It wasn’t pretty. That would never be the case. Given the field conditions, location and stakes, this was always going to be a classic grind-it-out scenario. The first legs of quarter-finals always are, but the first legs are also about results, right?

The US men’s national team achieved the desired result on Thursday evening in Kingston. An early goal from Ricardo Pepi was eventually enough to escape with a 1-0 win over Jamaica in a spirited first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals. Barely enough, mind you, but enough.

Pepi’s goal came just five minutes into the match, allowing the USMNT to catch their breath. Pepi, played by Christian Pulsiic, made no mistake and offered more evidence to show he should start more for club and country. It was Pepi’s twelfth goal before the age of 22 for the USMNT, tied with Jozy Altidore and behind only Landon Donovan (15) and Pulisic (14) on the team’s all-time scoring list.

“The team showed that we are here to fight,” said Pepi. “We knew it would be difficult, but in the end we got the result and now it’s time to take care of it at home.”

Breathing space or not, the US was never in a position to cruise like Jamaica had their moments.

The biggest came in the first half, in the fourteenth minute, when the American defense collapsed and was awarded a bad penalty. USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner was called for the penalty on Shamar Nicholson in the box, but got immediate redemption by stepping forward and deflecting Demarai Gray’s shot to keep the Reggae Boyz off the board. It was one of just two saves for Turner, who also cleared an Olimpico in the second half. Both saves were huge, to put it lightly.

Those saves protected the USMNT’s lead, allowing them to head back to St. Louis for the second leg with a one-goal lead over Jamaica on Monday night. Going home with that advantage is huge, and anyone who follows CONCACAF knows how difficult it is to consistently achieve these kinds of results away from home.

Since dropping a 2-1 friendly in Washington, DC in 2019, the USMNT are now on an eight-match unbeaten streak against Jamaica. The Reggaeboyz challenged the USMNT deep into the semi-finals of the 2023/24 Nations League, before a brace from Wright propelled the US to the tournament final. The US then recorded another Dos a Cero victory over Mexico for its third straight title.

For this evening, the job is done – well, at least the first half of it. The US needs a draw or a win on Monday to advance to the semifinals in the spring of 2025. This wasn’t pretty, but that would be fine for USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is taking his team one step closer brought them to the place where they are now. should be.

GOAL rates the USMNT players from the National Stadium.