Patrick Aggieman scored a tiebreaker in the 75th minute, and the US overcame Matt Freeze’s goalkeeping jack to beat Haiti 2-1 on Sunday night and scored the Conca Caff Gold Cup group on a 3-0 record.
Malik Tillman led the US in the 10th minute with the third goal of the tournament, but Frieze, who drove Matt Turner, underscored the American goalkeeping issues a year before the World Cup.
After Tillman approached three times in the second half, Aggieman scored after taking a long pass from John Tolkien. The Aggieman touched the ball past goalkeeper Johnny Pracido and slotted into the open net for the fifth international goal and the second goal of the tournament.
The US opened in a victory over Trinidad and Tobago and invited guest Saudi Arabia, winning the group for the 17th time in the 18 Gold Cup. The Americans won 43 wins in group play, one loss and five draws, and advanced 3-0 in the seventh.
Using mostly B-teams in the tournament, the Americans already concluded the quarter-finals next weekend against Mexico and Costa Rica.
Haiti finished third in goal ahead of Trinidad and Tobago. This was eliminated when Saudi Arabia wasted a lead in a 1-1 draw.
The Gold Cup is the final competitive test for the 16th place Americans ahead of the World Cup. As co-hosts, the US, Mexico and Canada will acquire automatic anchorages.
In front of a sparse crowd of the Dallas Cowboys’ 80,000-seat home, one of the venues for next year’s World Cup, Tillman scored the third goal of the tournament in the 10th minute when he led the ball in the post far from Brenden Arson’s cross.
Freeze failed when taking a back pass from Tim Leam, attempting to play the ball to Tolkien with his left foot. The ball went straight to Don Deedson.
American midfielder Tyler Adams began after slowing down on grass toes among four changes by manager Mauricio Pockettino, and got the yellow card for Duckens Nathon’s slow slide tackle.
Mauricio Pochettino is an Argentine soccer manager who took over the head job of the US men’s national soccer team, which Greg Berhalter has left open. There are five things he may not know about Pockettino as he prepares to wear red, white and blue.
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