jamaica in the first leg of their qualifying playoff on Thursday night.
Goals from Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi gave the USMNT a comfortable lead heading into the second leg in Jamaica on Sunday.
Pulisic opened the scoring in the 45th minute, finishing off a cross from Sergino Dest. Pepi added the second goal in the 64th minute, scoring from close range after a pass from Brenden Aaronson.
The USMNT controlled the game from start to finish, outshooting Jamaica 17-5 and holding 63% of the possession. Jamaica had a few chances to score, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
The victory gives the USMNT a major advantage heading into the second leg. A draw or a win in Jamaica will be enough to send the USMNT to the World Cup.
The USMNT is now one step closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 2014. The team will need to finish the job in Jamaica on Sunday, but they will be confident after their performance in the first leg.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the game:
- Christian Pulisic was the best player on the field. He scored the opening goal and was a constant threat to Jamaica's defense.
- Ricardo Pepi also had a strong game, scoring the second goal and causing problems for Jamaica's defense.
- The USMNT controlled the game from start to finish and never looked like losing.
- Jamaica had a few chances to score, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
- The USMNT is now one step closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 2014.
