2025 Gold Cup Recaps: USMNT Sweeps Group D, Saudi Arabia Through on Draw
The USA claimed all nine group points and Saudi Arabia were saved by the crossbar in stoppage time to advance to the quarterfinals.
The top half of the 2025 Gold Cup knockout bracket is set, with the United States and Saudi Arabia advancing out of Group D.
The USMNT were 2-1 winners over Haiti in their final group stage match despite securing their spot in the knockouts after beating Saudi Arabia. The Green Falcons join a growing list of guest teams in the quarterfinals, which included Qatar in the last two tournaments in 2021 and 2023.
UNITED STATES 2, HAITI 1
The USA got off to a fast start, capitalizing on their first good attacking sequence. Patrick Agyemang’s run down the left wing left Brenden Aaronson open for a centering pass, but the ball was slightly behind him, and by the time he set up for his shot Haiti’s defense had recovered to block it.
Aaronson stayed with the play however, eventually finding space to pick out Malik Tillman on the other side of the box to head home the opener back across Johnny Placide’s goal.
Haiti almost answered a few minutes later with a nice combination from Duckens Nazon to Ruben Providence only to have his shot through traffic deflected out for a corner. The Grenadiers kept up the pressure though, and forced the U.S. into a catastrophic mistake in the 19th minute.
Tim Ream passed back to keeper Matt Freese, whose first time was meant for John Tolkin at the top of the box, but instead it was flubbed right to Haiti’s Louicius Deedson, who slotted his shot past Freese to level the scores.
That would be Haiti’s best scoring chance of the night, save for two long-range efforts from Leverton Pierre in the second half. The U.S. began a long adventurous quest to reclaim the lead, beginning with Quinn Sullivan’s curling effort at the half-hour mark parried away by Placide at his post. Agyemang was able to turn centerback Ricardo Ade at the top of the box but the Haitian defender was able to recover enough to block the shot from the left channel.
Haiti almost conceded an equalizer just after the hour mark, when a scramble inside the six after a Placide partially denied a centering pass, caused Ade to clear the ball directly into Tillman before ricocheting into the net. Tillman however did not celebrate as he knew the ball had gone in off his arm, which despite being tucked in, is not a legal goal and center referee Katia Garcia rightly waved it off.
A good build up down the right wing in the 66th through Quinn Sullivan led to a Luca de la Torre shot in the middle of the box but Placide was able to smother the chance. A minute later Tyler Adams picked out a streaking Tillman coming in from the right wing, but the midfielder’s dynamic turn and finish was undone by the offside flag. Tillman had a half volley in the 73rd minute go up and over Placide but missed the back post by inches.
The USA’s persistence paid off in the 75th minute, when Tolkin played in Agyemang behind the defense, and a deft touch around Placide left him with a tight angle but tidy finish into the far post.
SAUDI ARABIA 1, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 1
Trinidad needed a win to advance into the knockout rounds and got off to a flying start in the 10th minute, when Dante Sealy made a solo run and with no one stepping up to him, unleashed a highlight reel left-footed shot from the top of the box into the far upper ninety.
End-to-end action ensued over the next few minutes with Saudi attacker Feras Al Brikan downward header in the 13th minute bouncing up and over the crossbar. Three minutes later, Trinidad nearly doubled their lead when Real Gill found Levi Garcia making a run towards goal in the right channel but the half volley was knocked away by Nawaf Al Aqidi.
At the hour mark, the Saudis would equalize through a nifty buildup that saw Al Brikan play a one-two with Saleh Al Shehri at the top of the box. Al Shehri’s ensuing shot was parried onto the crossbar by Trinidad keeper Marvin Phillip, only to see Al Brikan who continued his run to the back post tap in to an empty net.
The Trinidad crossbar would get some redemption ten minutes later when Abdulrahman Al Obud slammed a curling effort off the post. Saudi Arabia would recycle the ball and eventually a contested shot by Al Brikan would be half parried by Phillip, and Al Obud’s follow up shot at close range was blocked off the line by Justin Garcia to preserve the scoreline.
Saud Abdulhamid thought he had secured the win for the Green Falcons in stoppage time when he finished off a counter attack with a slotted finish only to be denied by the offside flag.
The crossbar would have its final say however, in the fifth minute of stoppage time for centerback turned striker Garcia would rocket one off the middle of the bar after being played in by Nathaniel James. A cruel way for the Soca Warriors to end their tournament.
GROUP OVERVIEW
The United States will be pleased to win all three games though there is significant room for improvement. Saudi Arabia was far more open against T&T than they were against the U.S. and showcased their skillset for the next round. Trinidad finished strong after a blowout loss in their opening game but couldn’t find the win they needed to advance. Haiti should be the most disappointed with just one point to show for their efforts with a first half red card against T&T really putting them behind in the group.
The USMNT will play Costa Rica in their quarterfinal matchup on Sunday, June 29th at 7 PM EDT from Minneapolis, MN while Saudi Arabia will play Group A winners Mexico on Saturday, June 28th at 10:15 PM EDT from Glendale, AZ.
The remaining four spots from Groups B and C will be determined on Tuesday.