KANSAS CITY, Kansas. - The United States and Canada enjoy a healthy rivalry, given how teams from both countries compete in Major League Soccer, but that doesn’t mean either is going to give an inch in the final matchday of Group B.
That was clear from the comments following the U.S. game versus Martinique. Though the U.S. won 6-1 against Martinique, the North American team in a sense still came up a bit short, given how it fell a goal shy of overtaking Canada on goal differential for the lead in the group.
“We have a goal, to win the group,” said U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, acknowledging that now, for that aim to be met, his team must defeat, not merely tie, their northern neighbors. “It’s going to be a good, competitive game.”
The average age of the U.S. roster is 24 years old, with nine players 23 years or younger. Canada averages 26 years of age, with five players 23 years or younger.
“It’s important to battle-test these guys,” Berhalter said of his young squad, while emphasizing his respect for Canada’s players. “Being around the league, you get to know the Canadian guys.”
Midfielder Cristian Roldan, a veteran of the U.S.’s 2017 and 2019 Gold Cup campaigns, emphasized how useful the test against Canada would be. “That’s the type of rivalry game that we need.”
Berhalter was pleased to see the young U.S. national team players improving in every game. After a tight opening victory against Haiti, 1-0, the U.S. went goal-hunting against Martinique.
“They had the urgency to get goals,” Berhalter approved, while still seeing areas where the team could do better. “Our positional play can improve. We took 22 shots and we scored only six goals.”
Roldan, who pulled the strings in the midfield to set up many of the U.S. attacks against Martinique, emphasized that an important objective all along has been to lead Group B. So far, they have not. “We expect to be on top,” said Roldan. “Canada’s going to be a very tough opponent.”
With the U.S. players now performing more at the level he’d hoped for, Berhalter had a prediction for the match against Canada. “It’s going to be a fun game.”
