2025 Gold Cup: USA Sweeps Group D, while the Saudis Draw to Advance
Two advance to the Quarters while the other two move towards Qualifying
Group D is finished, as all four teams played at the same time to get ready for the knockout stage. Two teams will head back to prepare for their final round of World Cup Qualifying this fall. While it's been entertaining, these games have been a bit of a challenge.
USA 2:1 HAITI
It was a good start in the opening ten minutes as the USA scored the opening goal with a fantastic cross by Brendan Aaronson to Malik Tillman at the near post. Tillman placed the ball inside the far post off his head to take the lead.
But a poor job by Tim Ream defending with the ball down the far side, he decided to pass it back to his goalkeeper, Matt Freese, instead of putting it out over the far side touchline. Freese quickly tried to send the ball back out, but mishit it and gave Don Louicous a free shot to score in the 19th minute.
But in the 75th minute, John Tolkin delivered a fantastic cross down the near side and into the path of Patrick Agyemang. He went around the keeper as he entered the area, then Agyemang took the shot, and it rolled slowly and harmfully over the entire goal line for the win and the sweep.
SAUDIA ARABIA 1:1 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
All Saudi Arabia needed was a draw to advance to the Quarterfinals as a guest team, but the Soca Warriors had different plans to try and knock out their guests in this match-up.
In the 10th minute, Daniel Phillips was in the midfield and made a strong pass to Dante Sealy along the near-side touchline. As Sealy brought the ball up near the area, he took a rip, and the ball bent inside the upper far 90 to take the one goal lead.
It looked like this was going to be an upset, but once again, the Saudis have found a way to get the necessary situation to get a result. At the hour mark, the Saudis moved the ball up toward the area, and then, out of nowhere, Saleh Al Shehri shot it off the crossbar, but Feras Al Brikan converted on the rebound.
After the remaining thirty minutes expired, Saudi Arabia took the second spot and advanced toward the Quarterfinals, while Trinidad & Tobago will prepare for the big test against Curacao, Jamaica & Bermuda in Group B of the final round of Qualifying.
2025 CONCACAF GOLD CUP GROUP D STANDINGS
1 USA 3-0-0 9 PTS 8 GF 1 GA +7 GD*
2 SAUDI ARABIA 1-1-1 4 PTS 2 GF 2 GA 0 GD*
3 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 0-2-1 2 PTS 2 GF 7 GA -5 GD
4 HAITI 0-1-2 1 PT 2 GF 4 GA -2 GD