U.S. takes big step toward qualifying for Rio Olympics with 6-1 rout of Cuba

Just two games into their Olympic qualifying tournament for next summer's games in Rio de Janeiro, the United States under-23 men's national team has already reached farther than it did the last time around. Because after a 6-1 victory over Cuba on Saturday, following up on Thursday's 3-1 defeat of Canada, the Americans are already assured of a place in the semifinals – which will send two of four teams to Brazil – with a group game to spare.

For the Americans, the CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship, so grandly called, has been as simple this time around as it was fraught and frustrating back in 2012. Back then, the USA beat Cuba in the group stage as well but lost to Canada and allowed El Salvador to equalize in the 94th minute, meaning it never even reached the make-or-break semis.

But on Saturday, Cuba – poor Cuba – was simply unequipped to compete with their geopolitical rivals. As usual, there had been defections before the tournament had even begun. By the time this game kicked off, a fifth member of the 20-man squad had run off, meaning the Cubans had just 15 players left – and a mere 13 field players at that.

But U.S. head coach Andi Herzog gave them no quarter, fielding something very close to his strongest lineup. And so the Americans were in total command, save for a lone foray by Maykel Reyes that provoked a nice save from goalkeeper Zack Steffen.

The U.S. ran the game at a plodding, deliberate pace, taking less interest in the style points than the ones in the standings. With three of these games in just six days, Herzog and his charges probably understood that this wasn't the one to go all out in – especially not against perhaps the weakest team of the tournament. So they diligently controlled the game, without setting out to make any sort of larger point about their abilities or ambitions.

And lo, the goals came anyway, confirming that further effort would have indeed been futile. In the 16th minute, the excellent Luis Gil dropped a pinpoint free kick onto the head of the 17-year-old Cameron Carter-Vickers – the youngest member of the team – who knew just what to do with such a chance and scored.

Then, in the 36th, Matt Polster's sharp cross found Matt Miazga, who also scored with a well-placed header.

And just before halftime, Gil played Jordan Morris through the back line with a slide-rule pass. The team's lone collegian, representing Stanford, unselfishly laid the ball off for Jerome Kiesewetter, who had come along on the advance and now had but to slide to the ball into the empty net.

Just after the break, Morris's strong hold-up play in Cuba's box enabled Marc Pelosi to set Kiesewetter up for another simple score, capping a nicely worked move.

In the 69th minute, Gil provided for yet another teammate, as he set Emerson Hyndman on a path to pelt home the fifth.

Finally, in the 76th minute, Alonso Hernandez registered the Americans' sixth from just inside the box.

Cuba saved what remained of its honor deep in extra time, when Daniel Luis Saez struck a splendid shot from deep.

So, with two wins gained before puny crowds in Kansas City – they may well have just been the players' girlfriends and families – the U.S. travels to Denver for its final contest with Panama. This game is now about placement in the final group stage standings. Because the Americans will want to avoid meeting defending Olympic champion Mexico in the semifinals.

If both teams win their groups, as they should, they will avoid each other until a potential final and both likely qualify. All the U.S. needs to do to clinch Group A is to tie Panama. Unless second-placed Canada – on three points to the USA's six – fails to beat Cuba, in which case the Americans win the group regardless of what they do. If Canada wins and the U.S. loses, the Canadians still have to make up the goal difference (currently seven) – the first tie-breaker, ahead of goals scored and the head-to-head result – to leapfrog their neighbors to the south.

But it looks for all the world that it will take just one more win, in the semifinal, for the USA to reach the Olympics.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.