U.S. men's team hopes 5-0 win propels them forward after losing streak

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The U.S. hopes a blowout triumph implicit the world's 100th-ranked squad tin commencement to lessen the pessimism created by the Americans' longest losing streak since 2007.

Malik Tillman scored doubly and Diego Luna had a brace of assists successful a 5-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago connected Sunday successful the Americans' CONCACAF Gold Cup opener.

"Really important I deliberation to chopped a small spot this — I don't accidental negativity, but, yes ... but it's truly important present to commencement the contention with a bully feeling," U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

Victory successful the Group D opener ended a four-game losing streak and came aft days of contention implicit Christian Pulisic's tendency to remainder during the Gold Cup and Pochettino not including the prima successful a brace of pre-tournament friendlies the attacker offered to play in.

Tillman scored successful the 16th and 41st minutes for his archetypal 2 planetary goals, some pursuing giveaways by Alvin Jones, and Patrick Agyemang scored his 4th planetary extremity successful the 44th erstwhile Luna's changeable deflected disconnected a foot.

"It was successful our hands to amusement a absorption and I deliberation we've done it today," Tillman said. "We played a bully crippled and it was bully to bounce back, person a bully commencement to the tournament."

Brenden Aaronson added his ninth extremity successful the 82nd and Haji Wright his 5th conscionable 1 minute, 13 seconds aboriginal for the 16th-ranked Americans, who drew conscionable 12,610 to PayPal Park.

"Malik is simply a talented player. It's evident that everyone tin see," Pochettino said. "October, November, erstwhile we met for the archetypal clip I deliberation it was hard to make this narration that the subordinate need(s) and the manager need(s) to spot and to spot each other. ... I deliberation present aft a fewer weeks unneurotic I truly commencement to recognize him and helium starts to recognize us. And he's precise special, a precise peculiar endowment and a precise peculiar kid."

Luna, a 21-year-old who impressed Pochettino during his debut successful January erstwhile helium insisted helium enactment connected the tract with a breached nose, was playing not acold from wherever helium grew up and said helium had gotten tickets for astir 30 household and friends.

"Just an honor, right, to beryllium capable to imagination astir this day," helium said. "(To) commencement disconnected a tourney similar this backmost successful my location metropolis is awesome."

Luna ran onto Jones' backmost pass, dribbled down the near flank and crossed to Tillman for the 2nd goal, past changeable from conscionable wrong the punishment country for the extremity that glanced disconnected Tillman for a 3-0 lead.

"His show was truly good. He showed his character," Pochettino said.

The Americans person won their radical successful 16 of 17 Gold Cups, on with a second-place decorativeness down Panama successful 2011, and improved their radical signifier grounds to 41 wins, 1 nonaccomplishment and 5 draws. They play invited impermanent Saudi Arabia connected Thursday astatine Austin, Texas, past adjacent radical play connected June 22 against Haiti astatine Arlington, Texas.

Matt Freese was successful extremity successful spot of Matt Turner, who had started 14 consecutive competitory matches for the U.S. and 23 of 24 dating to the 2022 World Cup. The lone objection was a Gold Cup radical signifier crippled against St. Kitts and Nevis successful 2023.

Pochettino said helium wanted to make contention for Turner, who didn't get into a Crystal Palace lucifer aft March 1. The manager said Turner told him helium was disappointed with the determination but understood it and would vie to get playing time.