{"id":25595,"date":"2023-11-17T17:49:07","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T17:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/late-goals-fire-usa-past-trinidad-in-nations-league-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-17T17:49:07","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T17:49:07","slug":"late-goals-fire-usa-past-trinidad-in-nations-league-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/late-goals-fire-usa-past-trinidad-in-nations-league-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Late goals fire USA past Trinidad in Nations League | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nLOS ANGELES:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The United States put one foot in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League after a late flurry of goals secured a nervy 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson and Gio Reyna scored in the final 10 minutes in Austin, Texas, to leave Gregg Berhalter’s<\/a> side firmly on course for a place in the last four.<\/p>\n

The Americans can book their place in the semi-finals — and a ticket to next year’s Copa America taking place in the United States — when they head to Port of Spain next Monday for the return leg.<\/p>\n

But the US will prepare for the second leg taking nothing for granted after struggling to impose themselves on a Trinidad & Tobago team who were reduced to 10 men following Noah Powder’s first-half dismissal.<\/p>\n

“It was just one of those days where it felt like nothing was going in,” Robinson said after the win.<\/p>\n

“I feel like we created more chances, but I think we’ll be disappointed — we should be putting more past them with 10 men really.<\/p>\n

“But 3-0 is still a decent lead going into the next leg, and hopefully we’ll have a better performance next time.”<\/p>\n

It looked for long periods as if the “Soca Warriors” would hold on to secure a draw against the Americans, who failed to register a shot on target in the first half.<\/p>\n

However a tactical switch by Berhalter in the second half, moving Borussia Dortmund’s Reyna into a more central role, paid off as the US began to dominate.<\/p>\n

The Americans looked ready to make a breakthrough in the 60th minute when Daniel Phillips brought down Weston McKennie in the penalty area.<\/p>\n

Jamaican referee Oshane Nation pointed to the spot but after an intervention from the VAR the penalty award was overturned.<\/p>\n

The deadlock was finally broken in the 82nd minute when good play from Reyna saw the ball worked to Fulham defender Robinson on the left flank.<\/p>\n

Robinson whipped in a low ball and Pepi was waiting at the near post with the deftest of flicks to finally beat Trinidad goalkeeper Denzil Smith.<\/p>\n

Four minutes later Robinson doubled the lead with his first international goal, his well-struck shot from the edge of the area taking a deflection on its way into the net.<\/p>\n

As relief coursed around the Q2 Stadium, Reyna added a third on 89 minutes, playing a neat one-two with Folarin Balogun before finishing to give the Americans a 3-0 advantage heading into the second leg.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n