Canada posted their best-ever margin of victory at the Concacaf Gold Cup, with a 4-0 win over Martinique on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. to open the 2019 edition of the competition.
After Martinique gave Canada a couple scares early with scoring chances against the run of play, Canada took the lead in the 33rd minute, as Jonathan David stripped Daniel Herelle after a shaky pass out of the back and waited for his chance to bury the shot, which he did.
He doubled the lead and his goal tally on the night in the 53rd minute on a jailbreak, as Samuel Piette dropped a ball over the top, with David confidently finishing his chance. 10 minutes later, Canada got their third goal, as Junior Hoilett bundled in the ball after Martinique goalkeeper Loic Chauvet saved the initial attempt.
The rout was on in the 66th minute, as Scott Arfield scored Canada's fourth goal, taking a feed from Mark-Anthony Kaye in the buildup.
Goals
- 33' – CAN – Jonathan David | WATCH
- 53' – CAN – Jonathan David | WATCH
- 63' – CAN – Junior Hoilett | WATCH
- 67' – CAN – Scott Arfield | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Expectations are high for this Canada side at this Gold Cup, and they're off to a good start after an at-times shaky first half. The big question for John Herdman's side is if their defense will coalesce before taking on tougher opponents, starting with the next game against Mexico.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Martinique were truly in the game until David opened the scoring, giving the Canadians firm control they would not relinquish.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Canada have gone through entire Gold Cup tournaments in the recent past without scoring, so getting off to a good start was imperative. With a brace to set up the win, David set the tone for a team that wants to reach the knockouts at the very least this time around.
Next Up
- CAN: Wednesday, June 19 vs. Mexico (10:30 pm ET | FS1, Univision, UDN; TSN1/4/5 in Canada) | Gold Cup
- MTQ: Wednesday, June 19 vs. Cuba (8 pm ET | FS1, UDN; TSN4 in Canada) | Gold Cup
