“Survive and advance,” so the saying goes.

The United States men’s national team did indeed hang on for a slim victory to bring a halt to Curacao’s Cinderella story, and it was every bit as strenuous as the maxim might suggest. Nevertheless, the Yanks find themselves in the Gold Cup semifinals and have yet to concede a goal through four games. 

Next up is a date with Jamaica, who are gunning for their third consecutive final and handed the U.S. one of their two friendly losses heading into the tournament. Kickoff from Nashville’s Nissan Stadium is slated for Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET, and the action will be nationally televised on FS1.

Weston McKennie notched the only goal on a night when Gregg Berhalter’s men lacked sharpness going forward and were both outshot and out-possessed. He will need his side to put in a much stronger performance if they are to advance to the final on Sunday and defend their 2017 title against Mexico, who needed extra time to narrowly edge out Haiti on Tuesday night. While the manager did express his joy at securing the result and limiting Curacao’s scoring chances, he would have liked to see more killer instinct in the final third in the opening stages.

“What I’d say from our group is we had the opportunity early to put a couple goals in and we didn’t do that and we kept them hanging around,” Berhalter stated after the match.

Goalkeeper Zach Steffen and the back line have shined and continue to keep the door shut on opposing attacks. With the exception of the blistering second half against Trinidad and Tobago, the USA’s offensive unit has often underwhelmed in their first string of competitive fixtures under their new tactician. Berhalter is fully aware the next opponent poses the stiffest test to date, and one goal may not be enough.

“Jamaica has quality. They’ve always had quality, especially in their attacking positions,” Berhalter said. “When you talk about Leon Bailey or Dever Orgill, it’s a talented group of players.”

The Reggae Boyz also come into Wednesday’s matchup unbeaten through four games. They survived a valiant comeback effort from Honduras to take their opening match 3-2 and followed it with a pair of draws against El Salvador and Curacao to take top spot in Group C. They were subsequently able to grind out a 1-0 result over Panama in the quarterfinals thanks to a Darren Mattocks penalty with just a quarter of an hour to play.

JAMAICA LEAD! ??

Mattocks takes responsibility from the penalty spot and puts the Reggae Boyz in front. #GoldCup2019 pic.twitter.com/nHYFprt7yJ

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 30, 2019

There are a host of familiar faces on Jamaica’s roster for those who follow the top two tiers of soccer in the United States, as 13 players suit up in either MLS or the USL Championship. FC Cincinnati’s Mattocks leads the frontline, while Dever Orgill powers the midfield and currently leads the team with two goals to his name. Bayer Leverkusen’s Leon Bailey provides a significant threat on right hand side of the field, despite quiet performances in his first international appearances.

Head coach Theodore Whitmore was dealt a devastating blow when center back Damion Lowe received a second caution in as many games for time wasting in the final moments of their win over Panama, resulting in a one-match suspension. The U.S. avoided injuries and suspensions and will likely roll out the same starting XI that has got the job done thus far, with the exception of the Panama game when passage to the knockout round was already in the books. The biggest question remains whether Gyasi Zardes will start for the fourth time or if Jozy Altidore will get the nod, assuming he has returned to full fitness.

The Stars and Stripes hold a 15-3-8 all-time advantage over Jamaica and a 4-0-1 record in Gold Cup play. The final of the 2017 edition featured the same matchup and a late Jordan Morris strike sealed a dramatic victory, while the Reggae Boyz overcame the U.S. in the 2015 semifinals before coming up short against Mexico in the finale.