USMNT advances in Concacaf Gold Cup after 6-1 rout of Martinique

KANSAS CITY, Kansas – The U.S. Men’s National Team secured a spot in the knockout stage of the Concacaf Gold Cup with an emphatic 6-1 victory against Martinique on Thursday night at Children’s Mercy Park. Daryl Dike led the charge with two goals, while Miles Robinson, Gyasi Zardes and Nicholas Gioacchini each added one.

The match featured five players making their first career starts, and two making their international debuts. After making their USMNT debut off the bench on Sunday night against Haiti, Gianluca Busio, James Sands and Eryk Williamson each earned their first starts. George Bello, who debuted in January, also made his first start, as did newcomer Matthew Hoppe, who played his match for the U.S. at any level. Donovan Pines then became the 47th different player to make his MNT debut under Gregg Berhalter when he entered in the second half.

Berhalter made seven changes from the starting XI that started in the opening night win over Haiti, and the group wasted little time imposing themselves as the USA dominated the match from the opening whistle.

Dike opened the scoring on a header in the 14^th minute and was involved in the second goal eight minutes later when another header went off Samuel Camille and was registered as an own goal. Shaq Moore and Cristian Roldan also joined the attack often, causing goalkeeper Meslien Gilles to make two solid saves.

The USA kept its foot down and added four more in the second half. Dike earned his second of the night with a beautiful chip, and Zardes and Gioacchini added one apiece after coming in off the bench.

USA goalkeeper Matt Turner was well positioned to handle a couple of hard shots but had no chance on Martinique’s penalty kick which prevented the clean sheet.

The USA and Canada have each won their first two Group B games and have both clinched a spot in the Quarterfinals. The two will meet Sunday in the Group finale in front of a sold-out crowd in this same stadium (5 p.m. ET, FOX, Univision, TUDN). Canada has one-goal edge in goals scored heading into the match, meaning the USA will need a victory to finish atop the group.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
USA – DARYL DIKE (MATTHEW HOPPE), 14^th minute: After a long spell of possession among the backline near midfield, Eryk Williamson sent a long diagonal ball to the far-left corner. George Bello caught up to the ball and played it back to Matthew Hoppe, who sent a beautiful cross to the back post that Dike headed in from eight yards out off the inside of the right post to put the USA ahead. USA 1, MTQ 0

USA – SAMUEL CAMILLE (OWN GOAL), 23^rd minute: Cristian Roldan lifted a dangerous ball into the area that Hoppe could not settle. The ball fell to a defender who attempted to clear, but the pressing George Bello blocked, and Hoppe back-heeled to the top of the box. Busio smashed a shot on the fly that the ‘keeper tipped off the crossbar, and the rebound bounced up where Dike again headed it towards goal. With the header possibly going wide, Samuel Camille looked to make sure but it hit his heel and knocked it over the line for an own goal. USA 2, MTQ 0

USA – MILES ROBINSON (ERYK WILLIAMSON), 50^th minute: Busio sent a corner from the left side over the mix in the center. Williamson recovered it quickly, turned and put the ball back across to the far post, finding a wide-open Robinson who scored the USA’s third header on the night from six yards out. USA 3, MTQ 0

USA – DARYL DIKE (CRISTIAN ROLDAN), 59^th minute: Roldan played a simple ball to Dike outside the box, and the powerful forward barreled his way past two defenders into the box, drawing the goalkeeper out before deftly chipping him to complete hat trick at the far post. USA 4, MTQ 0

MTQ – EMMANUEL RIVIERE (PENALTY KICK), 64^th minute: USA winger Kellyn Acosta was whistled for bringing down Martinique’s Kevin Fortune just inside the penalty box. Emmanuel Riviere stepped up and placed his penalty kick low to the left side as USA goalkeeper committed the other way. USA 4, MTQ 1

USA – GYASI ZARDES, 70^th minute: Roldan was again involved, advancing a long ball around a defender allowing Zardes – who had just replaced Dike – to gather and run at goal, hitting a hard shot across to the far side for his fifth career Gold Cup goal. USA 5, MTQ 1

USA – NICHOLAS GIOACCHINI (GIANLUCA BUSIO), 90^th minute: Having been denied twice by the goalkeeper and once by a defender’s deflection, Gioacchini finally put one through when he tapped in a cross from Busio in front of goal. USA 6, MTQ 1

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• USMNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Cristian Roldan (21), Walker Zimmerman (16), Shaq Moore (6), Daryl Dike (5), Miles Robinson (5), Matt Turner (3), George Bello (2), Gianluca Busio (2), James Sands (2), Eryk Williamson (2), Matthew Hoppe (1)
• Tonight’s Starting XI had an average age of 23 years, 85 days, and also averages five caps.
• Gregg Berhalter made seven changes from the Starting XI that defeated Haiti on Sunday. The four holdovers are goalkeeper Matt Turner and defenders Shaq Moore, Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman.
• Gyasi Zardes moves into a tie with Bobby Wood, Hugo Perez and Marcelo Balboa for 15th on the USMNT’s all-time scoring list (13 goals).
• Zardes’s fifth career Gold Cup goal ties him for fifth all-time with Jozy Altidore, Chris Wondolowski and DaMarcus Beasley among US players in the competition.
• Walker Zimmerman captained the USMNT for the first time tonight. The Nashville SC center back is the 13th different player to wear the armband under Berhalter.
• After making his USMNT debut during the 7-0 win vs. Trinidad and Tobago on Jan. 31, left back George Bello earned his first start tonight. A dual-national eligible for the USA and Nigeria, the 19-year-old is now officially cap-tied to the USMNT.
• At 19 years, 48 days, Busio is the second youngest USMNT player to start a Gold Cup match. He comes in behind only Juan Agudelo, who started his first match in the tournament at 18 years, 196 days on June 7, 2011 vs. Canada in Detroit.
• Hoppe, Williamson, Roldan and Busio each earned their first career assists.
• Defender Reggie Cannon (hamstring tendonitis) and forward Paul Arriola (hamstring tightness) have been held out of the matchday squad.
• The USA is 3-0-0 all-time against Martinique, with both previous matches coming in the Concacaf Gold Cup group stage
• The USMNT is 22-6-3 in 29 matches under Berhalter.

-U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Martinique
Date: July 15, 2021
Competition: 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup; Group B
Venue: Children’s Mercy Park; Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 7,511
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET (9 p.m. local time)
Weather: 72 degrees; clear

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                            2          4          6
MTQ                           0          1          1

USA – Daryl Dike (Matthew Hoppe)                          14^th minute
USA – Samuel Camille (Own Goal)                           23
USA – Miles Robinson (Eryk Williamson)                  50
USA – Daryl Dike (Cristian Roldan)                           59
MTQ – Emmanuel Riviere (Penalty Kick)                  64
USA – Gyasi Zardes                                                  70
USA – Nicholas Gioacchini (Gianluca Busio)            90

Lineups:
USA: 1-Matt Turner; 5-Walker Zimmerman (Capt.) (4-Donovan Pines, 79), 16-James Sands, 12-Miles Robinson; 20-Shaq Moore (23-Kellyn Acosta, 58), 6-Gianluca Busio, 19-Eryk Williamson (14-Jackson Yueill, 79), 21-George Bello; 10-Cristian Roldan, 11-Daryl Dike (9-Gyasi Zardes, 68), 13-Matthew Hoppe (8-Nicholas Gioacchini, 58)
Substitutes not used: 18-Sean Johnson, 22-Brad Guzan, 3-Sam Vines, 15-Jonathan Lewis, 17-Sebastian Lletget
Head Coach: Gregg Berhalter

MTQ: 23-Meslien Gilles; 17-Burner Patrick, 6-Jean-Sylvain Babin (13-Christof Jougon, 57), 21-Sebastien Cretinoir (Capt.); 4-Dondon Gerald, 20-Stephane Abaul, 19-Daniel Herelle (14-Norman Grelet, 76), 18-Samuel Camille; 12-Johnny Marajo (5-Karl Vitulin, 76), 11-Emmanuel Riviere (15-Yordan Thimon, 69), 10-Kevin Fortune (9-Reuperne Enrick, 69)
Substitutes not used: 1-Loic Chauvet, 16-Arnaud Huyghues Des, 2-Florian Goma, 3-Ambroise Felicitet, 7-Gregory Pastel, 8-Yann Thimon, 22-Romario Barthelery
Head Coach: Mario Bocaly

Stats Summary: USA / MTQ
Shots: 22 / 13
Shots on Goal: 12 / 5
Saves: 7 / 4
Corner Kicks: 15 / 0
Fouls: 17 / 13
Offside: 2 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
No misconduct

Officials:
Referee: Mario Escobar (GUA)
AR1: Nicholas Anderson (JAM)
AR2: Jassett Kerr (JAM)
4^th Official: Diego Montaño (MEX)
VAR: Angel Monroy (MEX)
AVAR: Juan Rangel (MEX)

U.S. Soccer Insider’s Man of the Match: Daryl Dike