The United States (2W-0D-0L, 6 points) sealed a place in thesemifinals of the 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship on Saturday, posting a 6-1 win over Cuba at Sporting Park in Kansas City.
With maximum points from two games, the Americans also clinched the top spot in Group A, since they own the first tiebreaker (head-to-head result) against Canada (1W-0D-1L, 3 points) — the only team that can equal their point total after group play concludes on Tuesday in Commerce City, Colorado. The U.S. topped its northern neighbor on Friday, 3-1.
Panama (0W-1D-1L, 1 point) and Cuba (0W-1D-1L, 1 point) are still in contention for a spot in the final four.
Jerome Kiesewetter turned in a second straight impressive display. The 22-year-old scored once in each half, while once again creating openings for his teammates by regularly occupying the attention of opposing defenders.
The U.S. took a 2-0 lead within the opening 36 minutes through defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Matt Miazga, while Alonso Hernandez and Emerson Hyndman added second half goals. Daniel Luis Saez netted a consolation tally for Cuba in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
Carter-Vickers, 17, put the host ahead 1-0 in the 16th minute, nodding Luis Gil’s left-sided free kick into the left side of the net from four-yards out.
Realizing that an aerial assault resulted in initial success, the U.S. successfully executed that tactic again in the 35th minute as Miazga headed a cross from the right by Matt Polster beyond goalkeeper Sandy Sanchez.
Three minutes later, Kiesewetter struck for the first of his two straight goals.
On the first, in the 38th minute, he easily tapped in from five-yards off an unselfish feed from Jordan Morris. Four minutes into the second half, the VfB Stuttgart forward only had to touch the ball into the net after Marc Pelosi slid a pass across the face of the goal.
Hyndman made it 5-0 in the 69th minute thanks to neat give-and-go with Luis Gil that resulted in the Fulham midfielder hitting the back of the net from 12-yards out.
With the Cubans tiring, Hernandez closed the U.S. goal account in the 76th minute, picking out the left side of the net from 15 yards, taking his time to get it right after collecting a pass from Gboly Ariyibi.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Saez’s effort from distance — off a pass from Aricheel Hernandez — looped into the goal after deflecting off the outstretched foot of Wil Trapp.
The U.S. returns to action on Tuesday against Panama, while Cuba will need to beat Canada that same day to have any hope of advancing.
(Reprinted From CONCACAF.com)