Gold Cup Preview: USA vs. Haiti

By Noah Davis 

Who: United States vs. Haiti

What: Gold Cup Group B

When: 7:00 ET, Saturday, July 11

Where: Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, MA

TV: Fox Soccer Channel and Telefutura 

Courtesy of goals by hometown boy Santino Quaranta and Brian Ching, the United States Men's National Team defeated Honduras at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night and enters its final group stage match against Haiti virtually guaranteed of a slot in the knockout stage of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Americans can clinch the top spot in Group B with a win or a tie, while Les Grenadiers -- who sit tied with Honduras on three points -- need a result to ensure passage into the next round.  

New Faces

There's no better time for Bob Bradley to get a look at how his players fare against a desperate team then on Saturday in D.C. Six members of the squad -- Jimmy Conrad, Jon Busch, Colin Clark, Jay Heaps, Luis Robles, and Sam Cronin -- have yet to play, and the latter four are hoping to earn their first National Team caps. Heaps has played in more Major League Soccer games without appearing on the National Team than anyone else, but if he gets on the pitch, he'll do it in front of his home crowd. It would be a great reward for a tried and true veteran of U.S. Soccer, despite the fact that he likely won't figure in any of Bradley's plans going forward.  

Clean Sheets

Can anyone score against the U.S. during the group stage of the Gold Cup? It doesn't look that way as the Stars and Stripes extended its shutout streak to 702 minutes on Wednesday. Haiti, which managed only two goals in two matches (and those came against a Grenada backline that the Americans shredded), will need some luck and some skill to get the ball into the net. That said the U.S. back four -- especially Michael Parkhurst -- looked vulnerable against Honduras, giving up a couple chances on long balls straight up the field. Clarence Goodson could return or Jimmy Conrad -- who seems to have fallen out of favor -- could get a start, but this American team can be scored upon. 

Scrambling for the Quarterfinals

After being drawn into a group with the U.S. and Honduras, Jairo Rios' group came into the Gold Cup realistically hoping to advance via one of the two third-place spots. After its first victory in the tournament since 2002, the squad is within reach of that goal. James Marcelin, who Rios called "one of the best, if not the best, midfielder in this cup," tallied against the Spice Boyz. Whoever lines up in the middle of the pitch for the U.S. will need to keep an eye on him. A point will almost certainly get Haiti into the next round, and the club can even advance if it loses but limits its goal differential. Still, expect Les Grenadiers to come out with their guns blazing in search of an early score.  

Projected United States Line Up

---------------------Robles--------------------

Heaps----Goodson----Marshall----Pearce

Holden----Cronin---Beckerman----Rogers

---------------Davies----Cooper------------- 

Projected Haiti Line Up

--------------------Zephirin--------------------

Bertin-----Gilles-----Raymond-----Aveska

Bruny-----Fucien-------Marcelin------Sirin

--------------Noel---Saint-Preux-------------- 

Goal.com Prediction

United States 2-0 Haiti 

Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com.

For more on the U.S. National Team visit Goal.com's U.S. National Team page.