The US men’s national team defeated Jamaica 1-0 in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final in Mauricio Pochettino’s first competitive match in charge.

Christian Pulisic dazzled in the opening minutes as he came close to receive the ball in attack before playing a clinical through ball to Ricardo Pepi. The striker beat Andre Blake by sliding the ball in via the far post. It was Pepi’s perfect start as the team needed a better performance after the October loss to Mexico.

Jamaica almost had one back straight away after Matt Turner fouled Shamar Nicholson, but the American goalkeeper made a stunning save to deny Demarai Gray. The attempt was at a nice height for Turner, but he was hit by the pace and still had to guess correctly.

The USMNT had to weather the storm in the second half – including a potential handball that could have been called in the second half – but can head into CITYPark in St. Louis, Missouri with confidence in front of a home crowd moving into the second half. semi-finals. Doing this in Pochettino’s first two competitive games will not only build a lot of confidence for the rest of the tournament, but also for his future project.

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Fans should enjoy what they saw from their talisman in the first half. Pulisic popped up over the front line and dropped deep to receive the ball and carry it forward, trying to find a great pass, he did it all. His movement and pass, resulting in the opener, showed the heights of what this US Men’s National Team can become. That was the clearest chance of the match, fortunately for Poch the only one needed that evening.

However, this team needs more creativity from other parts of the field. The talent to do that is there, but we just didn’t see it consistently tonight.

A heavy defensive midfield against a team playing with five players at the back is a headache, but perhaps the captain wanted a combative midfield to thwart Jamaica’s attacks, forcing the Reggae Boyz to play from the outside.

We haven’t seen Gio Reyna in Pochettino’s USMNT due to injury, so we’ll have to wait and see what role he will play once he’s fit again. Will he be a top 10, a dual creator with Pulisic, or perhaps a wide outlet?

Tanner Tessmann got his first senior start for the USMNT against Jamaica. The Olympique Lyon player had moments on the ball, but also left something to be desired from time to time. Weston McKennie was the most advanced midfielder of the starting trio, but wasn’t great that night.

Tessmann was a standout performer at the Paris Olympics, but is he ready to take the next step and be a key part of Pochettino’s World Cup plans? The same goes for Tillman and Gianluca Busio who appeared on the night. It’s time to take action and show that you deserve not only the first minutes now, but also when the World Cup starts.

Pochettino must find a balance not only in defining his starting XI, but also in nurturing those who come through and those who continue to mature. He was brought in because the federation believes he can achieve both, but players must also seize the moment. Eyes shift to who Pochettino will start in the second leg.

The team showed a much higher level of intensity and pride that night after a demoralizing loss to Mexico last time out. Joe Scally, Matt Turner and Pulisic have all helped raise those levels as Pochettino continues to instill a culture. Scally is someone to highlight given the opportunity he has while Sergiño Dest recovers from an ACL tear.

He was okay but nothing spectacular in the Copa América and understandably had a tough task in Gregg Berhalter’s final tournament. But as was highlighted in the aftermath of the defeat to Mexico, the US should be a tough team to beat. The team took a positive step in that direction that evening.

Outside the penalty box, USA felt relatively comfortable against a Jamaican attack that could cut open the defense with Leon Bailey and Demarai Gray.

The perfect concoction of an early goal and an excellent save from Matt Turner helped boost morale, but things won’t always go that way. Be proud of the positives of the evening and learn from the mistakes.

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