A Statement

Cobi Jones said this match was a statement match for the USMNT in their 6-1 victory over Belize. In a way, yes, it was. I kinda thought it was more of a statement for Belize, but hearing Jones saying that the US was saying it was the dominant team in this tournament made sense. This was very much a dominant performance by the US to take their first Gold Cup match.

Instead of Wondolowski, this time three other players scored. Michael Orozco, Stuart Holden--a great goal after his recent knee injury--and Landon Donovan. Donovan looks like he's starting to get back into rhythm after his little missing period. The defense was exceptional. They really recovered after that one goal that I'm sure Belize fans will be looking back at with pride.

Speaking of which, you have to give credit to Belize. They had to hold a fundraiser just to get to the Gold Cup! This truly was a David-and-Goliath match in favor of the US. It's not something American fans are really used to. But I can see, as the FSC commentators mentioned, American fans wearing Belize colors for the rest of the tournament.

Now the US has to watch out for Cuba and Costa Rica. Costa Rica has a strong team and this match won't matter. However, in another sense, it will. Three points are very important. If the US ties or loses to Costa Rica, those three points will be really important. However, I don't see the US losing in the group stage. I do think the US will beat Costa Rica and Cuba.

This game just ratchets up the confidence factor for the US. We'll see what happens in the coming games, but I do think it will be successful for the US.