Gold Cup 2015: Semi-Final Schedule and Preview for United States vs. Jamaica

The United States will have to overcome Jamaica in Wednesday's Gold Cup semi-final if they hope to successfully retain their crown in what promises to be their biggest challenge of the competition so far.

Panama and Mexico will meet in the other final-four clash to decide who will take the other spot in Sunday's final, but the Stars and Stripes will only be concerned with the immediate threat coming their way.

Jurgen Klinsmann's men are on the cusp of a record-tying sixth Gold Cup title, but Jamaica descend upon Atlanta's Georgia Dome motivated to record an upset of huge proportions.

Read on for a Wednesday's semi-final schedule and preview of the United States' meeting with the Reggae Boyz.

Time	Fixture	TV Info	Live Stream
11 p.m. BST/6 p.m. ET	United States vs. Jamaica	BT Sport 1 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (US)	BT Sport stream (UK), Fox Soccer 2GO (US)
2 a.m. BST (Thurs., July 23)/9 p.m. ET	Panama vs. Mexico	BT Sport 1 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (US)	BT Sport stream (UK), Fox Soccer 2GO (US)

Stars and Stripes Soaring

The United States were handed a favourable quarter-final opponent in Cuba last time out, promptly dismantling the Gold Cup minnows 6-0 after scoring just four goals in their group-stage appearances.

That result included a hat-trick from former team captain Clint Dempsey, who now stands as the competition's clear-cut top scorer with six goals.

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated has determined that having the armband taken away from him has actually helped in bringing the best out of Dempsey, who's permitted to go about his attacking work freed of pressure:

One would be alright to rule the Cubans as an easy target, and by no means does the 6-0 triumph indicate the United States have sealed their spot in the final, as Jamaica will be a much more stubborn opponent.

That being said, nothing boosts morale quite like a rout. Former United States international Santino Quaranta told Bleacher Report Radio he believes Dempsey will continue to play a key role for Klinsmann's side due in large part to that motivation:

The U.S. men's national soccer team looked to be lacking in ingenuity and sparkle during the group stage, but perhaps their quarter-final fanfare can help inspire more heroics in the fixture(s) to come.

Jamaica Chasing Gold Cup History

Nick Wass/Associated Press

To this date, Jamaica's best performance at a Gold Cup remains their third-place finish of 1993, an achievement more than two decades old and in desperate need of surpassing.

Victory on Wednesday would see the Reggae Boyz best that accolade and make it to their first Gold Cup final, and Darren Lovell of MLSSoccer.com attests to the team never seeking the easiest route:

It's admirable talk from one of the Caribbean outfits looking to make their mark on a competition that the United States and Mexico have dominated since 2000.

Giles Barnes scored in the sixth minute to give Winfried Schafer's side a 1-0 win over Haiti in their quarter-final matchup, but ESPN Stats and Info asserts the Reggae Boyz as still being tournament outsiders:

Jamaica have managed to keep clean sheets in each of their last three consecutive Gold Cup outings, but they've also failed to score more than a single goal in each of those games.

If they're to break down American walls on Wednesday, Schafer's men will need to play what they'll consider the perfect match, keeping Klinsmann's rising weapons at bay and mustering a charge on the counter.