The U.S. Men's National Team was crowed champion of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-1 victory over Jamaica on Wednesday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Sporting Kansas City defenders Matt Besler and Graham Zusi started and played 90 minutes along head coach Bruce Arena's back line, while Jozy Altidore and Jordan Morris scored spectacular goals late in either half to give the U.S. MNT its sixth Gold Cup championship.
Altidore's stunning free kick put the U.S. in the driver's seat on the stroke of halftime, while Morris' predatory strike in the 88th minute restored the lead and ultimately decided the match, avenging the MNT's semifinal defeat to the Reggae Boyz in the 2015 Gold Cup.
Besler (44 caps) becomes a two-time Gold Cup champion, having previously hoisted the trophy with a 90-minute performance in the 2013 final, while Zusi (53 caps) achieves Gold Cup glory for the first time in his international career.
The Americans dominated possession in the early stages but wouldn’t test Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake until the 19th minute. Altidore’s thunderous strike from 30 yards was palmed away by the Philadelphia Union gloveman, who then sprung to smother Kellyn Acosta’s rebound attempt on the doorstep. The phenomenal stop didn’t come without a price, however, as Blake suffered a hand injury on the play and was replaced by Dwayne Miller between the posts.
Altidore fired the U.S. ahead with a moment of individual brilliance in the 45th minute. Seconds after his Toronto FC teammate Michael Bradley drew a foul 25 yards from goal, Altidore curled the ensuing free kick off the underside of the crossbar and into the net for his 39th career international strike.
Seeking the nation’s first Gold Cup title, Jamaica conjured a timely response just five minutes after the restart when Kemar Lawrence’s delicious corner kick was volleyed home at the far post by the New England Revolution’s Je-Vaughn Watson. Prior to the Reggae Boyz’ equalizer, the U.S. had gone 259 minutes without conceding a goal with Besler and Zusi along the back line — a streak that spanned back to the Americans’ opening match of the Gold Cup on July 8.
Arriola was on the receiving end of the Yanks’ next chance in the 63rd minute, latching onto a cross from Jorge Villafana and steering a header straight at Miller. A renewed sense of urgency from Arena’s men led to another opportunity when Omar Gonzalez nodded Bradley’s out-swinging corner kick a foot wide of the near post and into the side netting in the 70th minute. Three minutes later, Morris forced Miller into a superb diving save as his right-footed blast was batted over the crossbar.
At the opposite end, Jamaica broke on the counter attack and Zusi intervened crucially to block Alvas Powell’s one-time attempt off a cross from Oniel Fisher. A feverish tempo began to envelop the match as Dempsey’s header off a Villafana delivery was then touched onto the post by Miller in the 76th minute.
Besler was the unlikely recipient of a fleeting chance in the 85th minute when Clint Dempsey's low, driven free kick took a pair of deflections in a crowded penalty area and fell to the Sporting KC center back, who could only poke the ball into a mass of bodies near the edge of the six-yard box.
Morris' definitive moment to shine came in the 88th minute when Gyasi Zardes' cross from the right flank was headed clear only as far as the Seattle Sounders striker. Morris' right-footed blast from 15 yards took a slight deflection off a Jamaica defender and nestled into the top right corner, giving the U.S. the dramatic winner it needed to reclaim Gold Cup glory for the first time since 2013.
