USA and Jamaica faced off in the semi-final of the Gold Cup in the Georgia Dome on Wednesday.
The States were looking to reach the final for the sixth time in a row, while Winfried Schafer's men were eyeing the first berth in the title game in the competition.
Jamaica were to make history by securing their place in the final as first-half goals from Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes were enough to guide them to victory, despite Michael Bradley's strike in the second half.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Gold Cup semi-final match between the USA and Jamaica.
The States earned their place in the semi-finals after hammering Cuba in the quarter-finals of the competition with a 6-0 victory. Clint Dempsey notched a hat-trick, while Gyasi Zardes, Aron Johannsson and Omar Gonzalez also got on the scoresheet to fire the host nation into the last four.
The Reggae Boys secured their place in the last four of the tournament as they edged past Haiti in the quarters. Giles Barnes's strike in the sixth minute was enough to put Winfried Schafer's men through to their first semi-final in the history of the competition.
Jurgen Klinsmann's side can earn a place to defend their 2013 title with a victory this evening, while Jamaica will be looking to reach their first Gold Cup final. So we've got an interesting battle on our hands this evening.
The team news has been announced and we'll start with the USA.
USA STARTING XI: Guzan, Evans, Alvarado, Brooks, Johnson, Beckerman, Bradley, Zardes, Dempsey, Bedoya, Johannsson
Subs: Rimando, Yarborough, Beasley, Chandler, Gonzalez, Ream, Yedlin, Zusi, Diskerud, Corona, Wondolowski, Gordon
Subs: Rimando, Yarborough, Beasley, Chandler, Gonzalez, Ream, Yedlin, Zusi, Diskerud, Corona, Wondolowski, Gordon
JAMAICA STARTING XI: Thompson, Mariappa, Morgan, Hector, Lawrence, McCleary, Watson, Austin, McAnuff, Mattocks, Barnes
Subs: Miller, Blake, Phillips, McFarlane, Grant, Humphrey, Laing, Holness, Seaton, Ottey, Clennon, Hawkins
Subs: Miller, Blake, Phillips, McFarlane, Grant, Humphrey, Laing, Holness, Seaton, Ottey, Clennon, Hawkins
Two changes for the USA this evening as John Brooks and Ventura Alvarado come into the side to replace Omar Gonzalez and Timothy Chandler from the 6-0 win over Cuba.
Schafer has also made two changes to his side from their quarter-final win as Joel Grant and Simon Dawkins drop out of the starting lineup and are replaced by Darren Mattocks and Je-Vaughn Watson.
Expect the US to line up with a 4-2-3-1 formation this evening with Johannsson leading the line and Dempsey playing just off the forward. Zardes and Bedoya will provide support from the flanks, while Beckerman and Bradley will sit in front of the back four. Klinsmann has options from the bench as well which could see Yedlin introduced to inject pace from the full-back position at some stage in the match.
Jamaica meanwhile are likely to stick with a 4-4-2 formation with Barnes and Mattocks leading the line up front. McCleary and McAnuff will provide width on the flanks as they look to create problems for the US backline. Michael Hector and Wes Morgan will have to be at their best this evening to fend off the quality attacking options of the States.
The players are out on the pitch and we're about to go through the anthems before kickoff.
Right the anthems are over and both teams are ready for the off.
KICKOFF! We're underway in the Georgia Dome.
The US start the game on the front foot as they quickly press at the Jamaica backline, but the Reggae Boys are able to fend off their first attack of the game as Morgan clears downfield.
Pressure down the right from Jamaica as McCleary forces a foul from Beckerman and wins a free kick. However, the delivery from Watson is poor and the host nation are able to clear their lines with ease.
Bradley searches for the run of Dempsey at the back post with a wonderfully lofted pass into the box, but the ball is just a fraction overhit as the forward cannot bring it under control and it goes out for a goal kick.
Johannsson turns with the ball 30 yards from goal and runs at the Jamaica defence. He has plenty of teammates in support, but his attempted through ball to Dempsey is cut off by Austin.
The ball goes from end-to-end as Mattocks manages to find space in the box, but cannot escape the attention of Alvarado. The forward squares his pass to McCleary on the right, who manages to win a corner for Schafer's side.
CHANCE! The USA fail to clear the ball from the corner and Barnes tees up Watson on the edge of the box, and his strike sails just wide of the target, although Guzan appeared the have the effort covered.
Johannsson is brought down inside the Jamaica half, but the referee waves play on. Dempsey seizes the ball as the Reggae Boys stop for the apparent foul and strikes an effort at goal, only to see his shot sail over the crossbar. The forward could have done better with his effort there considering his good form.
The USA are just struggling to get into their best rhythm as in and around the box their passing has not been quite at its best. Jamaica have done well to press the ball on the final third, but the host nation have also failed to be efficient with their passing.
Finally the US manage to penetrate the Jamaica backline as Zardes plays the ball across the box for the run of Bedoya. The winger tries to feed Johnson on the overlap, who takes it in stride. Bradley, Dempsey and Johannsson make runs on goal, but Lawrence does well to block the cross behind for a corner.
CHANCE! Johannsson finds space inside the box as he manages to evade the challenge of Lawrence, and then tries to slide the ball across the face of goal for Zardes, but Hector makes the intervention.
CHANCE! Zardes collects a loose ball outside the penalty area and drives towards goal. He has options in the middle, but decides to go for goal himself, and sees his strike sail harmlessly wide of the target.
The US are into the gear now as Bradley surges forward through the midfield and although he is dispossessed the ball lands at the feet of Zardes down the right. The LA Galaxy man has time to shoot, but opts to pass instead, looking for Bedoya on the edge of the box, although his ball is cut out by Austin. The miss seconds earlier appeared the weigh on the mind of the forward there.
CHANCE! Jamaica should be ahead as Barnes somehow blazes the ball over the bar from close range. The opportunity came as McCleary fired a low ball across the face of goal and it deflected into the path of the forward, but he lose his composure at the vital moment.
Thompson is put under pressure by Johannsson and it almost leads to a goal for the US, and the keeper's clearance is deflected wide of the post as the forward closed in. A nervy moment for Thompson.
CHANCE! Thompson makes up for his near error as he makes a fine save to deny Johnson as the full-back raids forward from the left and cuts back on to his right foot and curls an effort towards the top corner. However, the keeper sticks out his hand to palm the ball to safety.
GOAL! USA 0-1 Jamaica (Mattocks)
Mattocks fires Schafer's side into the lead by guiding a cross from McAnuff beyond the reach of Guzan into the top corner. The ball clipped the post and looked like it was going to roll across the line, but it eventually trickled over to put Jamaica into the lead.
YELLOW CARD! Beckerman goes into the book for poor challenge on Barnes.
McCleary whips the ball into the box from the free kick on the right, but Morgan cannot guide his header on target and Guzan is able to come through a crowd of players to collect the ball.
Jamaica win a free kick on the edge of the box as Guzan was outside of the box when he threw the ball. Barnes is standing over the ball and could double his side's lead here.
GOAL! USA 0-2 Jamaica (Barnes)
Barnes doubles his side's lead as he curls his free kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Guzan with no chance. The strike from the Houston Dynamo man was powerful and appeared to clip the top of the wall before finding the net, but he won't care too much as Jamaica are in control of this match now.
CHANCE! The US are stunned are almost go three goals behind when Beckerman gives the ball away and Austin pounces on it to drive at goal. He tries to find the top corner with a looping effort over Guzan, but his strike goes just wide of the target.
Jamaica are well on top in this match and look a threat every time they push forward with the ball. The US can't afford to go three goals down before the break while Schafer's side are smelling blood.
The USA are trying to take the pace out of the game by playing the ball across their back four and through the midfield, but are lacking any penetration pushing forward.
CHANCE! Just when you say that Dempsey almost brings his side back into the match as he takes the ball in stride from a flick from Johannsson and bursts into the box. Morgan and Thompson close the forward down as he attempts to shoot, but the keeper makes a fine save and manages to smother the ball.
YELLOW CARD! McCleary clips Johnson as he raids forward down the left and goes into the book.
There will be one minute of added time.
HALF-TIME: USA 0-2 Jamaica
Jamaica are in full control of this match at the break thanks to strikes from Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes. The US have dominated possession, but struggled in the final third to carve out clear-cut opportunities. The Reggae Boys were clinical when they needed to be and capitalised on sloppy play from Klinsmann's men to put them on the brink of reaching their first Gold Cup.
Klinsmann will be furious with his side's defensive display in the first half and will be demanding a response from his team after the break. Gyasi Zardes and Fabian Johnson have performed well on the flanks in the first period, but they will need to increase the level of their productivity in the final third to get their team back into the game.
RESTART! We're back underway in the Georgia Dome.
GOAL! USA 1-2 Jamaica (Bradley)
A perfect start to the half for the USA as Bradley gets them back into the match by capitalising on a mistake by Thompson. Johannsson collected the ball on the edge of the box and fired a tame effort at goal, which the keeper failed to hold, while Morgan and the forward collided in an attempt to get the rebound. The loose ball fell straight to Bradley, who fired the ball into the net.
Johannsson is brought down on the edge of the box and the States now have the chance to level the match through Johnson.
CHANCE! Johnson lifts his effort over the ball and Thompson punches the ball straight into the middle of the box where Johannsson pounces, but he can only head over the bar from point-blank range.
Thomspon looks extremely nervy out there as he comes for the ball from a corner from the right, but he fails to gather. The keeper is only saved by the ball just creeping out of play as Johannsson tried to keep it in on the right.
McCleary collects the ball from Austin and drives forward down the right. The winger has options in the middle, but Johnson does well to get back and force the ball behind for a corner.
OFF THE POST! Thompson gets away with another error as Bradley strikes the ball from distance and the keeper gets nowhere near the ball with his hands as it strikes him on the chest and deflects on to the post before bouncing clear. Schafer may have to sub Thompson here as the keeper looks a liability every time the ball goes near the net.
CHANCE! A long throw into the box causes havoc in the Jamaica box and the loose ball falls to Bradley, but he skews his shot wide of the post. A huge chance for the US skipper.
SUBSTITUTION: Mattocks makes way for Simon Dawkins for Jamaica.
Jamaica work the ball well across the pitch as McCleary drives forward down the right and finds the run of Mariappa at right-back. The defender whips a dangerous cross into the box, but Brooks gets above Barnes to clear the ball.
The US are trying to build themselves into a rhythm after Schafer's men had just began to take the game away from the host nation. Beckerman and Bradley are doing their utmost to build a tempo to get their side back into the match.
CHANCE! Klinsmann men up the pace down the right and the cross from Evans evades the feet of Johannsson, but falls to Zardes on the penalty spot, although he can only guide his strike over the bar.
SUBSTITUTION: A change for the host nation as Diskerud replaces Beckerman in the midfield.
CHANCE! Evans launches a long throw into the box from the right wing and Brooks leaps highest in the area to power a header at goal, but Thompson, for once, manages to get his body behind the effort to make the save.
SUBSTITUTION: Gordon is introduced by Klinsmann to replace Johannsson. The striker is well known for his aerial ability, and it will be interesting to see whether the US alter their tactics as time runs out.
Bradley surges into the box and looks to shoot on his right foot, but Hector comes across to make an inch-perfect tackle to win the ball and quell the attack from the host nation. Excellent defending from the Reading man.
CHANCE! The US do use the long ball to bring Gordon into the game and he knocks the ball into the path of Bradley on the edge of the box. The midfielder takes a touch and then pokes an effort towards goal, which takes a deflection on its way past the post.
SUBSTITUTION: Final change for the US as Bedoya makes way for Tottenham Hotspur's DeAndre Yedlin.
CHANCE! Gordon wins another flick on into the box for Dempsey to chase. The forward hooks an effort towards goal, but Thompson manages to palm the ball behind.
Dawkins raids upfield on his own with just Diskerud to beat to bare down on Guzan, but the midfielder manages to hold him up. McCleary arrvies in support, but he dwells on the ball too long and his attempted pass to Barnes is cleared by Brooks.
Jamaica have been resolute in defence so far as the host nation have tried to up the ante by piling bodies forward. Morgan and Hector have performed well this evening and will have a big final six minute to help their side reach the final.
SUBSTITUTION: Barnes's time on the pitch is over as he is replaced by Humphrey.
Morgan strides up the pitch and takes the ball right into the corner to kill time for Schafer's men. He finds Humphrey, who then decides to cross the ball into the box with no-one there and Guzan is able to gather with ease. Not the smartest decision from the forward.
YELLOW CARD! Yedlin is yellow-carded for a poor challenge on McCleary.
There will be three minutes of added time.
CHANCE! Humphrey and Dawkins exchange passes in the final third of the pitch and the Derby man fires a low effort at goal from a tight angle, but Guzan is able to make the save and quickly clear the ball downfield.
Heroic defending from Hector as he puts his head on the line to clear the ball as Gordon tried to poke it through the Jamaica backline. Schafer's men can now take further time off the clock with the resulting free kick.
SUBSTITUTION: Grant comes on for the final seconds to replace McCleary.
FULL-TIME: USA 1-2 Jamaica
Jamaica are through to the Gold Cup final as they dump the host nation out of the competition. Goals from Giles Barnes and Darren Mattocks are enough to secure the victory, despite Michael Bradley's strike early in the second half. Schafer's men were resilient and have now sealed their place in the final of the competition for the first time in their history.
The USA will not compete in the final of the Gold Cup for the first time since 2003 as they were unable to produce enough quality in the final third this evening. Klinsmann's men were also susceptible defensively, leading to the two goals from the Reggae Boys and will have little complaints over their exit from the tournament.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. Be sure to stick with Sports Mole for our coverage of the second semi-final coming up shortly.
