On Wednesday night, the United States took to the field in Levi’s Stadium to face off against Jamaica in the Gold Cup Final. The game marked a rematch of the 2015 Gold Cup Final, in which Jamaica defeated the United States 2-1. But the tables were flipped on Wednesday night.
The match started off with strong offensive opportunities from both sides, shut down by talented goalkeepers at both ends. One such opportunity led to the injury of Andre Blake, the starting goalkeeper for Jamaica, who was replaced by Dwayne Miller in the 23rd minute.
It was the United States who broke open scoring in the 45th minute, with a stunning goal from Jozy Altidore off a free kick. But Jamaica came right back at the start of the second half, earning the equalizer off a corner kick. It looked like the two teams might be going to extra time when the U.S found an opportunity inside Jamaica’s box and Jordan Morris launched a goal into the top-right corner of the net in the 88th minute.
The win gives the United States its sixth Gold Cup Championship in 10 appearances at the tournament’s final. Head Coach Bruce Arena is now the only head coach to have lifted the trophy three times, once in 2002 and once in 2005 in addition to last night. The U.S claimed their trophy in front of 63,032 fans at Levi’s Stadium.
The United States will now shift their focus back to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Their next match will be on September 1st at Red Bull Arena against Costa Rica. That game kicks off at 6:30pm and will air on ESPN.
