US hit St Kitts and Nevis for six in Gold Cup

ST LOUIS (AP):

Jesús Ferreira scored his second international hat-trick, Djordje Mihailovic had two goals, and the 13th-ranked United States overwhelmed No. 139 St Kitts and Nevis 6-0 on Wednesday night in the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Mihailovic, Bryan Reynolds, and Ferreira scored in a 3:50 span to build a 3-0 lead by the 16th minute. The US outshot St Kitts 34-2.

“We know that we had to come out here and gain points, gain goals, and I think the team went out there and took care of business,” Ferreira said.

Ferreira has 11 goals in 20 appearances and became the fastest American to double-digit goals, accomplishing the feat in three games fewer than Clint Mathis. Seven of Ferreira’s goals have been against St Kitts and then-No. 170 Grenada.

Ferreira became the fifth American with multiple hat-tricks behind Landon Donovan with three, and Peter Millar, Jozy Altidore, and Clint Dempsey with two each. Ferreira was the only American starter who played at last year’s World Cup, appearing in the first half of the second-round loss to the Netherlands.

Mihailovic also had two assists for the defending champion Americans, who matched their largest Gold Cup victory margin, also 6-0 against Cuba in 2015 and Trinidad in 2019.

“Tonight was one more step forward for us,” US interim coach B. J. Callaghan said.

St Kitts, who became the US’s 100th international opponents dropped to 0-2 as the US improved to 39 wins, one loss, and five draws in the Gold Cup group stage.

Making his first start since June 2019, Mihailovic put the US ahead in the 12th minute before a crowd of 21,216 with a left-foot shot from the side of the penalty spot after a cut-back pass from Gianluca Busio.

Reynolds, playing on his 22nd birthday, beat Julani Archibald with a 20-yard volley in the 14th after Alejandro Zendejas’ corner kick bounced twice across the penalty area. He became the first American to score an international goal on his birthday since Earnie Stewart against Honduras in 2001.

Ferreira dribbled into the penalty area following a Busio pass, scoring on a 12-yard angled shot in the 16th to give the US three competitive goals in the shortest span in team history. Ferreira then got past an offside trap to score between the goalkeeper’s legs from a Mihailovic feed in the 25th.

Ferreira added his third from short range in the 50th and Mihailovic added his third international goal in the 79th.