Matthew Hoppe rose up, got his head on a deflected cross and, by the time his feet hit the ground, the United States had a 1-0 lead against Jamaica in the Gold Cup quarterfinals. The decisive 83rd-minute goal was Hoppe's final involvement in the game, capping his first breakthrough international performance.
At this time last year, Hoppe was a player few outside of the most ardent supporters of the USMNT were aware of. And now, he looks like a player, at 20 years old, who is poised for minutes at World Cup qualifying.