Resilient underdogs Jamaica pushed them to the limit. But the US national team held their nerve and showed their quality to earn a last-gasp 2-1 win in the 2017 Gold Cup final at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Wednesday, paced by well-taken goals from Jozy Altidore and Jordan Morris.
Jamaica lost their talismanic goalkeeper, the Philadelphia Union's Andre Blake, to a hand injury early in the match, and things soon got even grimmer for the Reggae Boyz as Altidore blasted a scintillating long-range free kick off the underside of the crossbar past Blake's replacement Dwayne Miller.
But the islanders persevered, as they have throughout this tournament, and drew level against the odds when New England Revolution utility man Je-Vaughn Watson muscled around Morris on a corner kick and volleyed past Tim Howard at the far post.
The US turned the screws down the stretch, forcing Jamaica deeper and deeper before Morris struck a sweetly-hit finish into the top corner to claim the Yanks' sixth Gold Cup trophy.
- Jamaica provide update on Blake's hand injury
- MLSers Bradley, Blake, Davies sweep Gold Cup awards
- Analyst: US cross Jamaica up & claim Gold Cup
- Gold Cup By the Numbers: USMNT victories
- US Player Ratings: Altidore, Morris, Nagbe shine en route to glory
Goals
- 45' – USA – Jozy Altidore Watch
- 50' – JAM – Je-Vaughn Watson Watch
- 88' – USA – Jordan Morris Watch
- CONCACAF Man of the Match: Jordan Morris
Three Things
REDEMPTION SONG
: It's not often that a player gets a quick chance to atone for a costly error in a cup final. Morris got outfoxed by the canny veteran Watson on Jamaica's goal, but kept his head and showed stellar technique to bury his late winner. As the only player to appear in every US game of the tournament, the
Seattle Sounders
star certainly seems to have elevated his USMNT stock.
Next Up
- USA: Friday, Sept. 1 vs. Costa Rica (WCQ, 6:30 pm ET | ESPN and Univision networks)
- JAM: Saturday, Sept. 2 at Canada (Friendly, time/TV TBA)