USA Faces Martinique in Second 2017 Gold Cup Match | 9pm ET | FS1, UniMas, UDN
The U.S. Men's National Team takes on Martinique in the second match of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Wednesday, July 12 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, UniMas and UDN
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CHICAGO (July 10, 2017) – The U.S. Men’s National Team looks to build off its 1-1 draw against Panama on Saturday when it takes on Martinique in the second match of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Wednesday, July 12. Coverage from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa begins at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network. Fans can also follow the game live on Facebook and Twitter at @ussoccer and @ussoccer_esp.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC; 56/0), Bill Hamid (D.C. United; 2/0), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 5/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City; 41/1), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca/MEX; 41/1), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas; 3/0), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 11/0), Matt Miazga (Chelsea/ENG; 2/0), Justin Morrow (Toronto FC/CAN; 1/0), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna, MEX; 8/0), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City; 50/5)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; 10/1), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana/MEX; 6/2), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union; 62/2), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana/MEX; 19/2), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire; 8/0), Chris Pontius (Philadelphia Union; 2/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 0/0), Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution; 2/0), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy; 33/7)
FORWARDS (3): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution; 24/3), Dom Dwyer (Sporting Kansas City; 2/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 17/2)
U.S. MNT DUELS TO 1-1 DRAW AGAINST PANAMA
The U.S. MNT opened the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 1-1 draw against long-time tournament nemesis Panama. Numerous first-half opportunities went begging before Dom Dwyer one-timed the go-ahead goal home in the 50th minute. Galvanized by the deficit, Panama made sure the U.S. lead didn’t last long, peppering the U.S. goal before finally finding the equalizer when Miguel Camargo pounced on a rebound in the area. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan was fantastic for the U.S. in the contest, making seven saves to earn Budweiser Man of the Match honors.
That result, combined with Martinique’s 2-0 win against Nicaragua, sets the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B table as below heading into Wednesday night’s games:
|
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B Standings |
||||||||
|
Team |
GP |
W |
L |
D |
Pts. |
GF |
GA |
GD |
|
Martinique |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
+2 |
|
USA |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Panama |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Nicaragua |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
DOM DWYER JOINS RARE COMPANY
With his strike against Panama, forward Dom Dwyer joined some rare company. Having tallied 19 minutes into his international debut on July 1 vs. Ghana, Dwyer’s opening goal against Los Canaleros made him just the 10th player in MNT history to score in each of his first two appearances.
Against Martinique, Dwyer sets his sights on scoring in a third-straight game, a feat achieved by just two previous U.S. players: Alexander Rae (1937) and Eddie Johnson (2004-05). Rae tallied in three straight friendly defeats to Mexico that year, while Johnson bested the record, scoring six goals across his first four MNT appearances, all of which came in World Cup Qualifying.
|
Player |
First Cap, First Goal |
Second Cap, Second Goal |
|
Charles Ellis |
3-2 W at Sweden (Aug. 20, 1916) |
1-1 D at Norway (Sept. 3, 1916) |
|
Rudolf Kuntner |
2-11 L vs. Argentina (May 30, 1928)+ |
3-3 D at Poland (June 10, 1928) |
|
Bert Patenaude |
3-0 W vs. Belgium (July 13, 1930)** |
3-0 W vs. Paraguay (July 17, 1930)** |
|
Aldo Donelli |
4-2 W vs. Mexico (May 24, 1934)* |
1-7 L at Italy (May 27, 1934)* |
|
John McEwan |
2-7 L at Mexico (Sept. 12, 1937) |
3-7 L at Mexico (Sept. 19, 1937) |
|
Alexander Rae |
2-7 L at Mexico (Sept. 12, 1937) |
3-7 L at Mexico (Sept. 19, 1937) |
|
Dante Washington |
2-2 D vs. Mexico (March 12, 1991)^ |
2-0 W vs. Canada (March 16, 1991)^ |
|
Eddie Johnson |
2-0 W at El Salvador (Oct. 9, 2004)* |
6-0 W at Panama (Oct. 13, 2004)* |
|
Paul Arriola |
3-1 W at Puerto Rico (May 22, 2016) |
4-0 W vs. Trinidad & Tobago (Sept. 6, 2016) |
|
Dom Dwyer |
2-1 W vs. Ghana (July 1, 2017) |
1-1 D vs. Panama (July 8, 2017)@ |
+ Denotes Olympic matches, * Denotes World Cup Qualifying matches, ** Denotes World Cup matches, ^ Denotes NAFC North American Championship, @ Denotes CONCACAF Gold Cup
ABOUT MARTINIQUE
Part of the Windward Islands in the southern Caribbean, Martinique has a population of just over 385,000 and is considered an overseas department of France. Though not connected to the contiguous United States, think of how Alaska and Hawaii are fully functioning states in the Union. Inhabitants of Martinique are considered French citizens and have full rights within France, as such there isn’t a local currency in Martinique – they use the Euro. Politically, just as Alaska and Hawaii elect members to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, similarly Martinique is represented by four members in the French National Assembly and two in their own Senate.
- READ MORE: Five Things to Know About Martinique
Because the island is considered part of France, Martinique and other French overseas departments such as French Guiana and Guadeloupe are not members of FIFA and thus not eligible to participate in qualifying for the World Cup or other events held by the world’s governing body.
Martinique and its fellow French departments are however associate members of CONCACAF, allowing them to take part in regional events such as the CFU Caribbean Cup which serves as qualification for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
A BRIEF HISTORY WITH THE ISLAND
Wednesday’s clash will be the second meeting between the USA and Martinique. The two sides first faced off during the Group Stage of the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where two first-half goals from Brian McBride in the span of four minutes lifted the MNT to a 2-0 victory at Gillette Stadium in Foxbrough, Mass.
A FAMILIAR FACE
While Martinique is led by head coach Louis Marianne, the team also has a connection familiar to U.S. fans. In January, the Ligue de Football de la Martinique, which oversees the national side, named former U.S. international David Regis as the team’s General Manager through the end of July.
Born in La Trinité, Martinique, Regis carved out a fine club career in Germany and France and gained U.S. citizenship in 1998 before being named to that year’s MNT World Cup squad. Regis was also part of Bruce Arena’s U.S. side that ran to the 2002 World Cup Quarterfinals and made 27 overall appearances over five years with the National Team.
A PROVING GROUND
U.S. MNT players have long used the confederation championship as an extended audition for a place at the FIFA World Cup. Dating back to 1993, 18 players with 10 or less caps have made the jump from the most recent Gold Cup roster onto a FIFA World Cup roster (see table below). Most recently, current MNT center back Matt Besler utilized the USA’s run to the 2013 championship to make his way onto the 2014 roster in Brazil.
|
U.S. MNT Players From Gold Cup to World Cup |
|
|
1993 Gold Cup/1994 World Cup |
Brad Friedel, Cle Kooiman, Roy Wegerle |
|
1998 Gold Cup/1998 World Cup |
Frankie Hejduk, Juergen Sommer |
|
2002 Gold Cup/2002 World Cup |
DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Pablo Mastroeni |
|
2005 Gold Cup/2006 World Cup |
Jimmy Conrad, Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann, Oguchi Onyewu |
|
2009 Gold Cup/2010 World Cup |
Clarence Goodson, Stuart Holden |
|
2013 Gold Cup/2014 World Cup |
Matt Besler, Mix Diskerud, Nick Rimando, Chris Wondolowski |
ROSTER CHANGE
Having made his U.S. MNT debut as a substitute in the 2-1 win against Ghana, midfielder Kenny Saief departed camp on July 5 due to a groin injury. The Belgian-based winger was replaced on the roster by Philadelphia Union midfielder Chris Pontius. The M.L.S. veteran made his international debut earlier this year against Serbia and has racked up six assists in 18 matches for the Union this season.
WHAT IS THE CONCACAF GOLD CUP?
Held every two years, the Gold Cup is the regional championship for CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. Along with lifting a trophy and earning supremacy in the confederation, the winner of the Gold Cup earns a place in the CONCACAF Cup, a one-game playoff that determines the region’s representative at the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup. Should the same team win both in 2017 and 2019, they will automatically earn a bid to the tournament.
- READ MORE: Five Things to Know About the Gold Cup
Placed in Group B, the U.S. opens the tournament against Panama on July 8 in Nashville, takes on Martinique on July 12 in Tampa and concludes the Group Stage with its first-ever meeting against Nicaragua on July 15 in Cleveland. The top two teams in each of the three groups automatically advance to the Quarterfinals and will be joined there by the two best third-place finishers.
USA HISTORY IN THE GOLD CUP
The United States has won five editions of the tournament, beginning with the inaugural 1991 Gold Cup when the team defeated Mexico 2-0 in the Semifinal before downing Honduras on penalty kicks in the Championship. Current U.S. MNT head coach Bruce Arena is one of two managers to win the tournament twice, lead the side to its second and third titles in 2002 and 2005 respectively and the team followed those up with wins in 2007 and 2013. In 13 editions of the tournament, the U.S. has played in the Final nine times and has advanced to the Semifinal on 12 occasions.
EXPERIENCE AT THE CORE …
The group-phase roster boasts a dozen players with experience in World Cup Qualifying and 11 who have played in a Gold Cup, including six with a Gold Cup medal in their trophy case and 2015 Golden Glove winner Brad Guzan.
EUROPEAN VACATION
The regular European-based contingent for the MNT is in the midst of a much-needed break between now and the World Cup next summer. Having completed their club seasons in May, the group went straight into camp for the World Cup Qualifiers in June. After a 14-day camp preparing for the rigors of altitude, the U.S. emerged with four points from two games including a huge draw away to Mexico. Now two weeks into holidays, they begin to return to preseason shortly with the hopes of earning regular playing time for the upcoming campaign.
USA ROSTER NOTES:
- The U.S. is in the midst of a nine-match unbeaten streak, going 4-0-5 since Bruce Arena returned as head coach.
- With his goal against Panama, Dom Dwyer became just the 10th U.S. MNT player all-time to score in each of his first two appearances.
- A long-time member of Sporting Kansas City, the English-born Dwyer received his U.S. citizenship in March, paving the way for his first invite to an MNT roster.
- Dwyer, Kellyn Acosta, Dax McCarty, Jordan Morris, Kelyn Rowe and Jorge Villafaña all made their Gold Cup debuts against Panama.
- Five players on the U.S. roster were part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup team: Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Guzan and Graham Zusi.
- A majority of the roster comes from Major League Soccer, with 17 players representing 11 clubs.
- Six players come from clubs outside of M.L.S., with four from Mexico and two from England.
- Twelve players from this group have been a part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign.
- Eleven players have previously been part of a Gold Cup roster, including Alejandro Bedoya, Omar Gonzalez, Joe Corona and Graham Zusi.
- With 62 caps, Bedoya is the player with the most international experience, followed by goalkeeper Brad Guzan (56), and defenders Graham Zusi (50), Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez (41 each).
- Bedoya also has the most CONCACAF Gold Cup experience, earning 12 appearances during four different confederation tournaments (including 2017).
- Guzan was one of two U.S. players to play every minute of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup and was awarded the tournament’s Golden Glove as best goalkeeper.
- Six players were on the U.S. MNT’s last Gold Cup-winning side in 2013: Bedoya, Besler, Joe Corona, Gonzalez, Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson.
- Four players have registered goals in the Gold Cup: Corona (2), Dwyer, Gonzalez, and Gyasi Zardes.
- Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Cristian Roldan is the only player on the Gold Cup roster looking for his U.S. debut.
- With the average cap total for the squad at 16, this Gold Cup roster will provide international seasoning to several players. It’s the second lowest average since 2000, ahead of the 2009 roster which averaged nine caps and reached the championship final.
- A total of five players will look for their first Gold Cup appearances: Paul Arriola, Hamid, Matt Hedges, Matt Miazga and Justin Morrow
- Coming off a campaign in which he won Nottingham Forest’s Player of the Season award, Eric Lichaj returns to the MNT fold for the first time since a 3-1 friendly win against Puerto Rico on May 22, 2016.
- Having helped Vitesse win the Dutch Cup back in April, center back Matt Miazga is also part of his first senior camp since last May’s friendly against Puerto Rico.
- With just one cap, left back Justin Morrow returns to his first MNT camp since March 2013.
- Youth is the movement. Eight players on the roster weren’t even born when the U.S. won the inaugural CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991: Agudelo, Acosta, Arriola, Miazga, Morris, Roldan, Rowe and Zardes.
- Nine players are also alumni of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy: Acosta, Agudelo, Arriola, Corona, Hamid, Miazga, Morris, Rowe and Zardes.
U.S. MNT IN THE GOLD CUP
- Beginning with the inaugural title in 1991, the U.S. has lifted the Gold Cup on five occasions. Current MNT head coach Bruce Arena guided the side to the 2002 and 2005 championships, while the team also went on to win in 2007 and 2015.
- Arena is one of only two managers to win the Gold Cup twice. Bora Milutinovic led the U.S. to the 1991 title before managing Mexico to championship in 1996.
- The USA has more wins in the CONCACAF Gold Cup than any other nation, going 51-8-9 all-time.
- The U.S. has gone an impressive 30-1-4 during the Group Stage.
- With a 14-1-4 record in the Gold Cup, Arena is also the winningest head coach all-time in the competition.
- The U.S. manager holds an 8-0-2 mark in the Group Stage and is 12-0-4 vs. CONCACAF opposition.
- The MNT has advanced to the Final on nine occasions: 1991, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
- The USA has made it to the Semifinals in 12 out of 13 tournaments, missing out only in 2000.
USA-MARTINIQUE NOTES
- The U.S. MNT is 1-0-0 all-time against Martinique.
- The two sides met in the Group Stage of the 2003 Gold Cup, when two first-half strikes from Brian McBride led the USA to a 2-0 win.
MARTINIQUE ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): Loïc Chauvet (CS Case-Pilote); Kevin Olimpa (Platanias FC/GRE); Emmanuel Vermignon (Club Colonial)
DEFENDERS (7): Sebastien Cretinoir (Golden Lion de Saint-Joseph); Jordy Delem (Seattle Sounders FC 2/USA); Gerald Dondon (Club Colonial); Antoine Jean-Baptiste (FC Villefranche/FRA); Florian Narcissot (Club Franciscain); Karl Vitulin (AS Samaritaine); Nicolas Zaire (Club Franciscain)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Stephane Abaul (Club Franciscain); Daniel Herelle (Golden Lion de Saint-Joseph); Christof Jougon (Club Franciscain); Djenhael Mainge (Club Franciscain); Jean-Manuel Nedra (Aiglon du Lamentin); Yann Thimon (Golden Lion de Saint-Joseph)
FORWARDS (7): Anthony Angely (Poitiers FC/FRA); Yoann Arquin (Mansfield Town FC/ENG); Johan Audel (Beitar Jerusalem FC/ISR); Steeven Langil (Waasland-Beveren/BEL); Johnny Marajo (Club Franciscain); Kevin Parsemain (Golden Lion de Saint-Joseph); Gregory Pastel (RC Rivière-Pilote)
MARTINIQUE NOTES
- Martinique has been coached by Louis Marriane since 2014. The Frenchman is in his second stint managing Les Matinino.
- Two-time U.S. World Cup defender David Regis is serving as the team’s general manager during the tournament.
- Martinique is participating in its fifth Gold Cup tournament. Their best finish came in 2002, advancing to the Quarterfinals where they fell on penalty kicks to Canada.
- Defender Jordy Delem is teammates with U.S. forward Jordan Morris and midfielder Cristian Roldan at Seattle Sounders FC.