Pepi scores as USA edge Jamaica in first leg of Concacaf Nations League quarter-final

Ricardo Pepi scored in the fifth minute and Matt Turner took the lead with a penalty to help the U.S. men’s national team beat Jamaica 1-0 in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals in Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday.

The second game of the series is scheduled for Monday in St. Louis. The winner will advance to the 2025 Nations League Finals, held March 20-23 in Inglewood, California, and earn a spot in the Concacaf Gold Cup from June 14 to July 6.

The US won the first Nations League in 2021 and subsequent ones in 2023 and 2024.

Pepi scored his twelfth goal in 32 international matches on a pass from Christian Pulisic, despite the poor pitch with loose pieces of grass.

Pulisic attracted the attention of two defenders and delivered a through ball to Pepi who entered the right side of the penalty area. He managed to keep the ball under control through the dribble and shot via the left post.

Antonee Robinson almost doubled the lead in the seventh minute, but Andre Blake, who has played 245 games for the Philadelphia Union in the MLS, made the save.

Jamaica got a break in the 12th minute when Joe Scally committed a turnover and Shamar worked Nicholson into the penalty area where Turner tripped him as he reached for the ball.

Turner made up for it when he reached to his right to hit Demarai Gray with a two-handed punch during his penalty attempt.

Jamaica controlled much of the second half but lost a player in the 86th minute when Mason Holgate received his second yellow card.

The Jamaicans led 12-6 in shot attempts but had just two on target, while the US had three to extend their unbeaten streak in the series to 6-0-2 since June 2019.

This was the first competitive match for US coach Mauricio Pochettino after a pair of friendlies in early October resulted in a 2-0 win against Panama and a 2-0 defeat against Mexico.