KANSAS CITY, Kansas.- With both teams already eliminated from the Gold Cup tournament, Martinique and Haiti are playing for pride and perhaps, a bit of redemption when the squads clash in Group B on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
For Martinique coach Mario Bocaly, the 2021 Gold Cup tournament has proven valuable. “We’re going to try to grow with the different opportunities we have in Concacaf,” said Bocaly, pointing out how much the lack of game preparation and match opportunities impacted his players.
Haiti, meanwhile, faced a different set of obstacles. The squad didn’t qualify directly to the Gold Cup tournament, instead coming through the Prelims. Haiti performed well in that stage of the competition, but once officially installed as part of Group B, they were unable to find the right results.
Bocaly was sympathetic to the fellow Caribbean team. “It may not seem to others an important rivalry, but there is definitely a rivalry among Caribbean teams, especially between those who speak English, and those who speak Spanish, and those who speak French,” Bocaly explained. “So there is a rivalry, but we also have to work together to raise the level of Caribbean soccer.”
In all the previous six Gold Cup participations of Martinique, the squad had never given up 10 goals in their first two games, as they did against the U.S. and Canada. Scorelines of 4-1 and 6-1 can demoralize defenders, but Bocaly insisted the entire team needed to improve.
“Against the U.S., it was a very complicated game,” said Bocaly. “They have very fast, physical players. We can't just talk about the defense. It’s difficult for the whole team. We have to figure out how to deal with the attacks of other teams.”
In what will be the first Gold Cup match between the two nations, Haiti’s strength and speed with the likes of Stephane Lambese, who has Haiti’s lone group stage goal, Leverton Pierre (3 shots vs. Canada) and MF Derrick Etienne, are likely to give Martinique defenders more problems. One of Martinique’s bright spots this tournament, striker Emmanuel Riviere, has scored two goals for the team.
Those players and more will be keen to see their nation emerge from this Gold Cup on a positive note.
