USMNT Defeats Jamaica in First Leg of World Cup Qualifying

Pulisic and Pepi Score to Give USA Advantage

USA took a big step towards qualifying for the 2022 World Cup on Thursday night, defeating Jamaica 2-1 in the first leg of their CONCACAF semifinal playoff.

Christian Pulisic opened the scoring for the USA in the 45th minute, curling a beautiful shot into the top corner from just outside the box. Ricardo Pepi doubled the lead in the 62nd minute, tapping in a rebound after Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake made a great save on a shot from Yunus Musah.

Jamaica pulled one back in the 82nd minute through a header from Kemar Roofe, but it was too little, too late. The USA held on for the win, and now take a 2-1 lead into the second leg.

The second leg will be played in Jamaica on Sunday night. The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal playoff between Mexico and Costa Rica.

Pulisic and Pepi Impress

Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi were the stars of the show for the USA on Thursday night.

Pulisic was a constant threat to the Jamaican defense, creating chances for himself and his teammates. He scored a beautiful goal to open the scoring, and was unlucky not to add to his tally in the second half.

Pepi was also impressive, scoring the USA's second goal and causing problems for the Jamaican defense with his pace and strength. The two young forwards are the future of the USA national team, and they showed their quality on Thursday night.

USA in Control of Tie

The USA now have a 2-1 lead in the tie, and they are in a strong position to qualify for the final round of CONCACAF qualifying.

Jamaica will need to score at least two goals in the second leg to have any chance of advancing, and the USA will be confident of holding on to their lead.

The USA are now one step closer to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. They will be hoping to finish the job in Jamaica on Sunday night.