NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- For the better part of a month, Weston McKennie has been riding the ups and downs of getting familiar with a new position, new teammates, a (mostly) new manager and a new system. There have been uneven performances, like in the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Curacao when, despite scoring the game's only goal, McKennie was loose with too many passes and looked out of sync defensively with midfield partner Michael Bradley.
But Wednesday's 3-1 semifinal triumph over Jamaica saw McKennie back on a decidedly upward trajectory. The Schalke midfielder opened the scoring in the ninth minute, making the kind of late run -- in this case to latch on to Reggie Cannon's cross -- that has become one of his signature plays.