Group D action at the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup gets underway on Sunday, as the USA welcome Trinidad and Tobago to PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

The Yanks are coming into this tournament off a 4-0 friendly defeat versus Switzerland, while the Soca Warriors lost 2-1 to Costa Rica in a World Cup 2026 qualifier on Tuesday.

Match preview

It has been a humbling 2025 campaign to say the least for the United States, one of the most dominant sides in the CONCACAF region.

Earlier this year, the Americans saw their three-time reign as CONCACAF Nations League winners end, failing to medal in the most recent edition of that competition.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men are on a four-match losing run across all competitions heading into this tournament, failing to register a single effort on target in the defeat to the Swiss.

Nonetheless, they will be the heavy favourites to finish top of Group D, going unbeaten in their last 19 Gold Cup group fixtures dating back to 2013.

Meanwhile, they have won their last three competitive fixtures versus Caribbean opposition by a combined margin of 8-3, with all of those triumphs being against Jamaica.

For a long time, the US have dominated Trinidad on American soil, winning their previous 15 matches against them as the home team, without a single goal conceded versus TNT in the United States this century.

Making their fourth straight appearance in the Gold Cup, Trinidad and Tobago are hoping to get out of the group stage for the first time since 2015.

Under the guidance of Dwight Yorke, this team have lost three of their last four games heading into this competition, conceding a combined 11 goals over that span.

Trinidad are unbeaten in their last two opening Gold Cup group fixtures, without a single goal conceded on matchday one of the 2021 and 2023 tournaments respectively.

Netting first has been critical to their success in this competition, as they have not lost a group match when doing so since June 2007 (2-1 versus El Salvador).

It has been over a half-century since the Soca Warriors last beat a side from North America in the Gold Cup, blanking Mexico 4-0 in 1973.

Their last win over the US took place in the 2023 Nations League (2-1) though their best result against them on American soil was a 1-1 draw in a May 1989 World Cup qualifier.

USA form (all competitions):

Trinidad and Tobago form (all competitions):

Team News

On the US side, Sergino Dest will not play in this tournament as he recovers from an ACL injury, Christian Pulisic is taking time off after a long club season, Patrick Schulte has an oblique issue and Zack Steffen has a knee injury.

Because the Club World Cup is happening at the same time as the Gold Cup, Giovanni Reyna, Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie will not feature for the Yanks, while Joshua Sargent was not included in the squad.

Sebastian Berhalter collected his first senior cap in the defeat to Switzerland, while Paxten Aaronson and Brenden Aaronson became the first brothers to start a match for the men’s team since Ken and Steve Snow in 1988.

In their defeat to Costa Rica, Josiah Trimmingham sustained a knee injury for Trinidad, and will not be available on Sunday, with Yorke calling up Justin Garcia in his place.

Defender Joevin Jones is three appearances away from the century mark and can surpass Carlos Edwards for fifth in all-time this weekend with the senior squad, while Alvin Jones is eligible to play despite being sent off in their World Cup qualifier earlier this week.

Levi Garcia scored to give the Soca Warriors a little hope in that encounter two minutes before the hour mark, his 10th for the national team.

USA possible starting lineup:

Freese; Harriel, M. Robinson, McKenzie, Arfsten; De la Torre, Adams; Sullivan, P. Aaronson, Wright; Agyemang

Trinidad and Tobago possible starting lineup:

Phillip; Cardines, Raymond, A. Jones, Bateau, Spicer; Sealy, Molino, Phillips, Fortune; L. Garcia

We say: USA 3-0 Trinidad and Tobago

It has been an embarrassing few months for the American team, but they always seem to shine at this tournament, and they have had their way with the Soca Warriors at home, winning the last four meetings against them in the US by a combined margin of 22-0.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Joel Lefevre

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