USA reach Gold Cup last eight behind Ferreira’s second straight hat-trick
Jesús Ferreira became the first American to score international hat-tricks in consecutive games, and the United States advanced to the Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-finals with a 6-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday night.
Ferreira scored in the 14th and 38th minutes against 101st-ranked Trinidad, then converted a penalty kick in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
“That intensity that the team is going out with is helping me get in the box,” Ferreira said. “We’re all working together. We’re all defending together. We’re all attacking together,”
Cade Cowell scored in the 66th, four minutes after entering, and Gianluca Busio in the 79th – the first international goal for both. Brandon Vázquez added his third goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time as the Americans won by six goals for the second straight game.
A 22-year-old son of former Colombian midfielder David Ferreira, Jesús Ferreira joined Landon Donovan as the only Americans with three hat-tricks. Twelve of Ferreira’s 14 international goals have been against Caribbean nations, including four against Grenada in June 2022 and three versus St Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday.
“When I see his movement and his confidence in the penalty box, you can tell that the game has slowed down for him,” US interim coach BJ Callaghan said. “All of the work that he’s doing, leading our line defensively, dropping down, helping buildup play, for me he’s having a really complete tournament.”
The US won Group A on goal difference over Jamaica and advanced to a quarter-final at Cincinnati on 9 July against Canada, Guatemala or Guadeloupe. The Americans have 40 wins, one loss and five draws in the Gold Cup group stage
The US won their group for the 16th time in 17 Gold Cups, along with
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