ST. LOUIS – The second leg of the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) quarter-final between the United States and Jamaica was drama-free. For long stretches there was no tension. Yet there were moments when it was tense, and it was exactly the kind of performance the US hoped for when it hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager two months ago.

The USMNT defeated the Reggae Boyz 4-2 to claim a 5-2 aggregate victory and advance to the CNL semi-finals which will take place in March next year. To put the victory in context, eight months ago Jamaica pushed the US to the limit in the 2024 CNL semifinals before falling in overtime.

This time it wasn’t close at all. Christian Pulisic opened the scoring in the 14th minute and celebrated with what he later confirmed was a Donald Trump-style dance that he insisted was “not a political dance” but that he saw players do in the NFL and that he ” liked’. .” The AC Milan star scored the net for the second time in the 33rd minute, although Concacaf officially declared it an own goal on Di’Shon Bernard. Ricardo Pepi and Tim Weah also scored. By making progress, the USA gives itself two more competitive matches in a World Cup cycle where those are scarce.

It appears that the US is now on an upward trajectory. Last month there was some inconsistency in a win over Panama and a sobering loss to rival Mexico in which a small U.S. team was uncompetitive. This was expected to some extent. It was always going to take some time for Pochettino to feel comfortable, get to know the players and start communicating his style.

This camp showed improvement in several facets. During the first leg against Jamaica in Kingston, the team proved that it could win ugly and could withstand physical play. On Monday, the USMNT produced a dynamic attacking performance that was by far the smoothest of the Pochettino era. It was exactly what the team needed, as it provided some confirmation that the new boss’s methods are working.

Not that a manager of Pochettino’s pedigree needs that; his reputation remains enormous. But this is a project that is on an accelerated timeline. The 2026 World Cup is less than two years away and a tangible sign needed to be given to a hungry fan base that the team is on the right track. The USMNT delivered.

“We get the feeling that we are a real group of people, that we are going to fight for something special,” Pochettino said. “On the other hand, it is easy to improve because I think we have the talent of the players and we have a great coaching staff that can design all the strategies to be better (than) the opponent.”

The victory was achieved with the help of a tactical wrinkle. When the US had possession, usual left back Antonee Robinson squeezed in as central midfielder. This allowed Pulisic and Weah to overload the left flank, and it proved dangerous as early as the fourth minute, with Weah hitting the post with a shot after cutting inside from the wing.

Space also appeared in other parts of the pitch and it didn’t take long for the USA to get on the scoreboard, with Pulisic’s deft ball from Weston McKennie’s cross putting the USMNT ahead. Pulisic helped double the lead in the 33rd minute when his shot deflected off another McKennie feed from Bernard and wrong-footed Andre Blake in the Jamaican goal.

Pepi made it 3-0 through Robinson’s pass after pouncing on a wayward Blake clearance. It was the third match in a row in which Pepi scored, and his fourth international goal against Jamaica.

All the while, Pochettino urged his players to step forward whenever a transition opportunity presented itself. There was a confidence in the USMNT’s play that hadn’t been seen since the 2022 World Cup.

Jamaica tried to climb back into the match and pulled a goal back through Demarai Gray in the 52nd minute. But Weah restored the four-goal lead four minutes later with a fierce blast into the net from Musah’s cross. Given the venom with which the shot was delivered, it is tempting to think Weah had unleashed more than four months of pent-up frustration in that one goal.

Before the match, Weah admitted that the red card he received in the Copa América match against Panama – a move that contributed greatly to the US team’s group stage elimination – had been “difficult” to deal with to go. He was forced to serve the second match of his suspension in the first leg. But Weah said no anger or rage entered his target.

“I think I was more excited when the other guys scored,” he said. “I think it was great just to be out there with them. I mean, after missing the previous camps and obviously what happened in the summer, I think for me I just wanted to be on the field with them again, wanted to have a bit of a sense of peace.” everything. It was fun.”

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Christian Pulisic reacts to the USMNT vs. Jamaica

Christian Pulisic reflects on his role as ‘leader’ for the USMNT after a 4-2 win vs. Jamaica.

Clearly the US missed Weah’s presence. Few players in the US pool can stretch opposing defenses as quickly as he can, and this match also showcased his ability to find space in tight spaces. What was unexpected was where Weah lined up. He has been deployed almost exclusively on the right during his career. But a chat with assistant coach Jesús Pérez about his preferred position – and a test on which eye is dominant – prompted Pochettino to move Weah on the left, and the Juventus winger made the most of it.

“It’s wonderful to see it come together,” he said of the first half. “I mean, we didn’t have a lot of time to work on it, but I mean the first half was really good. I’m really excited to see where we can go.”

Admittedly, there is still a lot of work to be done. Some defensive sloppiness crept into the USMNT’s play in the second half, allowing the Reggae Boyz to pull two goals back. This will have to be tightened up in the next international windows.

“Obviously they pressed a little bit higher and the guys took a few more touches, a few more risks than maybe they needed to,” defenseman Tim Ream said. “And listen, at this level, any team can hurt you with what they have and that’s really what it came down to.”

That will be addressed by Pochettino and the staff between now and March. But it is also clear that a bond is developing between Pochettino, the staff and the players, so much so that the coach did not want this camp to end.

“The progression is so good,” he said. “I think I told them after the game, when we were all together with the staff, ‘I’m going to miss you all, players and staff,’ because it seemed like ten days was not enough. And yes, you want to see tomorrow these guys again, but they have to come back.”

In March they will, accompanied by a desire to see how much more this team can grow.