The United States Men’s National Team put a turbulent week behind them and opened the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup in emphatic fashion, routing Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 on Sunday night at PayPal Park. Malik Tillman scored his first two international goals as the Americans snapped a four-game losing streak and reasserted their dominance in regional play.
Tillman struck in the 16th and 41st minutes, both times capitalizing on costly turnovers from veteran Trinidadian defender Alvin Jones. Patrick Agyemang added a third just three minutes later, finishing off a near-perfect first half that left little doubt about the outcome. Brenden Aaronson (82’) and Haji Wright (83’) added late goals to complete the thrashing.
The performance was a welcome sight for a U.S. squad that came into the tournament surrounded by questions. A four-match losing skid — their longest since 2007 — and controversy surrounding Christian Pulisic’s absence loomed over Mauricio Pochettino’s side entering Sunday. Pulisic had reportedly offered to play in a pair of pre-tournament friendlies, but was not included by Pochettino, citing the need for rest.
Despite missing Pulisic and other first-team regulars including Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, and Yunus Musah, the U.S. dominated possession (70.5%) and outshot Trinidad 21-3.
The makeshift American lineup averaged just 14.8 international appearances — the second fewest for a U.S. Gold Cup opener since 2009 — but looked sharp and composed throughout. Matthew Freese earned the clean sheet in goal, filling in for Matt Turner, who had started 14 straight competitive matches dating back to the 2022 World Cup.
Veteran defender Tim Ream anchored the back line, making his first Gold Cup appearance since 2011 and extending his span of tournament involvement to 14 years, surpassing DaMarcus Beasley’s previous record for the longest Gold Cup span by a U.S. player.
Trinidad and Tobago, ranked No. 100 in the world and coached by former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, offered little resistance and were unable to muster a shot on target until the second half. Their defense crumbled under pressure, particularly on the flanks where Aaronson and Cade Cowell created havoc.
The loss continues a rough stretch for the Soca Warriors, who have now dropped four of their last five matches. Their most famous result against the United States — a 2-1 win in 2017 that eliminated the U.S. from World Cup qualification — seemed like a distant memory.
With the win, the U.S. improves its all-time Gold Cup group stage record to 41-1-5 and has now topped its group in 16 of 17 editions, with the only exception coming in 2011.
The Americans will continue Group D play against invited guest Saudi Arabia on Thursday in Austin, Texas, before closing the group stage against Haiti on June 22 in Arlington.
Scoring Summary:
- USA — Malik Tillman (16’)
- USA — Malik Tillman (41’)
- USA — Patrick Agyemang (44’)
- USA — Brenden Aaronson (82’)
- USA — Haji Wright (83’)
Key Stats:
- Possession: USA 70.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 29.5%
- Shots: USA 21, Trinidad and Tobago 3
- Shots on Target: USA 9, Trinidad and Tobago 1
- Pass Accuracy: USA 91%, Trinidad and Tobago 75%
With the controversy subdued and momentum regained, the U.S. appears poised for another deep Gold Cup run — even with a roster that looks more developmental than dominant on paper.
