In their Gold Cup quarterfinal showdown in Baltimore, the United States put on a fireworks display, winning 6-0 against Cuba which was led by a Clint Dempsey hat-trick.

Quick start

Cuba was looking to try and attack early, but a couple of more passes in the final third let them down. The United States made them pay in the opening minutes as Clint Dempsey headed home a cross from Timothy Chandler. That goal made him lone top goalscorer of the tournament moving in front of Oribe Peralta.

It was just ten minutes later that the Stars and Stripes found the net again. This time, Fabian Johnson whipped in a ball off of an indirect free kick as Gyasi Zardes got his right foot to it to make it 2-0 and really dampened Cuba’s hopes of making this a game.

More United States dominance

Cuba finally managed to muster a shot on the half hour mark but Brad Guzan had no problem dealing with it. Just three minutes later, Aron Johannsson received a ball from Michael Bradley. He saw the keeper well outside his box and chipped him for the third of the game. In the 42nd minute, Cuba had their first clear-cut chance through Reyes, but he headed it over the bar.

Just before halftime, the States struck again. Off a Bradley corner, Johannsson knocked the ball towards Omar Gonzalez as the center back finished it off while sliding for his first ever international goal. It was an absolute drubbing of Cuba at halftime… they were 4-0 down.

At halftime, Timothy Chandler came off due to some soreness in his right knee. He was taken out for precautionary reasons because of that knee and was replaced by Brad Evans. Newly brought in squad member Joe Corona, came in for Kyle Beckerman.

Dempsey’s double

After Cuba got a few chances to try and attack, Johannsson was taken down in the box by Horta. Dempsey took the penalty and cooly converted it by finishing up the middle. It was his second brace of the tournament and put him as the second-highest scoring American in Gold Cup history behind former teammate Landon Donovan. It was 5-0 to the United States and that five-goal lead would be joint largest in the United States’ Gold Cup history if it held as they defeated Belize by that margin in 2013 as well as Cuba in 1993.

Dempsey’s Hat-Trick

DeAndre Yedlin came on for Fabian Johnson and his flair and pace really amped up the crowd once again as they were fairly quiet with the game well out of each.

Minutes after Alberto Gomez came on for Felix Guerra for Cuba, a poor touch by a Cuban defender sent the ball right back to Bradley. The United States captain went on a run and passed it across to a slipping Dempsey. He still managed to guide it home for his first ever international hat-trick.

The rest of the game was the United States trying to kill off time. However, more entertainment was on the way with a couple of Olimpico attempts by Bradley just a few minutes before full time.

The game finished 6-0 as we all saw the “real” United States for the first time this tournament. They were out to prove a point against Cuba and did. Next up for them will be Jamaica in the semifinals in Atlanta.