There’s something to be said for just pummeling the teams you should pummel—for having the discipline to avoid deviation or distraction. It takes some measure of maturity to be relentless, ruthless and professional, even if the opponent and occasion don’t demand it.
By the fourth minute of Friday night’s 7-1 rout of Grenada, it was clear that the U.S. men's national team had carried those qualities onto the flight to this tiny Caribbean nation of around 125,000 people. Christian Pulisic immediately seized control on the left, whipped in a perfect cross for Ricardo Pepi, and the tone had been set. The Americans were ahead by three after only 32 minutes. Even when Grenada scored shortly thereafter, the U.S. answered within seconds.
The setting for this Concacaf Nations League group stage game seemed almost too relaxing. The 8,000-seat Kirani James Stadium is nestled along the water on the southwest coast of the country and encircled by lush hills. This was far from Concacaf at its most intimidating. Grenada’s Spice Boys are ranked 173rd in the world (the U.S. is 13th). Their squad features players from the domestic semi-pro league, as well as imports from the lower reaches in England (one starter, Kayden Harrack, is a 19-year-old academy player at Queens Park Rangers) and a couple from the USL Championship’s Charleston Battery.
