U.S. Men’s National Team Defeats Haiti 2-1 to Win Group D, Stay Unbeaten in 2025 Gold Cup

ARLINGTON, Texas (June 22, 2025) –In its group stage finale, the U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Haiti 2-1 Sunday at AT&T Stadium behind the third goal in as many matches for Malik Tillman and the second-half game-winner from Patrick Agyemang. The result means the USA takes all nine points from its Gold Cup group stage and wins Group D after recording consecutive shutouts in the team’s first two matches.

The United States needed a victory or draw Sunday to ensure winning the group after already clinching a spot in the quarterfinals with the 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia. On the other side, this was a must-win match for Haiti as the country entered the contest third in Group D and in desperate need of three points to keep alive any hope of advancing. 

After naming the same starting XI for the first two group stage matches, head coach Mauricio Pochettino made four changes to the lineup against Haiti, inserting Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Quinn Sullivan and John Tolkin. Tim Ream captained the side for the third-straight match, pairing up with Thursday’s goal scorer Chris Richards in central defense. 

The United States got on the board 10 minutes in with the third goal in as many games for Tillman. On the attack, Agyemang cut back and found Aaronson inside the box. Aaron’s shot was blocked, but the midfielder was able to recycle the play for the U.S. and find space to curl a delightful right-footed cross toward the far post. Tillman squared his shoulders toward goal and finished the play with a header into the side netting to open the scoring.

Haiti showed flashes throughout the match’s opening minutes and leveled in the 19th. Under pressure following a Haiti long ball, Tim Ream played a pass back to goalkeeper Matt Freese, starting his third-straight match for the U.S. Freese attempted a pass to fullback John Tolkin but mishit the ball. Louicius Don Deedson intercepted the pass and bent a shot with his left foot to equalize for Haiti. Until then, the United States had gone nearly 200 minutes without conceding a goal.

In his first career Gold Cup start, Quinn Sullivan nearly scored the go-ahead goal for the U.S. in the 30th minute. Following a swinging ball inside the box from Luca de la Torre about 25 yards out, Sullivan timed it perfectly and came flying in to volley the ball midair. His shot on frame was saved by Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide and it grazed the cross bar to result in a U.S. corner kick. On the ensuing set piece, Sullivan cracked a shot on goal from distance that forced another save from Placide.

Twice in the span of five minutes in the second half, the United States had a goal called back. In the 64th minute, Richards played a long ball over the top to Agyemang. The striker slipped on the play, but Sullivan cleaned it up and sent a firm cross into the box. Haiti’s attempted clearance deflected for an own goal, but it was negated due to an unintentional handball from Tillman.

Moments later, it appeared that Tillman scored again when he collected a backdoor pass over the backline from Adams. The U.S. attacker finished, but the play was ruled offside. 

Finally, the U.S. broke through. Tolkin played a delightful ball into the path of Agyemang making a run. Agyemang took a deft touch to get past Placide coming off his line, then the forward calmly rolled the ball into an open goal to put the United States ahead 2-1 in the 75th minute. 

Sunday’s win is the third straight for the United States. The USMNT opened group play with back-to-back shutouts beginning with an energetic 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on June 15 in San Jose. The U.S. later shut out its highest-ranked opponent in the group stage, Saudi Arabia,1-0 in Austin, Texas on Thursday.

As the winners of Group D, the United States will carry the momentum into the knockout round where it will first face the second-place team out of Group A. Mexico and Costa Rica currently sit atop the Group A standings in first and second place, and those two teams face off later Sunday eveningin Las Vegas.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – MALIKTILLMAN (BRENDEN AARONSON), 10th minute: Following his own blocked shot, Brenden Aaronson put the ball on his right foot and sent a curling cross from the edge of the 18-yard box toward the far post. Malik Tillman squared his shoulders and directed a header into the side netting to open the scoring. USA 1, HAI 0 

HAI – LOUICIUS DON DEEDSON, 19th minute: United States goalkeeper Matt Freese received a pass back from center back Tim Ream as Haiti applied pressure deep in their attacking third. Freese’s pass was mishit, and Louicius Don Deedsontook advantage and finished. USA 1, HAI 1

USA – PATRICK AGYEMANG (JOHN TOLKIN), 75th minute: Patrick Agyemang put the United States back ahead with a display of poise and control. Receiving a long pass from John Tolkin, Agyemang rounded the Haitian goalkeeper with a deft touch and tucked it in to secure his career fifth international goal. USA 2, HAI 1 FINAL

Additional Notes:

• After scoring a first-half brace in the group stage opener against Trinidad and Tobago, Malik Tillman scored his third international goal in as many matches.
• Brenden Aaronson recorded his seventh career assist on Tillman’s opener.
• The eventual game-winner scored by Patrick Agyemang was his fifth goal in nine international appearances and his second of the 2025 Gold Cup.
• John Tolkin collected his first career assist on Agyemang’s 75th minute winner.
• Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Quinn Sullivan made their first career Gold Cup starts.
• Alex Freeman started his third group stage match in this Gold Cup tournament, becoming the second USMNT player 20 years or younger to do so, following Chris Henderson in the inaugural 1991 Gold Cup.
• This was the fifth Concacaf Gold Cup meeting between the USMNT and Haiti, all in the group stage, with the U.S. winning three of the first four.
• The USMNT is unbeaten in now ten straight matches against Haiti (W5-0L-5D) dating back to 1976, winning the last three in a row.
• The USMNT won all three matches in the group stage of the Concacaf Gold Cup for the seventh time and third in the last four editions (also in 2019 and 2021). Entering 2025, all other teams have taken nine points from the group stage of the Gold Cup five times combined, with Mexico the only other team to do so more than once (2011, 2019).

- U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT -

Match: United States Men’s National Team vs. Haiti
Date: June 22, 2025
Competition: 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup; Group Stage
Venue: AT&T Stadium; Arlington, Texas.
Attendance: 20,918
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. CT (7:00 p.m. ET)
Weather: indoors

Lineups:
USA: 25-Matt Freese; 16-Alex Freeman, 3-Chris Richards, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 2-John Tolkin; 4-Tyler Adams (21-Paxten Aaronson, 88), 14-Luca de la Torre (15-Johnny Cardoso, 81); 7-Quinn Sullivan (6-Jack McGlynn, 70), 17-Malik Tillman, 11-Brenden Aaronson (10-Diego Luna, 70); 24-Patrick Agyemang (23-Brian White, 82)
Substitutes not used: 1-Matt Turner, 5-Walker Zimmerman, 8-Sebastian Berhalter, 12-Miles Robinson,18-Max Arfsten, 20-Nathan Harriel, 22-Mark McKenzie

Not Dressed: 26-Chris Brady, 9-Damion Downs, 19-Haji Wright
Head coach: Mauricio Pochettino 

HAI: 1-Johny Placide (Capt.); 2-Carlens Arcus (24-Wilguens Paugain, 88), 4-Ricardo Adé, 6-Garven Metusala, 8-Martin Expérience; 10-Louicius Deedson (21-Christopher Attys, 45), 14-Léverton Pierre, 17-Danley Jean Jacques, 18-Ruben Providence (15-Mikaël Cantave, 88); 9-Duckens Nazon (11-Dany Jean, 80), 20-Frantzdy Pierrot

Substitutes not used: 3-François Dulysse, 5-Carl Sainté, 12-Alexandre Pierre, 13-Duke Lacroix, 16-Mondy Prunier, 19-Belmar Joseph, 23-Garrissone Innocent, 25-Téo Michel

Head coach: Sébastien Migné

Stats Summary: USA / HAI
Shots: 18 / 8
Shots on Goal: 6 / 3
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 6 / 5
Fouls: 8 / 11
Offside: 3 / 1

Officials:

Referee: Katia Garcia (MEX)
Assistant 1: Sandra Ramirez (MEX)
Assistant 2: Karen Diaz (MEX)
Fourth Official: Julio Luna (GUA)

Man of the Match: Malik Tillman