ATLANTA — This was supposed to be merely preamble for the U.S. Men’s National Team -- the moment the U.S. stormed back into the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
Someone forgot to tell Jamaica.
The “Reggae Boyz” harassed, hustled and came up with two golden moments of their own on Wednesday in the Georgia Dome to shock the U.S. 2-1 and march into this weekend’s championship match.
The outcome denied the U.S. a sixth straight berth in the bi-annual tournament and provided perhaps the biggest upset loss in the squad’s history.
It wasn’t for a lack of opportunity. The hosts dominated possession and kept Jamaica under consistent pressure throughout -- especially after Michael Bradley’s early second half goal halved Jamaica’s lead.
Quality, however, escaped the U.S. when it needed it most.
Apart from Bradley’s scrambled strike -- courtesy a spilled save from Jamaica goalkeeper Ryan Thompson -- the U.S. lacked bite when it needed it most.
Clint Dempsey, Bradley, Aaron Johannsson, Alejandro Bedoya -- all displayed moments of brilliance in the build-up. But none could provide the killer touch when most needed, which was for most of the match thanks to Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes, who showed Jamaica was not lacking for finishing.
Mattocks leapt to glance home the most delicate of headers and turn the contest on its head in the 31st minute -- his attempt catching U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan slightly off his line, as the ball skimmed off one post and back on to the other before rolling into the goal.
Before the U.S. regrouped, they found themselves 2-0 down, however.
This time Guzan was whistled for leaving the penalty area with the ball still in his hands as he attempted to hurl it downfield to start an attack. The seldom-seen call provided Jamaica with an excellent scoring opportunity, and Barnes did not disappoint, ripping an 18-yard free kick over the wall and past Guzan just five minutes after the opening strike.
Outside of Barnes’ blown scoring opportunity in the 27th minute -- the forward blasting over from just eight yards -- they were the only two legitimate attacks that Jamaica created, as the U.S. maintained possession.
Possession counts for little without an end product, however, and the U.S. sorely lacked one, as Dempsey, Johannsson and Gyasi Zardes each wasted first half scoring opportunities, sending the U.S. into halftime staring at an imposing task.
The U.S. looked up for it after the interval, however, and sustained early pressure brought the breakthrough when Johannsson swiveled and blasted a 20-yard shot at Thompson only to watch the keeper spill the ball into the path of a grateful Bradley, who made no mistake to pull the hosts within 2-1 in the 49th minute.
And then that killer touch vanished.
Johannsson watched in agony as he floated a header over the bar from just eight yards after Fabian Johnson blasted a free kick off the Jamaican crossbar. Bradley then nearly planted the ball in Thompson’s chest, as the keeper could only redirect his pile-driver, 23-yard effort in the 57th minute.
U.S. defender John Brooks also had an opportunity, rising to meet a long throw-in in the 71st minute -- but could only direct his header straight at Thompson.
The futility seemed to drain U.S. efforts over the closing minutes, as the hosts lofted long ball after long ball toward the Jamaican defense -- which the Reggae Boyz happily thumped back up the pitch to safety.
The final whistle saw a dejected U.S. slump off the field, the close of a shocking evening that alternately saw Jamaican players and coaches dancing in the center circle. It was an evening that will no doubt start a round of questions and witch-hunts within the U.S. soccer circle -- and well it should. But those looking to point fingers would do well to remember the other side, and a Jamaica team that defended with grit and made the most of its opportunities -- something the U.S. could not.
