USA vs. Cuba: Score, Grades and Reaction for 2015 Gold Cup

Cuba improbably advanced to the 2015 Gold Cup quarterfinals despite wielding a minus-seven goal differential in group play, but it received a rude awakening Saturday in Baltimore against Clint Dempsey and the United States in the tournament's first knockout stage.    

While U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley told reporters this year's Gold Cup has been "a ridiculous tournament," per Sports Illustrated's Brian Straus, the quarterfinal affair didn't offer much in the way of complications as the United States held true to form and emerged victorious in a 6-0 rout of the Cubans. 

Dempsey scored the first international hat trick of his career, which was punctuated in the 78th minute on a feed from Bradley, via the Gold Cup on Twitter:  

According to ESPN FC, the United States entered Saturday on an eight-game winning streak against Cuba, with a 29-5 scoring advantage in that span. The U.S. has now pushed that margin to 35-5 over the past nine contests as Jurgen Klinsmann's side captured its largest victory in Gold Cup history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.  

The U.S. got the scoring started behind a beautiful header from Dempsey. The striker capitalized on a strong cross in from Timothy Chandler as he elevated over Cuban defender Angel Horta to put the Americans up in the fourth minute. 

The Gold Cup provided a look at the match's opening tally: 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Dempsey has torched opponents with his head throughout the tournament: 

Eleven minutes later, Gyasi Zardes doubled the American lead with a calm finish on a feed from Fabian Johnson after sneaking past Cuba's defense.   

The Gold Cup on Twitter relayed the Los Angeles Galaxy striker's goal:  

Of course, the scoring didn't stop there.

Aron Johannsson kept the goal train rolling when he latched onto a heady pass from Bradley and chipped the ball over Cuban goalkeeper Diosvelis Guerra into the net.

Fox Soccer documented the United States' third goal, which was the fourth of Johannsson's international career:  

The U.S. piled on with a fourth first-half goal, courtesy of Omar Gonzalez. It was the first international goal of the defender's career, and it came off a corner, as the Gold Cup displayed:

With Gonzalez's goal in hand, the U.S. entered halftime ahead 4-0 for the first time since 2000, according to ESPN Stats & Info.   

The second half was much of the same, as the Americans continued to dominate possession and created several chances. Dempsey poured it on in the 64th minute with a goal from the penalty spot after Horta dragged down Johannsson in the box: 

According to U.S. Soccer on Twitter, Dempsey's second goal allowed him to make even more history:

Dempsey then finished off the scoring and his hat trick in the 78th minute with a simple finish off a nice feed from Bradley.

Regardless of the United States' next opponent, Klinsmann's side will continue to operate as heavy favorites to take home a second straight Gold Cup title. 

The team's semifinal showdown against the winner of Haiti vs. Jamaica will take place at 6 p.m. ET Wednesday, July 22 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. 

Selected Player Grades

Clint Dempsey: A+

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Dempsey's fourth-minute header put the United States in control right from the jump. The finish was clinical, and his ability to get past Cuba's deep last line of defense set the tone for an American attack that didn't let up in its pursuit of a blowout.  

With his fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the Gold Cup, Dempsey moved into pole position for the tournament's Golden Boot.

Although Deuce still has 10 goals to go before tying Landon Donovan atop the United States' all-time scoring list, ESPN Stats & Info noted that he's already tied Donovan in one key category: 

Dempsey has now netted multiple goals in half of the United States' 2015 Gold Cup matches, and his hat trick was the first by any U.S. scorer in international play since Jozy Altidore in 2013. 

Michael Bradley: A

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The U.S. controlled 60 percent of the possession Saturday afternoon, and Bradley was a major reason for that.

As he often does, the midfielder distributed the ball with composure, continually paving the way for scoring chances. Bradley's awareness to find Johannsson and Dempsey on their first and third goals, respectively, epitomized what he brought to the table in the blowout win.  

Aron Johannsson: A 

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Another American, another A.

Alongside Dempsey, Johannsson played his best game of the tournament to date. His poise in the final third allowed the U.S. to sustain pressure throughout, and he made a clever header to keep the ball in play on Gonzalez's goal.