SAN JOSE, Calif. - In the days leading up to the Gold Cup, Christian Pulisic made waves with an Instagram post. "Just what the doctor ordered" he wrote, setting off a string of soundbites from across the American soccer landscape. While many of the headlines remain focused on Pulisic's absence, the players that are featuring for the USMNT in this Gold Cup started the tournament with, well, just what the doctor ordered.
Facing off with an overmatched Trinidad and Tobago team, the U.S. jumped out to a 3-0 first-half lead and ran away as 5-0 winners Sunday night to open the 2025 Gold Cup, bringing back some form of positive momentum after several months of negativity.
That four-game losing streak? Over. Those pre-Gold Cup questions? At least partially answered. This was exactly the response the USMNT needed, both to start this tournament and in the big picture of it all.
It started early with a 16th-minute goal from Malik Tillman, who finished off a Jack McGlynn assist to set the tone for the day. It was a huge goal for Tillman, his first in a USMNT shirt - but an even bigger one for the team, who were clearly spurred on to attack in that goal's aftermath. Tillman made it 2-0 just 25 minutes later, tapping home an assist from Diego Luna, before the Real Salt Lake star banked a shot off Patrick Agyemang and in to make it 3-0 before halftime.
The U.S. would add two more in the second half, as Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright came off the bench to join the party with goals of their own.
This wasn't quite perfect - although the USMNT is now a perfect 6-0 all-time against Trinidad and Tobago in the Gold Cup. But it was pretty damn good, helping the U.S. start this tournament on the right foot after tripping over themselves so many times in the last year. And the fact that so few of the USMNT players had ever featured in this tournament speaks volumes - captain Tim Ream was the lone starter with Gold Cup experience
Pulisic isn't showing up this summer but, if Sunday's win is any indication, the U.S. - starting their most-inexperienced squad in the Gold Cup since 2009 - may just find a way to cancel the noise and respond again.
GOAL rates the USMNT's players from PayPal Park.
