ST. LOUIS (June 28, 2023) – The U.S. Men’s National Team rode a hat trick from 2022 FIFA World Cup veteran forward Jesús Ferreira to a convincing 6-0 victory against St. Kitts and Nevis in Concacaf Gold Cup group play Wednesday night in front of 21,216 at CITYPARK in St. Louis. Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic added two goals and two assists, Bryan Reynolds scored his first career goal on his 22nd birthday and Gianluca Busio chipped in two assists in the USMNT’s first meeting against the Sugar Boyz, the 100th different opponent the team has faced since first playing matches back in 1916.
Ferreira is the fifth USMNT player to record multiple hat tricks, following Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and Peter Millar. His three goals come a little more than a year since he scored four against Grenada on June 10, 2022 to open 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League play. Now with 11 career goals, the 22-year-old Ferreira is the fastest player to reach double-digit tallies, doing so in 20 caps. The previous best was Clint Mathis, who hit 10 in 23 caps.
The 6-0 score is tied for the USA’s largest margin of victory at the Gold Cup, having previously defeated Cuba in 2015 and Trinidad and Tobago in 2019 by the same mark.
USMNT head coach B.J. Callaghan made seven changes to the lineup that tied Jamaica on Saturday with defender Matt Miazga, midfielder James Sands and forwards Alex Zendejas and Ferreira as the four holdovers.
Early on Mihailovic and Cade Cowell had shots blocked by desperate defenders Malique Roberts and Gerrard Williams, setting the tone for the night. The USA would then score three times in three minutes and 50 seconds - the quickest span for three goals during a competitive match in USMNT history.
Mihailovic got it started in the 12th with a shot from eight yards off a Busio pass from the endline. On his 22nd birthday, Reynolds blistered a bouncing ball from 20 yards out two minutes later for his first international goal off a corner kick from Alex Zendejas. Ferreira made it 3-0 with his first of the night in the 16th on another nice ball from Busio. The FC Dallas forward would have had his hat trick in the first half if not for three outstanding saves by goalkeeper Julani Archibald.
The third one finally came minutes after the break as Mihailovic sprung Ferreira alone at goal from 40 yards out, before the striker calmly slotted the ball through Archibald’s legs to complete his second career hat trick. Mihailovic closed out the scoring with a calm finish from inside the box with 10 minutes left. Archibald finished the night with nine saves as the USMNT fired off 34 shots to just two from the Kittians.
Now sitting atop Group A with four points and a plus-6 goal differential, the USMNT will close out the group stage against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, July 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (7 p.m. ET, FOX and Univision).
USA - Djordje Mihailovic (Gianluca Busio), 12th minute: The play started on the left side with a throw-in by DeJuan Jones. Jalen Neal, James Sands and Matt Miazga combined before playing it wide right to Bryan Reynolds, who quickly played a ball downfield that Busio caught up to at the endline. He cut back a cross that Mihalilovic hit first-time with his left from eight yards out to open the scoring. USA 1, SKN 0
USA - Bryan Reynolds (Alex Zendejas), 14th minute: Zendejas took a corner from the left and as the curling ball dropped and bounced out of the box, Reynolds stepped forward and met it with a blistering, first-time blast from 20 yards out that went inside the near post for his first international goal. USA 2, SKN 0
USA - Jesús Ferreira (Gianluca Busio), 16th minute: Defender Matt Miazga won the ball and played James Sands, who found Reynolds on the right. Reynolds fed Zendejas, who cut to his left at midfield and advanced to Busio. Busio turned and saw Ferreira make his run, feeding him a nice ball in space. The striker took one touch forward and shot from a tight angle to the back post for his first of the night. USA 3, SKN 0
USA - Jesús Ferreira (Djordje Mihailovic), 25th minute: Cade Cowell won the ball at midfield and played it back to Busio, who turned and played Mihailovic across midfield. Mihailovic first-timed a ball that beat the high defensive live and sprung Ferreira alone at goal from 40 yards. A composed Ferreira put the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper from 20 yards. USA 4, SKN 0
USA - Jesús Ferreira (Djordje Mihailovic), 50th minute: A simple throw-in again started the possession that resulted in a goal, this time from the left side near the defensive end. As it moved right and forward, Alan Soñora played it central before the ball made its way up on the left to Cowell. The 19-year-old winger played a pass into the box to Mihailovic, who pushed it centrally to Ferreira. The World Cup veteran let the ball run across his body to set up his right and complete his second career hat trick. USA 5, SKN 0
USA - Djordje Mihailovic (Cristian Roldan), 79th minute: Attacking down the right, Aidan Morris opened the field with a ball into the box that Roldan brought down and unselfishly played square to Mihailovic, who calmly took a touch before placing a low ball from 16 yards past Archibald. USA 6, SKN 0
Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. St. Kitts & Nevis
Date: June 28, 2023
Competition: 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup; Group A
Venue: CITYPARK; St. Louis, Mo.
Attendance: 21,216
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET (9 p.m. local time)
Weather: 84 degrees; hazy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 4 2 6
SKN 0 0 0
USA – Djordje Mihailovic (Gianluca Busio) 12th minute
USA – Bryan Reynolds (Alex Zendejas) 14
USA – Jesús Ferreira (Gianluca Busio) 16
USA – Jesús Ferreira (Djordje Mihailovic) 25
USA – Jesús Ferreira (Djordje Mihailovic) 50
USA – Djordje Mihailovic (Cristian Roldan) 80
Lineups:
USA: 18-Sean Johnson (capt.); 5-Bryan Reynolds (22-Julian Gressel, 76), 4-Matt Miazga, 20-Jalen Neal, 15-DeJuan Jones; 6-Gianluca Busio (7-Alan Soñora, 46), 8-James Sands (16-Aidan Morris, 56), 14-Djordje Mihailovic; 17-Alex Zendejas, 9-Jesús Ferreira (19-Brandon Vazquez, 56), 11-Cade Cowell (10-Cristian Roldan, 68)
Substitutes not used: 1-Matthew Turner, 23-Gabriel Slonina, 2-Deandre Yedlin, 3-Aaron Long, 12-Miles Robinson, 13-Jordan Morris, 21-John Tolkin
Head Coach: B.J. Callaghan
SKN: 18-Julani Archibald (capt.); 2- Malique Roberts, 6- Lois Maynard, 3-Gerard Williams, 5-Jameel Ible (15-Mervin Lewis, 71); 7-Tiquanny Williams (9-Carlos Bertie, 63), 14-Raheem Somersall (8-Yohannes Mitchum, 63), 4-Andre Burley, 11-Tyquan Terrell (21-Omari Sterling-James, 63); 19-Romaine Sawyers, 16-Keithroy Freeman (10-Jacob Hazel, 71)
Substitutes not used: 1-Jamal Jeffers, 23-Xander Parke, 12-Dijhorn Simmonds, 13-Ezrick Nicholls, 17-Rowan Liburd, 20-Raheem Hanley, 22-Ronaldo Belgrove
Head Coach: Austin Huggins
Stats Summary: USA / SKN
Shots: 34 / 2
Shots on Goal: 15 / 0
Saves: 0 / 9
Corner Kicks: 8 / 1
Fouls: 16 / 9
Offside: 3 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
SKN – Tyquan Terrell (Caution) 56th minute
SKN – Jameel Ible (Caution) 69
SKN – Andre Burley (Caution) 74
Officials:
Referee: Juan Gabriel Calderon (CRC)
AR1: Juan Carlos Mora (CRC)
AR2: Henri Pupiro (NCA)
4th Official: Bryan Lopez (GUA)
VAR: Selvin Brown (HON)
Assistant VAR: Shirley Perello (HON)
Bud Light Man of the Match: Jesús Ferreira