FINAL: USA 5-0 Trinidad and Tobago
And all was forgotten and forgiven!
… Right?!
The US ended it’s four-game losing streak and silenced a lot of doubters with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday. The Caribbean nation was never truly at the races in this one, allowing seemingly nedless chances and runs in on goal from the US.
Malik Tillman scored twice in the first half, Diego Luna added two assists (along with Max Arfsten), and Patrick Agyemang got on the scoresheet as well to reward a physical performance as the lone striker.
The US next plays v Saudi Arabia on Thursday in Austin, Texas.
87 min: A US sub – Miles Robinson replaces Chris Richards. (And minutes before that, which I missed, Paxten Aaronson replaced Luca de la Torre).
Well readers, what do you think?
On a scale from 0 to “The US are going to win the 2026 World Cup,” how much does this result erase your doubts about this team?
For me? Maybe a little, but not much. Trinidad & Tobago basically didn’t show up today – I’ll be interested to see how this team does against better opposition later on in the competition (assuming they don’t completely faceplant in the last two group games).
GOAL! USA 5-0 Trinidad and Tobago (Wright, 84)
Well, it’s a rout. Haji Wright cuts inside from the left channel, has the freedom of the penalty area, and easily finishes past Phillip to the far post. This game was never really all that competitive, but now it’s essentially a training exercise.
GOAL! USA 4-0 Trinidad & Tobago (B. Aaronson, 82)
It’s four! Brenden Aaronson finds space on the left side and fires a shot that Phillip gets a hand to … but nontheless allows to bounce under him and into the back of the net.
The T&T goalkeeper has had a nice night but that is a rough moment.
78 min: The US has transitioned fully into game management mode now. They’re trying to keep possession and kill off the game, but occasional missteps are letting Trinidad and Tobago have their best looks at US goal that they’ve had so far. Not sure it really matters, though.
73 min: Some US subs. Diego Luna, Patrick Agyemang, Jack McGlynn are off. Mark McKenzie, Haji Wright, and Brenden Aaronson are on.
65 min: Agyemang, for what seems like the 387th time this match, bodies his defender in the penalty area and searches for a teammate to lay off to, only to turn and fire an effort on goal that is blocked. He’s been very active all game long for the US (along with the rest of the front four).
Reader Tom gets in touch:
The stadium is half as full as when Messi was here a few weeks ago … Perhaps Father’s Day afternoon was not the best scheduling, but the US B team is completely dominating. It still feels like they would struggle against a better team though. Not sure what happened to Trinidad & Tobago, they have not turned up for this game …. Perhaps the lure of the ice cold Pacific is distracting them, but you would have thought they have much better beaches back home?!
To be fair to US Soccer, I don’t think they have any control over when/where Concacaf schedules Gold Cup games. And yes, I would assume the T&T squad are not unused to the idea of time on the beach.
58 min: Trinidad and Tobago’s first and only decent-ish chance of the game has finally arrived. Matt Freese failed to corrall a service across the goalline, which only barely evaded a sliding, onrushing attacker. That was a close one.
Reader Jordi gets in touch:
I consider myself a long time fan, starting in 1994! I am tired of the old farts, from Lalas to Donovan making media career out of lambasting the kids … Do some analysis instead of just being old crotchety grumps.
One does wonder if a more tactical critique might have its place among the shouting on Fox, regardless of whether the team is doing well (as they are tonight) or less-well.
50 min: The US has started the second half exactly like they ended the first, with a lot of possession and some good chances. Jack McGlynn has the latest of those, easily receiving a cross from Max Arfsten from the left wing, and attempting a volley that sailed over the bar.
Moments later, Patrick Agyemang fights off his defender and forces Phillip into a nice save.
We are back underway
Trinidad and Tobago make three changes at half-time in an effort to reverse a 3-0 lead.
Reader WC gets in touch, on the topic of why attendance is so low …
Midafternoon in California is hard for attendance for any sport. Too many alternatives when the sun is up.
It’s currently 79F in San Jose right now. There are mountains and ocean within easy driving distance. The Club World Cup is on. I think I see what you mean.
Halftime!
Well! That’s a bit better. The US is up 3-0, with two goals in about four minutes to close the half.
What say you, US fans? Does this scoreline and (probable) win assuage all of your doubts and fears? Some of them? None of them? Get in touch, my email is at the link above.
Goal! USA 3-0 Trinidad and Tobago! (Luna, 44)
44 min: Diego Luna, once again in the middle of something good for the US team. The RSL man runs on to a long ball out of the back, sends his defender to the floor with a nifty move on the ball, and fires a shot that takes a deflection past Phillip and into the back of the net.
The US has dominated this half and the scoreline now reflects that.
Updated
GOAL! USA 2-0 Trinidad and Tobago (Tillman, 41)
41 min: At long last, the US doubles its lead, and once again it’s thanks to a terrible defensive error by Trinidad and Tobago. Alvin Jones – the same one who tormented the US in 2017 – played a backpass directly into the path of Luna, who had open field in front of him and runners in support. He found Malik Tillman, who finished easily on the doorstep.
Updated
A note on Johnny Cardoso and Tyler Adams …
I just realized I never mentioned this when lineups came out, but both of those guys are out tonight – Adams with an ongoing foot injury and Johnny due to illness.
35 min: Another good chance – this time it’s right back Alex Freeman ghosting in at the far post on a freekick to direct a header on goal, but unfortunately right into the arms of Phillip.
On the subject of attendance, a reader gets in touch …
20 minutes from park, & fan back far enough to when this match up could have been Willy Roy versus Steve David.
Monitored prices all week - decent seats stayed above $100. Saw a slight drop in last 24 hours but there are tons of tickets posted with prices staying at $70 for the worst of them.
Whomever is holding them is choosing to take a loss rather than sell below that.
But it’s all of the above. The price. The cynical insistence for fans to pay anything. The lack of any team momentum - in the selection, in the series of opponents, in anyone with the team seeming to take the building of anything seriously.
I put little of this on Poch.
First of all – loving the Willy Roy/Steve David shoutouts. Both names that ring out, both before my time.
Sounds like more than a few things contributing to the lack of butts in seats. $70 does seem like a lot to pay per ticket to see what is very much a second-and-third-string USMNT.
25 min: Chance! Diego Luna is put through on goal with a great ball from Jack McGlynn, and has an opportunity to double the US advantage. Marvin Phillip, T&T goalkeeper, gets down well to make the save.
That’s a couple nice stops from Phillip – the score could easily have been 3-0 by now.
19 min: Another US chance, this time Arfsten cuts in from the left and rifles a shot on target, but T&T’s goalkeeper makes a nice save to push it out for a corner.
18 min: This performance is way more like it for the US, but it must be said that T&T have been pretty dreadful. All sorts of giveaways and misplays practically handing chances to the US.
Goal! USA 1-0 Trinidad and Tobago (Tillman, 17)
17 min: The US is on the board after having by far the better of things in the opening minutes. A miscontrolled backpass is pounced on by Patrick Agyemang, who works the ball to Jack McGlynn on the right side of the penalty area. McGlynn’s cross found Tillman unmarked at the far post, and the finish was an easy one.
Updated
12 min: Agyemang has another chance, this time a free-ish header off a cross from Max Arfsten. The cross is slightly too high for his position, and his lack of contact causes the effort to go wide.
The US are getting chances, that’s for sure.
A question for you fine readers out there
You’re here, you’re reading a USMNT live blog – chances are you’re interested in the team. Why do you think attendances at some recent games have been so low?
a) Too expensive
b) Not enough publicity/promotion/awareness
c) The team is bad
d) The team isn’t fun to watch
e) Too many other games on
f) All/some of the above?
Let me know; my email is linked above. Interested in what you think.
7 min: Chance! Sebastian Berhalter latches on to a loose ball and fires an effort at goal with nice technique. It’s blocked out for a corner that comes to nothing.
7 min: A lot of great seats still available at PayPal Park – another major Concacaf game involving the US that fails to meet attendance expectations.
Minutes away from the start of the #USMNT’s first Gold Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago at PayPal Park. A lot of empty seats. pic.twitter.com/F52rA0VfLR
— Noah Furtado (@_noahfurtado) June 15, 2025
5 min: Chance! Tillman plays through Patrick Agyemang, who beats his defender and the goalkeeper but his slow rolling effort ends up just wide. Had it gone it, he might have been flagged for offside – it looked like a close call from the broadcast.
3 min: As against Turkey, it was always going to be interesting to see how Diego Luna, Malik Tillman and Jack McGlynn line up as a trio of attacking midfielders and/or wingers. To start, it’s Luna on the left, McGlynn on the right, and Tillman through the middle.
Even in the time it took for me to type that, though, they’ve changed spots a lot. Expect them to be very fluid throughout.
1 min: We are under way!
The teams are walking up the stairs and over the bridge over the concourse and down the stairs and out on to the field.
PayPal Park’s layout is…interesting.
Updated
T&T's starters
Here’s the starting XI that will take on the United States.
Eagle-eyed aficionados of USMNT pain and anguish will notice the presence of one Alvin Jones.
Jones, in case you forgot (intentionally or not), was the Trinidad & Tobago player most responsible for eliminating the US from World Cup qualifying back in 2017. He scored his first international goal and put in the cross that resulted in an own goal in Couva that evening.
So what’s the deal with Christian Pulisic and Landon Donovan?
It’s a long(ish) story.
First, Mauricio Pochettino announced that Pulisic had elected to not join the US for this summer’s Gold Cup and pre-Gold Cup friendlies. In addition, several other players were left out for various reasons, ranging from Club World Cup commitments to injuries.
Landon Donovan, a former USMNT great who now works as a commentator for Fox, criticized Pulisic and others on his podcast with former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard:
Donovan later repeated those points of criticism on Fox Sports 1 after Portugal won the Uefa Nations League, which drew a response from Christian Pulisic’s dad, Mark Pulisic:
Christian then made an appearance of his own on CBS Sports’ Call it What You Want podcast, saying that he told Pochettino he wanted to play the two friendlies but was rebuffed:
Pochettino confirmed as much in his pre-match press conference yesterday.
…That brings us up to date! Exhausted yet?
How are things going for Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT lately?
In short…not great.
There are off-field controversies, and on-field struggles. In a 4-0 loss to Switzerland, there were errors that fall both on the coaching staff and the players.
Read more:
USMNT's starters
Mauricio Pochettino has named a starting XI that closely resembled the group that took the field v Turkey last week – a game they lost 2-1.
Notable changes from that game v Turkey include Tim Ream in for Miles Robinson in central defense, and Sebastian Berhalter replacing Johnny Cardoso in midfield.
Welcome!
The US hasn’t had a great deal of positive momentum lately, but they’ll try to reverse that later this evening when they take on Trinidad and Tobago in their Gold Cup opener. I’m Alex, and I’ll be with you the whole way. Follow along!
