Sports digest: United States beats Cuba in men's soccer

Everything went splendidly for the United States in its Olympic qualifying match against Cuba on Saturday until the final minutes, when Marc Pelosi went down in a collision and clutched his shin.

For a moment, coach Andi Herzog feared the talented midfielder had broken his leg again.

It turned out the budding Earthquakes star merely sustained a deep gash, one that should not keep him out too long. Good thing for the Americans, whose 6-1 victory over Cuba in Kansas City, Kansas, guaranteed them a spot in the CONCACAF semifinals.

Pelosi, who missed more than a year after breaking his leg in 2013, said: "I was really worried something happened again. It hurts, but it's not bad."

The Americans play their final group stage match against Panama, which lost 3-1 to Canada, on Tuesday night in Colorado. Cuba faces Canada in the other doubleheader match.

The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals, and the two finalists qualify for the 2016 Rio Games. The winner of the third-place match faces Colombia in a one-game playoff for another berth.