The US moves into first place in the group having scored more goals overall than Panama. Nicaragua awaits in the group-stage finale on Saturday with a chance to clinch first place in the group. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check back later for a full match report!
Full time: USA 3-2 Martinique
And there’s the final whistle and the US have come away with three points from a match that wound up being far more interesting than it deserved to be when the Americans went ahead 2-nil in the 64th minutes. Alas, three points is three points.
90 min+2: The US win a foul in Martinique’s half. They’re just looking to burn time and escape with the three points.
90 min: The fourth official signals for three minutes of stoppage time as the US looks to land the plane.
85 min: McCarty is on for Agudelo, the hosts’ third and final sub of the match.
81 min: Morris shown yellow for a clattering challenge. Can the US hold on for this result? Fouls like that one cast a shade of doubt.
GOAL! USA 3-2 Martinique (Morris, 76 min)
And just like that the US is back on top! Morris finishes it off a Zardes pass and he’s doubled his career international goal haul in one night!
🎥 | Morris puso nuevamente en ventaja a #USA 3-2 #MTQ con este gol #CopaOro2017 pic.twitter.com/toI6c5B1hM
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) July 13, 2017
Updated
GOAL! USA 2-2 Martinique (Audel, 74 min)
A long cross to a wide-open Marinique player, whose shot is initally saved by Guzan, but Audel is there to pounce on the rebound and Martinique has rallied from a 2-nil deficit in 10 minutes. Oh dear!
72 min: Morrow sends a cross into Bedoya and, oh my, he’s skies it far over the crossbar! That could have been a third for the US and surely he wants that one back. Pontius enters for Arriola as Arena makes his second sub of the match.
GOAL! USA 2-1 Martinique (Parsemain, 66 min)
Parsemain, the one-time Seattle Sounder who’s responsible for four of Martinique’s eight shots tonight, finishes past Guzan, who frankly should have made the save. And from his irate reaction he knows it.
Parsemain marcó el del descuento para #MTQ. Mira la jugada#CopaOro2017 pic.twitter.com/1ez5vygs3Q
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) July 13, 2017
Updated
GOAL! USA 2-0 Martinique (Morris, 64 min)
Morris doubles the Americans’ pleasure but the goal was all Eric Lichaj, whose clever run down the right flank and precise pass set it all up from the top of the area.
De esta forma, Morris puso el 2-0 de #USA. #CopaOro2017 pic.twitter.com/ypQUjoUROR
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) July 13, 2017
Updated
62 min: It’s the first booking of the match as Vitulin is shown yellow for a late challenge on Arriola. And, yes, it’s Bedoya in for Acosta, the hosts’ first sub of the match.
61 min: Ball is out for a goal kick after a mostly rudderless Martinique attack. The US looks like their getting ready to make their first change. Bedoya, perhaps?
60 min: Now the US have numbers in attack, but one too many passes sees it quashed.
56 min: According to ESPN soccer wonk Paul Carr, it’s the US team’s first goal off a corner in 20 months.
Omar Gonzalez scored the first #USMNT goal off a corner kick since Nov. 2015 vs St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
— Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) July 13, 2017
GOAL! USA 1-0 Martinique (Gonzalez, 53 min)
The US win another corner and it’s played to Arriola, whose shot is saved by the keeper. But Gonzalez is there to poach on the leftovers and he buries it into the back of the net. It’s only the defender’s second career international goal in 42 appearances. And a huge sigh of relief for the United States!
Así fue el gol de Omar González para #USA #CopaOro2017 pic.twitter.com/023h4Epgtk
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) July 13, 2017
Updated
52 min: Quick counter by the US and Jordan Morris falling backward tries to chip the keeper and it’s saved!
51 min: “We want Dom! We want Dom!” chant the American Outlaws, who are calling for Dom Dwyer to enter the match. Moments later a Martinque player beats Matt Hedges (badly) and Guzan makes the hair-trigger save to bail out the hosts!
49 min: The US win a free kick but nothing comes of it. An emphatic start for the hosts in the second half. A goal can’t be too far off at this rate.
48 min: And it’s a golden chance for the US as Arriola’s shot caroms off the bar! Unlucky!
46 min: And we’re off in the second half. No changes for either side.
Half-time: USA 0-0 Martinique
There’s the whistle. The US dominated possession but Martinique had the best chance. Can the Americans break through in the second half? They’d better.
Best chance of the half? That would go to #MTQ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 13, 2017
Close call, #USMNT. Too close. @ModeloUSA #ModeloSoccer #GoldCup2017 https://t.co/yV45RmLFES
42 min: Martinique win a free kick about 30 yards from goal. It caroms off the wall to the foot of a Martinique player, whose shot is deflected out for the visitors’ first corner.
41 min: The over-the-top ball has yielded little for the US today. They’re getting more working it up the wings. We’ll see if they continue taking what Martinique is giving them.
39 min: US continue to turn the screw, winning another corner. Roldan taking it this time instead of Acosta. Poorly taken and Martinique trying to counter, but the Americans track back well and win it back.
38 min: Acosta’s corner sails to the back post. Lots of contact apparently. A whistle. A foul against the US, though the replay doesn’t show much contact at all. Goalkeeper getting protected there a bit, we suspect.
37 min: Acosta’s corner is played to the near post and cleared but to the out for a US throw in the final third. Acosta swings it into Agudelo and it goes out for yet another US corner, their seventh.
36 min: Zardes again up the left flank and he crosses it in to Arreola, whose header is deflected out for a fifth US corner. Played to the near post and headed back to Acosta, but it goes out for another US corner.
35 min: The US win a corner, their fourth of the night (to Martinique’s zero). Acosta takes it. It’s headed out initially but the US keep it in the final third and crossed into Acosta, but he can’t direct it on goal. Quick counter-attack by Martinique but they commit a foul after briefly losing possession and the US have a free kick from their own half.
33 min: Martinique rattles the woodwork, the best chance of the night! It’s a shot from Parsemain that was deflected and nearly found the back of the net. A wake-up call for the hosts.
#CopaOro2017: ¡UUUUYYYY! El travesaño salva al @ussoccer #USA 0-0 #MTQ https://t.co/iExIq5Ks0b pic.twitter.com/GAaokTXpvh
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) July 13, 2017
31 min: A deflection lands at Zardes’ feet but his shot from the edge of the area is saved.
30 min: A half hour down and no truly dangerous chances for either side, but the US is clearly in control. Just now Agueldo dribbles from the left flank and slips it to Zardes, whose shot from 18 yards is easily corralled by the keeper.
#CopaOro2017 Zardes con un remate muy flojo. #USA 0-0 #MTQ. https://t.co/iExIq5Ks0b pic.twitter.com/Z7J3EvBiAp
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) July 13, 2017
Updated
27 min: Morris receives a pass about 25 yards from the goal in acres of space and picks out Agudelo making a run toward goal, but it’s clubbed out by a lunging Martinique defender for a corner – a corner that’s easily cleared past the halfway line.
23 min: A quarter of the game down and the US is in control of the action but haven’t been able to make that last pass to break down their opponents for the opening goal.
21 min: More Zardes, who receives a pass from Arriola but sends a left-footed shot sailing above the bar.
19 min: Short corner played into the area, but the whistle blows and it’s a foul against the United States.
18 min: More pressure up the left side from the US as Gonzalez puts it through to Zardes, but it goes out for a corner before he can put a shot on goal.
11 min: Acosta’s free kick is sent to Morris six yards from the goal but his header sails wide left of the target. Goal kick.
10 min: Ball played to Agudelo up the right flank and he’s hacked down on the edge of the area. A free-kick for the US from a dangerous position.
8 min: Martinique clogging up the middle of the field to try and choke off the US attack. So far it’s working, but the hosts have made headway up the flanks. No truly dangerous chances yet but early days.
5 min: A long ball from the back up to Agudelo but he’s miles offside. The US clearly on the front foot early on here, which is more than they could say about their listless start against Panama.
3 min: More early danger for the US. Zardes working up the left flank and crosses it into the area for Jordan Morris but he can’t get a foot on it cleanly and it goes out for a goal kick.
#CopaOro2017: ¡Muy cerca! #USA ataca y busca abrir el marcador desde los primeros minutos https://t.co/iExIq5Ks0b pic.twitter.com/lH9CcATwUR
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) July 13, 2017
Updated
2 min: A quick early attack for the US from the back as they string a few passes together in the middle third, but a longball into the area is struck a bit too hard and sails out for a goal kick.
1 min: And they’re off on a balmy 77F evening in Tampa! USA attacking from left to right in their brand new Gold Cup home kits with the red and blue hoops, Martinique from right to left in all-white strips.
The teams have emerged from the tunnel and are on the pitch. The anthems are being played. Not much longer now!
About 20 minutes to kickoff. While we wait, here are a few more newsy notes off tonight’s matchup courtesy of US Soccer.
- Roldan joins Paul Arriola, Matt Hedges and Justin Morrow in making their Concacaf Gold Cup debuts.
- Guzan comes off a seven-save, man of the match performance in Saturday’s 1-1 draw. He is 3-1-3 all-time in seven previous Gold Cup matches.
- Left back Justin Morrow makes his first USMNT appearance since a 0-0 draw with Canada on 29 January 2013, and second overall.
- Right back Eric Lichaj gets his first cap since a 3-1 win at Puerto Rico on 22 May 2016.
- Gyasi Zardes starts his first match since the Copa America Centenario third-place game against Colombia on 25 June 2016.
- Juan Agudelo and Jordan Morris partner up top together for the second time in 2017, having done so previously in the USA’s 1-0 win v Jamaica on 5 February in Chattanooga. Morris scored the game-winner against the Reggae Boyz.
The teams!
Changes were promised after Saturday’s draw with Panama and changes have been delivered. USA manager Bruce Arena makes eight changes to the team with goalkeeper Brad Guzan, defender Omar Gonzalez and midfielder Kellyn Acosta staying in the side.
Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Cristian Roldan makes his US debut alongside Kellyn Acosta in central midfield, while Guzan will captain the hosts for the third time in his international career.
United States
XI: Guzan, Hedges, González, Lichaj, Morrow, Acosta, Roldan, Arriola, Morris, Zardes, Agudelo
Subs: Hamid, Johnson, Miazga, Besler, Villafaña, McCarty, Bedoya, Rowe, Corona, Pontius, Zusi, Dwyer
Martinique
XI: Olimpa, Zaïre, Crétinoir, Jean-Baptiste, Abaul, Audel, Delem, Hérelle, Vitulin, Arquin, Parsemain
Subs: Chauvet, Vermignon, Narcissot, Dondon, Jougon, Nedra, Angely, Marajo, Maingé, Pastel, Langil, Thimon
Hello and welcome to tonight’s Gold Cup group-stage match between the United States and Martinique. The hosts are coming off a 1-1 draw with Panama in their opening match, which marks the first time the US team has failed to win their opening match in tournament history. They’re still in excellent shape to progress from Group B with Les Matinino tonight and Nicaragua on Saturday, but anything but three points tonight would be cause for alarm regardless of the reduced side they’ve enlisted for the group stage. Kickoff is roughly 40 minutes from now. We’ll be back shortly with the teams!
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s a look back at the US team’s frustrating 1-1 draw with Panama in Saturday’s opening match.
Dom Dwyer scored for the second straight game but Miguel Camarago’s goal gave Panama a 1-1 tie Saturday against the United States, the first time the Americans failed to win their opener in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
After scoring in his US debut last weekend against Ghana, the England-born Dwyer put the Americans ahead in the 50th minute with a left-footed shot from 9 yards that went in off the far post. Dwyer, the husband of US women’s team forward Sydney Leroux, ran onto a cross from Kelyn Rowe following a throw-in by Jorge Villafana.
Panama put on immediate pressure, and Camargo sent a rebound past the outstretched right hand of Brad Guzan in the 60th minute after the goalkeeper saved an initial shot by Gabriel Torres that followed Edgar Barcenas’ cross.
The US had won its previous 13 Gold Cup openers and dropped to 30-1-4 in Gold Cup group-stage play, with the lone defeat against Los Canaleros in 2011. The last four matches between the nations have ended in 1-1 ties.
