Thanks to this absolute laser by Jozy Altidore, the US beat Guadeloupe to advance to the knockout round of the 2011 Gold Cup. Despite this victory, the US finished second in their group and drew Jamaica in the quarterfinals. On current form, this could be an extremely tough game for the Yanks. The Reggae Boyz have been one of the most impressive sides in the tournament, while the Yanks have underperformed.
Despite the uninspired performance of the USMNT, ESPN's Five Aside Blog had this to say about the upcoming match:
The United States failed to win its group for the first time in Gold Cup history. As Group C runner-up, the United States faces Group B winner Jamaica, the only team other than Mexico to win all of its group games. USA has reached the semis in nine of the 10 previous tournaments, while Jamaica hasn't reached the semifinals since 1998. Despite tournament form, SPI rates USA an 83.9 percent favorite to advance and extend its unbeaten (9-0-8) record against the Reggae Boyz. Jamaica has lost all four of its Gold Cup elimination games.1
Clearly, the SPI algorithm thinks the US will be able to overcome its malaise and put in the kind of performance American fans expect.
