A muffed back pass that led to a breakaway three minutes into the match, two goals from defenders, a “purple nurple” and a whole lot of chippy challenges, the US men’s 2-0 Gold Cup quarterfinal victory over El Salvador had its fair share of drama and surprises.
In a game the US were heavily favored, in a tournament they expect to contest the final at the very least, this was no masterclass from by Bruce Arena’s men.
Before the US progresses to take on Costa Rica in the Gold Cup semifinals, let’s take a look at this in a fitting homage to the way it played out.