KANSAS CITY, Kansas.- Martinique will be seeking to rebound from their opening defeat to Canada when they meet a driven United States side in Group B of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup at on Wednesday night at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Martinique proved through their early goal against Canada that they are capable of scoring, capitalizing well on the opportunity provided with a lightly weighted backpass. Things turned around, though, after the early strike, with Canada roaring back for a 4-1 result.
If the defensive unit of Martinique tightens things up versus the U.S., the North Americans could find themselves in a difficult situation after edging Haiti, 1-0, in their weekend opener.
Against Canada, Martinique coach Mario Bocaly’s 4-3-3 attacking formation was rewarded with the early goal. Now that a result is needed for advancement, Bocaly may double down on attacking, keeping the formation, or turn to a more defensive 4-4-2.
Defender Patrick Burner is a classic two-way player, but Canada did well to deny him the ball to dictate the flow of attacks. Emmanuel Riviere, who finished well to give Martinique’s the early lead, needs service to be effective, so a good result depends on their connection.
Burner is carrying a yellow card from the Canada match, but at this point, Martinique’s priority is advancement, not accumulation concerns.
While victorious against Haiti, the U.S. experienced some struggles. Coach Gregg Berhalter could shake up the lineup substantially as a result, especially in the attack.
Better creation and finishing were the coach’s priorities going forward. He wasn’t concerned yet with Group B goal differential, although Canada enjoys a comfortable three-goal lead in that regard presently.
“There’s room to improve,” Berhalter told reporters after the Haiti game. “Happy with the shutout, happy that we didn’t give up a goal and happy to get the three points and we move on to Martinique.”
Two teams with room to improve should make for an intriguing affair.
