USMNT
Jesús Ferreira on fire for USMNT: what is the Gold Cup scoring record?
The FC Dallas frontman is far ahead of the pack at the 2023 tournament but can he break the record for most Gold Cup goals?
USMNT booked their place in the Gold Cup knock-out stage with a 6-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago. BJ Callaghan’s team were helped on their way by a hat trick from Jesús Ferreira, the tournament’s top scorer.
Ferreira, who plays his club football in MLS for FC Dallas, has not always been a hit with fans of the national team but he has impressed in recent matches. After also bagging three against St. Kitts and Nevis, Ferreira became the first player to record back-to-back hat tricks in the Gold Cup.
“All forwards are going to be judged by the goals that they score, first and foremost,” said Callaghan after the win over FC Dallas. “When I see his movement and his confidence in the penalty box, you can tell that the game has slowed down for him.”
Can Ferreira break the Gold Cup goal scoring record?
The 22-year-old forward has a very impressive six goals from the first three games of the 2023 tournament. If USMNT make it to the final on Sunday 16 July he could have another three games in which to add to his tally.
However Ferreira will need to score five more times in the remaining fixture just to draw level with the 30-year record in the tournament. In 1993 Luís Roberto Alves scored an incredible 11 goals in six games as Mexico stormed to victory.
Of those goals, seven were scored in a group stage thrashing of Martinique.
The opposition for USMNT’s upcoming knock-out tie has not yet been decided but it is extremely unlikely that Ferreira’s rate of scoring will continue as the tournament progresses.
Ferreira boast an impressive scoring record at international level but the majority of his strikes have come against the smaller Caribbean nations who stand little chance against the mite of the US. As it stands 12 of his 14 USMNT goals have come against Caribbean sides, earning the nickname ‘The Pirate of the Caribbean’.
Nevertheless he stands a good chance of finishing this tournament at the top of the scoring charts. No other player at the 2023 Gold Cup has scored more than two goals.