GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
USA – GYASI ZARDES (NICOLAS GIAOCCHINI), 86th minute: Three second-half substitutes combined for the game’s only goal. From the left channel, Giaocchini played it to Eryk Wiliamson at the top of the arc. Williamson passed back to Giaocchini through traffic and the forward did well to pass with the outside of his right foot to the on-rushing Zardes, who slid forward from seven yards out to put the ball past Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham for the game-winning goal. USA 1, QAT 0
KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYS AND SAVES:
USA - MATT TURNER, 19th minute: Qatar fired shots frequently in the first half and the approach nearly proved fruitful. Khoukhi Boualem ripped one from 30-plus yards out that appeared to be headed wide left, but it caught the toe of U.S. center back James Sands, sending the ball toward the near post. Always alert, Turner dove to his right to finger-tip save the errant ball wide.
USA - MATT TURNER, 21st minute: Just minutes later Turner was called upon again to deny Qatar from point-blank. Akram Afif’s shot from the top of the box was blocked by Gianluca Busio. The ball carried forward into the six, where Abdelaziz Hatim lunged forward and directed the ball towards goal with his left. Turner came off his line quickly and from two yards out made a reaction save with his left hand to deflect the ball away from goal and keep the game scoreless.
QAT - MESHAAL BARSHAM, 52nd minute: Matthew Hoppe played a beautiful curling pass from the left flank into the center of the box beyond the defense and into the path of Daryl Dike. The U.S. forward hit it first-time, but Barsham came off his line to cut the angle and made a leg save from the penalty spot to deny Dike.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
-
Tonight’s Starting XI had an average age of 23 years, 284 days, which stands as the third-youngest USMNT lineup in a Knockout Round match after last month’s Concacaf Nations League Semifinal against Honduras (23 years, 259 days) and Sunday’s Gold Cup Quarterfinal against Jamaica (23 years, 280 days).
-
Goalkeeper Matt Turner as well as defenders Shaq Moore and Miles Robinson started for the fifth-straight match. Turner and Robinson have played every minute for the USMNT at the 2021 Gold Cup
-
After making his return to the USMNT in last December’s friendly win against El Salvador, midfielder Kellyn Acosta appeared in his 13th-consecutive match for the USA tonight. Acosta is the only player to appear in each of the USA’s 12 games in 2021.
-
Sebastian Lletget captained the USMNT for the second time tonight. The veteran midfielder wore the armband for the first time in his career during the USA’s 1-0 win against Haiti to open the Gold Cup group stage on July 11.
-
The USMNT is 25-6-3 in 33 matches under Gregg Berhalter. He has reached 25 victories faster than any other USMNT head coach.
-U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Men’s National Team vs. Qatar
Date: July 29, 2021
Competition: 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup – Semifinal
Venue: Q2 Stadium; Austin, Texas
Attendance: 20,500 (sellout)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. local
Weather: 90 degrees; partly cloudy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 1 1
QAT 0 0 0
USA – Gyasi Zardes (Nicholas Gioacchini) 86th Minute
Lineups:
USA: 1-Matt Turner; 20-Shaq Moore (2-Reggie Cannon, 63), 16-James Sands, 12-Miles Robinson, 3-Sam Vines; 6-Gianluca Busio (10-Cristian Roldan, 63), 23-Kellyn Acosta, 17-Sebastian Lletget (Capt.); 7-Paul Arriola (19-Eryk Williamson, 81), 11-Daryl Dike (9-Gyasi Zardes, 63), 13-Matthew Hoppe (8-Nicholas Gioacchini, 86)
Substitutes not used: 18-Sean Johnson, 22-Brad Guzan, 14-Jackson Yueill, 15-Jonathan Lewis, 21-George Bello, 24-Henry Kessler
Head coach: Gregg Berhalter
QAT: 22-Meshaal Barsham; 2-Pedro Miguel, 15-Bassam Al Rawi, 16-Khoukhi Boualem, 3-Abdelkarim Hassan, 14-Homam Ahmed; 10-Hasan Al Haydos (Capt.) (20-Abdullah Al Ahrak, 72), 12-Karim Boudiaf, 6-Abdelaziz Hatim (7-Ahmed Alaa, 88), 19-Al Moez Ali, 11-Akram Afif (9-Mohammed Muntari, 77)
Substitutes not used: 1-Saad Al Sheeb, 21-Yousof Hassan, 4-Mohammed Waad, 5-Tarek Salman, 8-Ahmed Suhail, 13-Musaab Khidir, 17-Ismail Mohamad, 18-Yusuf Abdurisag, 23-Assim Madabo
Head coach: Félix Sanchez
Stats Summary: USA / QAT
Shots: 6 / 17
Shots on Goal: 4 / 2
Saves: 3 / 3
Corner Kicks: 4 / 3
Fouls: 15 / 9
Offside: 3 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
QAT – Karim Boudiaf (Caution) 40th minute
USA – Paul Arriola (Caution) 54
USA – Shaq Moore (Caution) 62
Officials:
Referee: Juan Gabriel Calderon (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Carlos Mora (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Djibril Camara (SEN)
4th Official: Selvin Brown (HON)
VAR: Barkary Gassama (GAM)
Assistant VAR: Arturo Cruz (MEX)
Budweiser Man of the Match: Matt Turner
