USMNT edge Saudi Arabia to clinch Gold Cup quarterfinal berth

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·20. Juni 2025

USMNT edge Saudi Arabia to clinch Gold Cup quarterfinal berth

By MLSsoccer staff

The US men's national team booked their spot in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals Thursday evening with a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia at Austin FC's Q2 Stadium.

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The victory, coupled with a comfortable 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in their Gold Cup opener, have the USMNT atop Group D with maximum points ahead of their final group-stage match against Haiti on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute via a Chris Richards left-footed sliding finish off a perfectly placed free kick by Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Sebastian Berhalter.

The former FC Dallas homegrown center back's second international goal came nine minutes after he latched onto a corner by Houston Dynamo FC midfielder Jack McGlynn, only for his header to be saved by the Saudi goalkeeper.

Goals

63' - USA - Chris Richards | WATCH

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: The competition was stiffer from Saudi Arabia, but the USMNT, which ran out an unchanged starting XI from Sunday's rout of the Soca Warriors, did what was necessary to secure all three points and book their spot in the quarterfinals.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Berhalter played a sublime ball into the box and Richards put it away for the breakthrough the Yanks desperately needed.

What a ball from Berhalter. What a finish by Richards.
– Freitag, 20. Juni 2025

MAN OF THE MATCH: Richards was a menace on both ends of the field, a danger on attacking set pieces, and came up with several vital stops defensively.