The U.S. Men’s National Team closed out group play in the Concacaf Nations League with a 4-0 win over Cuba on Tuesday and 4-1 win over Canada last Friday. Team USA finished atop Group A and joined Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica as League A teams qualified for the Final Round, which is set for 2020.
San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Jackson Yueill believes he has earned the trust of head coach Gregg Berhalter and his staff after consecutive 90-minute performances
“It gives a lot of confidence,” Yueill said after Tuesday’s matchup. “The coaching staff and the technical staff are teaching me a lot and giving me a lot of confidence on the field to show my skills and so I think it’s just keep moving up as a group and getting a good depth within the team and keep moving forward.”
Yueill was credited with a secondary assist on Jordan Morris’ goal in the 26th minute after crossing a ball into the top of the box, headed by Weston McKennie towards Morris.
Wins over Canada and Cuba propels the USMNT into the Final Round of Concacaf Nations League, and Yueill says it’s a testament to the team’s improvement.
“We talked about being a unified group and I think we showed that in these last two games. We were all together and we got the results that we needed to get. We knew that we needed to come together, get our mental focus back, play well and win these two games.”
The group-stage match against Cuba marked the final fixture for the USMNT in 2019, but Yueill is optimistic for a favorable result when they face Honduras in a semifinal match next June.
“Bright things,” Yueill said when asked about his expectations for the USMNT. “I think we learned a lot. We have a lot to improve on but we’re definitely taking the right steps forward in reaching our goal.”
Quakes Homegrown defender Nick Lima was also with the U.S. National Team for their two recent matches, but did not feature in either.
