The United States men’s national soccer team made quite the statement to begin their CONCACAF Gold Cup group play on Sunday by dominating Trinidad and Tobago, 5-0, at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. 

All the talk leading into the Gold Cup was about Christian Pulisic, the USMNT star who defended his reasoning for abstaining from playing in the Gold Cup following his year with AC Milan. Former players and fans alike were calling out Pulisic, and it was certainly detracting from the roster set to play on Sunday. 

This team, though, clearly wasn’t listening to the outside noise as they got right down to business against “T&T” to kick off their Group D schedule. 

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It was Malik Tillman, the 23-year-old who plays for the Netherlands’ PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie league, getting the USMNT on the scoreboard with his first career international goal in the 16th minute. 

Jack McGlynn made it happen as he was patient inside T&T’s 18-yard box, slipping past a defender and lifting a cheeky pass to Tillman, who buried it for the opening goal of the tournament. 

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But Tillman wasn’t done in the first half. He started to sprint when Diego Luna took advantage of a poor pass back from a T&T defender, providing support if Luna wanted to pass. That’s exactly what he did when Tillman got separation, and he made it 2-0.

The USMNT wasn’t done in the first half as Patrick Agyemang deflected a shot from Luna just three minutes after Tillman’s second goal. The T&T keeper had no chance as he dove the other direction with the ball crossing the goal line. 

Midfielder Brenden Aaronson and Team USA celebrate after scoring the fourth goal of the game. (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)

With a 3-0 lead after the first half, the USMNT didn’t just go into cruise control. It was Brenden Aaronson in the 82nd minute going to his right foot and keeping his shot low past the T&T keeper to make it 4-0. 

Then Haji Wright joined the scoring party with a perfectly placed shot to the right side of the net just three minutes after Aaronson. 

It was quite the statement for this USMNT group less than one year out from the FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States as well as Canada and Mexico. 

USA forward Malik Tillman (17) celebrates scoring the first goal of the game during the first half. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)

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Their next group stage game will be on June 19 against Saudi Arabia, which took down Haiti, 1-0, on Sunday to win their opening Gold Cup match as well. 

Both the USMNT and Saudi Arabia have three points in the group. 

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