The USMNT faced off against Gold Cup guests Qatar for their semi-final match in the tournament. The match was a bit dicey against an unfamiliar opponent, but
Challenger Approaching
For most soccer fans in CONCACAF nations, Qatar was something of an unknown coming into this tournament. That was especially true for me heading into this semi-final as I hadn’t been able to catch Qatar’s earlier Gold Cup matches. As it turned out, Qatar proved to be the kind of team that sat back and attacked on the counter. While their tactics fit right into CONCACAF, they didn't quite feel like the CONCACAF archetype.