Five Pre-Gold Cup Takeaways from the USMNT

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty ImagesWednesday night was busy for the United States Men’s National Team. The Stars & Stripes played their first of two tune-up games ahead of the start of the Gold Cup, and the last friendly before the roster was finalized to 23 men. What follows will be some of my thoughts on both the deeply frustrating 1-0 loss to Jamaica, and the 23-man final roster.

The Red, White & Blue started the game brightly, managing to release players down the wings who subsequently were able to put balls into the box. Paul Arriola and Cristian Roldan both got to the byline early and delivered dangerous crosses that ended up being the Yanks’ best chances for most of the game. Even…