The United States earned a convincing 6-1 victory over Belize in their opening match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and as they look to maintain a hold on the top spot in Group C, the USMNT faces their next test in the form of Cuba.
RELATED: USA Vs. Belize: Chris Wondolowski's Hat Trick In First Half Propels USMNT To 6-1 Victory Over Belize In Gold Cup
Cuba suffered a 3-0 defeat to Michael Barrantes and Costa Rica in their opener and in serious need of a win heading into the showdown with the 2007 Gold Cup champions, head coach Walter Benitez and company will surely need a much stronger effort to take down an American team playing well in recent months.
When and Where to Watch Gold Cup Match
The USMNT and Cuba will play on Saturday, July 13th at 3:30pm, EST. Playing at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, the match can be seen on the FOX Television network.
An on-line live stream will also be available by visiting FOX Soccer 2 Go.
Match Preview
Chris Wondolowski led the way for the Americans against Belize. Notching a first half hat trick, the MLS striker was simply too much for an outmatched Belizean defensive unit.
Starting the scoring barrage in the 11th minute, Wondolowski along with teammates Landon Donovan, Michael Orozco and Stuart Holden gave head coach Jurgen Klinsmann a strong indication of what his offensive unit is capable of heading into the Cuba match.
RELATED: Manchester United Transfer Rumors: Thiago Alcantara Set To Sign With Bayern Munich Over Man U?
"Once you get a bit of rhythm and then you score the first goal, things open up a little bit and eventually you will break them down," Klinsmann said to MLSsoccer.com. "We took it seriously and we mentioned it before the last couple days, and the team was very focused and wanted to get the goals and they did and they fought very hard. I'm very happy with the result."
While Klinsmann and the four-time tournament champions certainly have reason to be happy, Cuba will be looking for any spark to get them going following a tough shutout loss to an extremely talented Costa Rican team.
RELATED: Barcelona Transfer News: Thiago Silva Leaving Paris Saint-Germain For Camp Nou?
Cuba is making the country's seventh appearance at the Gold Cup and despite possessing one of the most experienced players in the tournament in goalkeeper Odelin Molina, the Cuban nationals received little support on the offensive end.
Cuba was able to fire off 14 total shots in the loss but surrendering multiple goals to Michael Barrantes at the 50 and 76 minute marks along with another in the 71st minute to Jairo Ovando, Cuba was not able to hang with a noticeably superior Costa Rican team.
Continued offensive struggles against a United States team that had no problem putting up multiple tallies certainly won't aid Cuba in earning points in the upcoming match.
Wrap Up
Don't miss the Gold Cup action between the United States and Cuba on Saturday, July 13th. FOX Television will begin game coverage at 3:30pm, EST with an on-line live stream available through FOX Soccer 2 Go.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
