Pepi's early goal proved enough for U.S. to escape with win over Jamaica in first leg of CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals

It wasn't pretty. It never was going to be. Given the field conditions, the location, the stakes, this was always going to be a classic grind-it-out scenario. First legs of quarterfinals always are but, hey, first legs are also about results, right?

The U.S. men's national team got their result they needed on Thursday night in Kingston. An early goal from Ricardo Pepi was ultimately enough to escape with a 1-0 win over Jamaica in a feisty first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals. Barely enough, mind you, but enough.

Pepi's goal came just 5 minutes into the match, allowing the USMNT to breathe just a little bit. Played in by Christian Pulsiic, Pepi made no mistake, offering more evidence to show that he should be starting more for club and country. It was Pepi's 12th goal before the age of 22 for the USMNT, tied with Jozy Altidore and behind only Landon Donovan (15) and Pulisic (14) on the team's all-time list.

"The team showed out, we're here to fight," Pepi said. "We knew it was going to be difficult but at the end of the day, we got the result and now it is time to take care of it at home."

Breathing room or not, the U.S. was never in position to cruise, as Jamaica had their moments.

The biggest came in the first half, in the 14th minute, when the U.S. defense collapsed to concede a poor penalty. USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner was called for the penalty on Shamar Nicholson in the box, but then got instant redemption, stepping up and parrying away Demarai Gray's shot to keep the Reggae Boyz off the board. It was one of just two saves for Turner, who also brushed away an Olimpico in the second half. Both of those saves were huge, to put it lightly.

Those saves protected the USMNT lead, allowing them to head back to St. Louis for leg two on Monday night with a one-goal lead over Jamaica. Heading home with that advantage is huge, and anyone who follows CONCACAF knows just how hard it is to get results like this consistently away from home.

Since dropping a 2-1 friendly in Washington, D.C. in 2019, the USMNT have are now on an eight-game unbeaten streak vs. Jamaica. The  challenged the USMNT deep into the semifinals of the 2023-24 Nations League before a brace from Wright powered the U.S. to the tournament final. The U.S. went on to score another Dos a Cero victory over Mexico for its third-straight title.

For this night, job is done – well, at least the first half of it. The U.S. will need a draw or win on Monday to move on to the semifinals in the spring of 2025. This wasn't pretty but that'll be just fine for USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has his team one step closer to where they need to be.

GOAL rates the USMNT players from the National Stadium.

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Matt Turner (8/10):

Gave away a penalty, then swatted it away. That penalty-kick save was a huge moment for a player who certainly could use one given his lack of minutes on the club level. His second-half save on an Olimpico attempt was very good, too.

Antoene Robinson (7/10):

Did his usual thing on that left-hand side. No massive moment but, in a game like this, there really wasn't one needed.

Tim Ream (6/10):

Struggled with Shamar Nicholson on the penalty sequence. Was largely OK afterwards, but did have a few tough moments against Jamaica's attack.

Mark McKenzie (6/10):

Needed to do much, much better in the seconds leading up to the penalty and had a nervy moment or two after. Settled in more as the game went on, though.

Joe Scally (6/10):

Had the one bad giveaway in the first half that led to, you guessed it – that penalty, showing how much of a combined effort that mess was. Generally did well against Jamaica's wingers, which is never easy.

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Tanner Tessmann (7/10):

Had some tough moments early, but really grew into the game. Completed nearly all of his passes and generally won his duels in midfield. Job well done.

Johnny Cardoso (6/10):

Actually looked good in his 19 minutes. Unfortunately, that was all we saw, as Cardoso had another USMNT chance derailed by injury. It's unfortunate, too, because it seemed like he was on the way to what could have been a statement performance.

Weston McKennie (7/10):

Played much higher up the field than usual and certainly seemed up for it. If anything, there were moments where the game could have opened up if he pushed even further. A good first showing for him under the new coach.

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Christian Pulisic (8/10):

Another game, another goal contribution. He's had plenty lately, but don't let that distract you from how impressive this is. Yes, Pepi did the hard part with the finish, but Pulisic's pass to spring him was great as well.

Ricardo Pepi (8/10):

That's how you take your chance. On one of his first touches and coming in at a tough angle, Pepi was still able to pick out a corner and score the decisive goal A great finish from a striker who, despite not playing as much as he wants, still has that confidence to score.

Yunus Musah (6/10):

Had an absolutely massive block to keep Jamaica off the board in the second half. Didn't quite have an attacking impact as he started in his third different position in three games, but that defensive sequence alone was enough to call this a solid night.

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Malik Tillman (7/10):

Always a tough spot coming in as an early sub. Played a little bit deeper than we're used to seeing, but generally did well with it as he passed well and had a few decent defensive moments.

Gianluca Busio (6/10):

Replaced McKennie, who was on a yellow card. Brought some energy to help wrestle back midfield control from Jamaica.

Brandon Vazquez (6/10):

Came on and immediately won a header from a set piece. Did lots of good dirty work, even if he never quite got a clear-cut chance at goal.

Auston Trusty (N/A):

Thrown in with just a few minutes left to add another defender to the mix.

Alejandro Zendejas (N/A):

A late sub, but definitely brought life. Another good burst of energy, much like in Mexico last month.

Mauricio Pochettino (8/10):

Not easy, but it never was going to be. Changed things up with the starting XI in his first competitive match as USMNT coach and had to ride out some storms but the U.S. leave with a hard-fought road win. Can't ask for much more.