With a loss to Jamaica in the rearview mirror, the U.S. were hoping to right the ship in a friendly match against Venezuela before the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup.
However, the game brought more questions than answers as the U.S. were thoroughly beaten and in a 3-0 shutout loss to Venezuela.
Venezuela took the lead early in the match, scoring in the 16th minute via the foot of Salomón Rondón for the 1-0 advantage. Venezuela made the score 2-0 at the half hour mark, when Rondón found Real Salt Lake’s Jefferson Savarino in the box. His initial shot hit the left post, but he collected his own rebound for the second goal. Rondón added his second goal of the match in the 36th minute, giving Venezuela the 3-0 advantage, becoming the country’s all-time leading goalscorer in the process with his 24th international goal.
Portugal Claims UEFA Nations League Title, Defeats Netherlands 1-0
The win gives much needed momentum to the Venezuelan side as they look forward to 2019 Copa America, beginning with a matchup against Peru on June 15.
The U.S., now riding a two-game skid will begin their Gold Cup schedule against Guyana on June 18 in Minnesota. This will be the first competitive match for the U.S. since they failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Gold Cup preview
As previously mentioned, the U.S. will face Guyana to open up Group D play next Tuesday. Despite the disappointing form leading up to the Concacaf Gold Cup, the U.S. are still heavy favorites to top the group.
After facing 175th ranked Guayana, the U.S. will take on Trinidad and Tobago, the team that defeated the U.S. and knocked them out of the World Cup. A win over Trinidad wouldn’t wash away the sour taste of the World Cup qualifying defeat, but it might alleviate some of the pain of that loss. The U.S. will finish group play with a matchup against Panama, the final team from Concacaf that qualified for the 2018 World Cup
USMNT Gold Cup schedule
Vs. Guyana June 18, 8 p.m. MT FS1
Vs. Trinidad June 22, 6 p.m. MT FS1
Vs. Panama June 26, 7 p.m. MT FS1
