Jamaica 0-1 United States: Pepi give visitors advantage in Nations League quarter-final

Ricardo Pepi’s first-half strike gave the United States a 1-0 advantage over Jamaica after the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarter-final.

The hosts saw a penalty saved in the first half before their frustrations were compounded late on thanks to Mason Holgate’s red card.

The USA had the lead just five minutes in – having smothered a Jamaica attack at one end, the visitors caught them out with a pacy counter-attack, with Pepi sweeping it into the back of the net.

Shortly after, Shamar Nicholson was brought down by Matt Turner when he tried to take it around him, but the goalkeeper made amends, diving low to his right to deny Demarai Gray from 12 yards.

In the second half, Holgate was denied a tap-in by Yunus Musah before Turner scrambled to stop Leon Bailey’s corner from nestling into the net as Jamaica searched for an equaliser.

With 86 minutes on the clock, Holgate received a second yellow card in just over 10 minutes for dragging Brandon Vazquez back, meaning he will miss the return leg in Missouri on Monday.

LEG ONE IS OURS pic.twitter.com/UXTqgeerFY

— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) November 15, 2024

Data Debrief: Hitting the mark

Pepi got the all-important goal on Thursday, and is the fourth player to score 12 goals for the USA before turning 22 years old, joining Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Christian Pulisic.

But it was perhaps Turner who actually had the most vital interventions; he has now saved three of the eight penalties he’s faced for the USA, including two against Jamaica.

Mauricio Pochettino also could not have asked for a better result from his first competitive game in charge of the Stars and Stripes as he became just the third full-time manager to win his first competitive away match, joining Bob Bradley (2008) and Steve Sampson (1996).