Ferreira nets hat trick to make USMNT history

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Striker Jesus Ferreira scored three first-half targets in opposition to Trinidad and Tobago to develop into the primary United States males’s nationwide group participant to attain consecutive hat tips in worldwide competitors.

The six mixed targets got here in an 88-minute interval on the Gold Cup, with the primary three approaching Wednesday in opposition to St. Kitts and Nevis in St. Louis, because the U.S. cruised previous T&T 6-0 to win its group on aim distinction after ending stage on factors with Jamaica in Group A.

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“I am comfortable. I am excited,” Ferreira mentioned after the sport. “Clearly, this can be a group goal. I would not be capable to rating targets with out my teammates placing me in conditions the place I can rating targets.

“So, from the start, we knew that this sport was going to be intense. We’ve got to convey the depth, now we have to be the group that may set the tempo and I believe we did that.”

Ferreira additionally grew to become simply the second participant in USMNT historical past with three profession hat tips, becoming a member of the group’s joint all-time main scorer Landon Donovan.

No different participant, no matter nation, has a number of profession Gold Cup hat tips, in response to ESPN Stats & Data analysis.

“Once I see his motion and his confidence within the penalty field, you possibly can inform that the sport has slowed down for him,” U.S. interim coach B.J. Callaghan mentioned. “All the work that he is doing, main our line defensively, dropping down, serving to buildup play, for me he is having a very full match.”

Ferreira gave the U.S. the lead within the 14th minute from a DeJuan Jones help and doubled the lead within the thirty eighth minute earlier than a penalty in stoppage time accomplished the hat trick.

Cade Cowell, Gianluca Busio and Brandon Vazquez all scored second-half targets for the U.S. to complete off the 6-0 victory and the group will now await the outcomes from Group D on Tuesday to see who it can play within the quarterfinals.