On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
USMNT Players on High-Flying Win vs. Haiti: ‘We’re Locked In’
Goal scorers included Auston Trusty, Julian Hall, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun in Mauricio Pochettino’s penultimate game in charge; second leg of Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal kicks off Tuesday, Nov. 17 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
MIAMI – The scoresheet read 6-0 at full time for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s first leg against Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals, but the number of the night was five.
“The focus since we stepped through the doors this week coming into camp was to beat Haiti, and it was good to start off that way today,” captain Tyler Adams said after the match. “[The coaching staff is] continuing to stay focused and to help us grow throughout this camp.”
Defender Auston Trusty, playing his first soccer since his father’s passing, started the scoring early in the 10th minute when he finished off a direct free kick served into the box from midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. A participant at FIFA World Cup 2026, Haiti showed flashes of dynamism but waned as the U.S. grew into the game and asserted control, and the barrage began with the USA’s second goal of the match from 18-year-old Julian Hall in the 52nd minute.
“The first half was pretty tight, and I think we did well to come out in the second half flying, trying to do anything to win the game,” Hall said.
Julian Hall #19 of the U.S. celebrates scoring with teammates (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Against Haiti, the U.S. had five different goalscorers. Aside from Trusty and Hall, the result also yielded goals from the roster’s three leading scorers – forwards Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic and midfielder Weston McKennie.
Extending his red-hot form with club AC Milan where he’s scored four goals in eight matches in Serie A to kick off the season, Pulisic hit a huge milestone Saturday night with an impressive brace, which he bagged at a remarkable clip. His two goals, scored a mere 101 seconds apart, brought his international career total to 35, moving him past Eric Wynalda for fourth place in the program’s all-time scoring list.
“It felt great to be back with the team,” Pulisic said. “To put on a good performance and score some goals, it was a nice day.”
The win over Haiti on Saturday showed a collective and spirited performance from the U.S. with contributions coming from all over the pitch. Along with the five scorers, four different players recorded an assist – Berhalter, Tillman, and defenders Antonee Robinson and Alex Freeman. Nine different players recorded a goal contribution in the lopsided scoreline.
Including the Haiti match, 11 different players have scored across the USMNT’s last five matches. In that same five-match stretch, the U.S. has outscored its opponents 18-3.
Four of those contributors are dual nationals who debuted in fall camp. Hall, forwards Mathis Albert and Justin Ellis, and midfielder Adri Mehmeti solidified their futures with the U.S. on Saturday. Known as a cap-tie, their appearances in the first leg against Haiti mean they are no longer eligible for a change of association and will continue to represent the Stars and Stripes throughout their careers.
“You're seeing something special within the team playing as a collective,” Adams said. “A lot of new, young faces last camp. Some young faces into this camp now. It's about gradually going through the process, trusting this process that we've been on. Both with and without the ball today, you can see the collective effort, and I think that we were able to show our quality. It’s important going into the second leg now that we don't lower our standards and that we continue to go after it.”
Christian Pulisic #10 celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal with Antonee Robinson #5 and Weston McKennie #8 (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/USSF/Getty Images)
The program’s first-ever outing at Nu Stadium, the brand-new venue home for Inter Miami CF in MLS, marks the USMNT’s fifth consecutive win. The victory follows the four-match sweep with wins over Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada during the previous camp. Together, the win streak is the longest since 2021 and includes a current run of three straight clean sheets. Two of those three shutouts featured 20-year-old Diego Kochen starting in goal in his first caps with the U.S.
A six-goal advantage over a Haiti, a nation that the U.S. is currently unbeaten against in 11 straight meetings, puts the Americans in a solid position to advance to the Concacaf Finals next March in Inglewood, Calif. Haiti would need to score six goals or more in Tuesday’s return leg, while also holding the U.S. to zero, to have a chance to advance.
The U.S. will have its own chance to take care of business and punch a ticket to the next stage with the second leg against Haiti, which kicks off Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. ET in Cincinnati, Ohio at TQL Stadium, home to FC Cincinnati in MLS. A win there would mean an opportunity for the U.S. to advance and contend for its fourth Concacaf Nations League title – not quite five, but certainly an important step to getting there.
“We're locked in,” Trusty said. “[We] take it day by day, game by game. It’s good result today, but it's a clean slate next game, and we go there and do our thing.”
