Ricardo Pepi met the moment and now the United States men’s national team is one step closer to the semifinals of the Concacaf Nations League (CNL).

The USMNT forward, long limited to the role of substitute for both club (PSV) and country, had insisted all week that he was ready to be a difference-maker in the starting eleven. With three other strikers injured, Pepi got his chance and put in a performance for Mauricio Pochettino’s team in the quarter-final first leg against Jamaica in Kingston, scoring the only goal in a horror 1-0 win. The USMNT now enters Monday’s second leg in St. Louis with a one-goal lead.

This was by no means a match that will live long in the memory, although that is the nature of American road races in Concacaf. They are often played in cramped conditions and involve rough play. This match was no different. Pepi, for example, was ready and he is now the fourth player to score 12 goals for the US before turning 22 (Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Christian Pulisic are the others).

“We were here to fight. We knew it would be difficult,” Pepi told TNT after the match. “But in the end we got the result and now it’s time to take care of it at home.”

After Pepi’s fifth-minute opener, the visitors had two more chances to score through Antonee Robinson and Pulisic – whose deft pass set up Pepi’s goal – and the US squandered them both. At that point the match turned ugly as Jamaica slowly increased the pressure. American goalkeeper Matt Turner conceded a penalty in the first half, but made up for it by saving Demarai Gray’s penalty.

There was also desperate defending, especially in the second half, which allowed the US to survive. Both Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie came up with some critical blocks. And Yunus Musah produced one of the defensive plays of the match when his 66th-minute tackle on Mason Holgate on the doorstep of the American goal preserved the visitors’ lead.

But the US did survive, and that was the most important thing in this match. The run-up to the 2026 World Cup has few competitive fixtures, and winning this quarterfinal will allow the US to enter the final stages of the CNL – a competition the US has won every time it has been held. – March next year. Although US manager Pochettino has downplayed the limited time he has with his players in this cycle, the reality means the CNL has more value than in the past. This is an opportunity that should not be wasted.

All the more reason to enjoy this victory, even if it was not easy on the eyes. Certainly, the Pochettino era is still in its early stages, and it’s fair to say there hasn’t been much sparkling football so far. But since the start of 2020, the USMNT’s road record has been rather mediocre: 3-6-5 prior to this match. A win on the road gives the team more confidence and growth.

From the moment Pochettino was hired, the Argentine has preached competitiveness. In addition to a victory, that is also what he got from his team tonight. It was clear that Pochettino had an insight into the type of play his side faced as his midfield quintet of Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Musah, Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso had plenty of steel. It was also present in the face of physical play from Jamaica that Costa Rican referee Juan Gabriel Calderón was inclined to let go.

During a 69th minute battle, the US effectively managed to stand up for Pulisic – who was on the receiving end of a number of tough challenges – without straying into red card territory. That kind of balance between taking on opponents and maintaining team discipline is crucial when it comes to achieving results, and something that seemed to be missing at last summer’s Copa América. If the US can maintain that kind of mental fortitude, competing against some of the better teams in the world – such as Copa América opponents Uruguay – becomes a more even proposition.

Having some individual brilliance helps too, and that’s where Pepi and Turner came through. This was not an evening full of scoring opportunities for Pepi. In fact, the goal streak turned out to be the only time Pepi had a touch in the opponent’s penalty area all night. But he made the most of his opportunity, firing his shot in via the far post for his second goal of the Pochettino era. That kind of efficiency will keep him in the starting lineup going forward.

“I just saw Christian between the lines and I saw a lot of space at the back, so I made a run and just finished him,” said Pepi, before adding: “If I position myself in the right space then I always keep going .to find space to score a goal.”

Turner is also proving himself indispensable to the new US manager, even if he finds it difficult to get minutes at club level at Crystal Palace. He was arguably the Man of the Match in last month’s 2-0 win over Panama, and while he wasn’t tested all that much in the match – according to ESPN Stats & Info, Jamaica was credited with just one shot on target – – He came through when he was called upon. Admittedly, his takedown on Shamar Nicholson was the final domino to fall in the game that led to the penalty, but he made amends for his mistake and saved his third penalty in an American shirt and his second against Jamaica. After the rescue he let out a roar.

“I tried to stay grounded, but I definitely got excited at that moment,” Turner said. “I needed a play like that for a long time, so it felt good.”

Staying grounded is exactly what the US needs to do in the second leg. Jamaica is just as difficult to subdue on American soil as it is tonight. In the last edition of the CNL, the Reggae Boyz took the US to extra time in the semi-finals. The competitiveness that Pochettino preached will be needed again. Some smoother play would also be welcome. As Turner said, “We have to keep building and moving forward.”