USA Thrash Haiti 6-0 as Pochettino Enjoys Winning Send-Off
Christian Pulisic scores twice as the United States take a commanding lead in their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final first leg in Miami.
USA vs Haiti Christian Pulisic celebrates after scoring twice in the United States’ 6-0 victory.
The United States thrashed Haiti 6-0 on Saturday in the first leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final. The emphatic victory also marked Mauricio Pochettino’s penultimate match as head coach.
Christian Pulisic scored twice, while Auston Trusty, Julian Hall, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun added one goal each. The result gives the Americans a commanding advantage ahead of Tuesday’s second leg in Cincinnati.
The match came amid reports that Pochettino will leave the US national team after agreeing to take charge of Manchester United. However, his expected departure did not affect the team’s performance.
The victory also marked the biggest win of Pochettino’s two-year tenure with the United States.
Trusty Opens the Scoring
The Americans took the lead in the 10th minute through defender Auston Trusty.
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Sebastian Berhalter delivered a free-kick from the right flank. Trusty found space inside the penalty area and finished from close range to put the hosts ahead.
Haiti created opportunities to respond, but goalkeeper Diego Kochen made an important save to preserve the advantage.
Despite further attacking moves, the United States went into half-time with a narrow 1-0 lead.
USA Score Five Goals After the Break
The second half brought a dramatic change in the match. Julian Hall doubled the American lead in the 52nd minute after a swift counter-attack.
Antonee Robinson delivered a low cross following a move involving Christian Pulisic. Hall controlled the ball and calmly finished into the corner.
Pulisic then scored twice in quick succession. He converted a penalty in the 62nd minute after winning a foul inside the box.
Just a minute later, the AC Milan forward collected the ball outside the penalty area and fired a powerful shot into the bottom corner. His second goal made it 4-0.
Weston McKennie added the fifth in the 68th minute. He rose above the Haiti defence to head home Malik Tillman’s corner.
Balogun Completes the Rout
The United States initially thought they had scored a sixth goal when Balogun finished from close range. However, a VAR review ruled it out after officials identified a foul on Carlens Arcus in the build-up.
Balogun eventually got his goal in the 82nd minute. He collected a precise through ball from Malik Tillman and finished from inside the penalty area.
The strike completed a 6-0 victory and gave the United States a six-goal advantage on aggregate.
Second Leg Set for Cincinnati
The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, November 17, in Cincinnati. The winner of the quarter-final series will advance to the CONCACAF Nations League Finals in March 2027.
The dominant performance gives the United States a strong position heading into the return fixture. It also puts Pochettino on course to finish his tenure with a place in the semi-finals.
