Final, 6-0 United States: It’s all over at M&T Bank Stadium. Team USA celebrates the most emphatic of wins and is on its way to the semifinals.
The U.S. took this game by the scruff early and never let go, dominating Cuba for 90 minutes and delivering a thorough beat-down. Dempsey’s hat-trick and Johannsson’s stunner will make the headlines, but the margin of victory is down to Team USA’s complete performance and Cuba’s utter capitulation.
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Postgame analysis of Dempsey’s golden day >>
90th minute, 6-0 United States: There will be a minimum of two minutes of stoppage time in the second half.
84th minute, 6-0 United States: The U.S. and Cuba have been involved in more than a few historic occasions in 2015.
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83rd minute, 6-0 United States: Dempsey goes down inside Cuba’s penalty area, but the referee waves away his appeal for a penalty kick.
78th minute, 6-0 United States: Bradley surges forward and slides a pass to Dempsey, who finishes with a sliding, outside-of-the-foot shot.
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Dempsey has completed his hat trick and now has scored six goals in the Gold Cup.
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76th minute, 5-0 United States: Gonzalez shoots over the crossbar after receiving Bradley’s short corner kick.
75th minute, 5-0 United States: Cuba makes its final substitution, as Guerra replaces Gomez.
75th minute, 5-0 United States: Yedlin’s speed is causing Cuba problems, as a defender blocks his attempted cross out for a corner kick.
70th minute, 5-0 United States: Yasmany Lopez replaces Daniel Luis in Cuba’s second substitution.
67th minute, 5-0 United States: Yedlin replaces Johnson in Team USA’s third, and final, substitution.
64th minute, 5-0 United States: Dempsey makes it a high-five for Team USA by chipping his penalty kick over the goalkeeper.
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Dempsey now has scored five goals in four games at the 2015 Gold Cup.
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64th minute, 4-0 United States: Horta fouls Johannsson inside Cuba’s penalty area, and the referee awards Team USA a penalty kick. The referee cautions Horta for the foul on Johannsson, who had found space to reach Evans’ cross into the box.
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60th minute, 4-0 United States: The referee cautions Napoles for a late challenge on Corona.
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58th minute, 4-0 Unites States: Zardes finds Bradley with a pass inside the penalty area. Bradley shoots powerfully to the near post, but the goalkeeper bats it out for a corner kick.
57th minute, 4-0 United States: Perez exits and Armando Coroneaux enters in Cuba’s first substitution.
53rd minute, 4-0 United States: Dempsey heads Bradley’s corner kick on goal, but the goalkeeper saves it.
49th minute, 4-0 United States: Bradley shoots a free kick over the crossbar from 25 yards out.
46th minute, United States: The second half is underway.
Klinsmann made two substitutions at halftime. Joe Corona replaces Beckerman in the midfield. Brad Evans replaces Chandler at right back.
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Halftime, 4-0 United States: That’s the end of the first half. Team USA has this one under control.
Dempsey, Zardes, Johannsson and Gonzalez gave the United States the kind of first half it hasn’t experienced in a long time.
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Team USA was composed, confident and clinical throughout and it deserves the lead it currently enjoys. Cuba is overmatched, and the U.S. is cruising to the semifinals.
A single tweet tells the story of the first half.
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45th minute, 4-0 United States: There will be a minimum of two minutes of stoppage time in the first half.
45th minute, 4-0 United States: Gonzalez slides in a fourth for Team USA.
Johannsson set the table for Gonzalez with a headed pass from the by-line. Gonzalez reacted and shot first to give the United States an emphatic lead.
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43rd minute, 3-0 United States: Zardes nearly makes it four for Team USA, but his Johannsson-esque chip-shot misses the target.
39th minute, 3-0 United States: Gomez shoots tamely on goal in Cuba’s first shot on goal.
35th minute, 3-0 United States: The Americans want a penalty kick after Johannsson goes down in Cuba’s penalty area, but the referee deems the Cuban defender’s challenge to be a good one.
33rd minute, 3-0 United States: The game breaks temporarily for a CONCACAF-mandated water break. Team USA is in cruise control.
32nd minute, 3-0 United States: Johannsson scores a fine, chipped goal.
Bradley played a perfect, 50- or 60-yard pass forward to Johannsson, who controlled it, created space near Cuba’s penalty area and chipped his shot over the badly positioned goalkeeper.
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30th minute, 2-0 United States: Cuba’s under more pressure, as the U.S. counter-attacks through Dempsey. The American goal scorer tries to beat his man on the dribble and shoot, but his effort’s blocked, and subsequent shots meet the same fate before Cuba clears.
29th minute, 2-0 United States: Corrales rolls a shot wide of Guzan’s goal in Cuba’s first shot of the game.
24th minute, 2-0 United States: Team USA has all the possession and is sharing the ball among its 10 players, but Cuba has maintained its shape and made it difficult for Team USA open up its defense. Team USA must increase the tempo of its passing, which is difficult to do in temperatures approaching 95 degrees (35 degrees Celsius).
17th minute, 2-0 United States: Zardes slides a pass into Cuba’s goal-mouth, but the goalkeeper intercepts it before Johannsson can arrive. The United States is hunting for more goals and a blowout.
15th minute, 2-0 United States: Zardes doubles Team USA’s lead.
Johnson lofted a cross into Cuba’s penalty area, and Zardes ran onto it and volleyed it home.
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11th minute, 1-0 United States: Team USA has seized control of this game, following Dempsey’s goal. The hosts are dominating possession and probing their way into Cuba’s half, albeit to no more avail.
Sixth minute, 1-0 United States: Team USA started its first three games of the tournament slowly, but Dempsey’s strike give the Americans the opening they’ve been looking for this summer.
Fourth minute, 1-0 United States: But Dempsey makes it a dream start for Team USA by heading home Chandler’s cross. Chandler shows he’s genuinely two-footed with a fine delivery into Cuba’s penalty area.
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It’s Dempsey’s fourth goal of the tournament.
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Third minute, 0-0: The teams have shared possession and territory without creating any meaningful opportunities in the opening minutes of the game.
Kickoff: USA-Cuba is underway at M&T Bank Stadium.
Pregame: Gonzalez starts next to Alvarado at the heart of Team USA’s defense. USA-Cuba represents a homecoming, of sorts, for the former University of Maryland star.
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Chandler and Johnson man the fullback positions. They’ll be expected to do plenty of attacking against Cuba.
The game’s a real homecoming for Beckerman, who grew up near Baltimore.
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Beckerman will shield the defense and cover for Bradley in the midfield as one of few players not making forward runs whenever possible.
Klinsmann selects Johannson to lead the forward line ahead of Chris Wondolowski, who started against Panama.
4:30 p.m.: Here are the lineups:
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1:30 p.m. ET: The United States men’s national soccer team has entered its moment of truth, and there’s no room for excuses — not that the U.S. is interested in making any.
Team USA faces Cuba on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., looking to advance to the semifinals of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The U.S. is heavily favored against its Caribbean neighbor to the south, but this year’s tournament has produced unexpected results.
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The United States won Group A after beating Honduras and Haiti and drawing Panama in its first three games. Only captain and midfield general Michael Bradley and  goalkeeper Brad Guzan played all 270 minutes in the group stage.
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Only reserve goalkeepers Nick Rimando and William Yarbrough haven’t played so far. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will be able to select 18 players for his gameday squad from his fine-tuned roster.
The biggest question for Klinsmann will be who starts at center back alongside Ventura Alvarado. John Brooks is suspended for the Cuba game, and either Omar Gonzalez or Tim Ream is expected to start in his absence. Klinsmann also must discover an attacking formula that yields a productive outing from a striker, as withdrawn forward Clint Dempsey largely has shouldered the goal-scoring burden for Team USA so far in the tournament.
Cuba unexpectedly withstood the apparent defections of four players and survived the group stage. Cuba is playing in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive Gold Cup, looking to upset the odds and reverse historical trends. Cuba’s last win over the United States came back in 1947 and it has lost all four previous Gold Cup games against the CONCACAF giant, having been outscored 19-2.
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USA-Cuba kicks off at 5 p.m. ET. Join us right here for all the action from M&T Bank Stadium.
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Thumbnail photo via John Rieger/USA TODAY Sports Images
