Jesus Ferreira’s Hat Trick leads USMNT to 6-0 victory over St. Kitts and Nevis

American fans wanted to see a dominant performance from the USMNT, and it was delivered.

In the second game of group play, the USMNT scored a barrage of goals to knock off St. Kitt and Nevis 6-0, their largest margin of victory in the Gold Cup.

Interim coach, B.J. Callaghan, made significant changes to the starting lineup from last weekend’s opener. Seven new players were introduced, including Sean Johnson as the goalkeeper, Reynolds as the right back, Jalen Neal as the central defender, and DeJuan Jones as the left back.

Gianluca Busio and Djordje Mihailovic were added to the midfield, and Cale Cowell was brought in as a forward. The remaining players that kept their spots from the previous game were defender Matt Miazga and midfielder James Sands, along with Jesus Ferreira and Alex Zendejas in the front.

The American team was heavy favorites against the tiny Caribbean team making their debut in the Gold Cup. They quickly took control of the game, with Mihailovic scoring his first international goal since 2019 in the 12th minute.

Bryan Reynolds and Ferreira scored within four minutes to make the lead 3-0.

Ferreira scored his second goal that helped the U.S. team take a strong 4-0 lead at halftime. He then completed his hat trick with a smooth finish in the 50th minute. Brandon Vazquez later substituted Ferreira.

Ferreira has scored 11 goals in 20 games, making him the fastest American player to reach double-digit goals. He achieved this feat in just three games less than Clint Mathis.

The 22-year-old forward joins Clint Dempsey as the second player in USMNT history with multiple three-plus-goal games in competitive matches, previously scoring four goals against Grenada in his last outing. He’s the fifth USMNT player to have two or more career hat tricks, joining Landon Donovan (3), Jozy Altidore (2), Peter Millar (2), and Dempsey (2).

The U.S. now shares the top spot of Group A with Jamaica, however, the U.S. has the advantage of a three-goal differential. Jamaica beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 in the match before.

The U.S. will conclude group play on Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago in Charlotte, North Carolina.