Only two teams make it out of the group stage and into the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup, and Trinidad and Tobago almost certainly need a victory to keep their hopes of making it to the quarterfinals of this competition.
- Date & Time
- June 22nd, 2019 8:00pm
- Location
- FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Media Coverage
- FS1
Only two teams make it out of the group stage and into the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup, and Trinidad and Tobago almost certainly need a victory to keep their hopes of making it to the quarterfinals of this competition. The good news is that Trinidad and Tobago know they can beat the heavily favored United States. It was the Soca Warriors that kept the USMNT out of the 2018 World Cup, defeating the Americans 2-1 in their final qualifying match. The Stars and Stripes will want to avenge that loss and punch their ticket to the knockout rounds.
United States vs. Trinidad and Tobago
2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Odds:
The United States did not look sharp in their final two friendlies prior to the start of the Gold Cup. They failed to score a goal against either Jamaica or Venezuela, so there was some trepidation coming into the opening match against Guyana even though the soccer betting line had the USMNT listed as a four-goal favorite. The USMNT put those fears to bed, at least for now, with a 4-0 win over Guyana on Tuesday night.
That final score looks convincing, but it took the Stars and Stripes some time to break through Guyana’s back line. They were only up 1-0 at halftime on the 177th ranked team in the world, and that may not bode well for their chances of repeating as champions. In the second half, Tyler Boyd notched a brace and Gyasi Zardes scored thanks to a shot that deflected off of a defender before hitting his face and landing in the back of the net.
Trinidad and Tobago played a far more reserved game in their opener than the United States. The Soca Warriors attempted to control possession and stall out the game against Panama, and that worked well for the first half. However, Panama netted two goals in the second half and ended up recording a 2-0 victory. Trinidad and Tobago finished the match without a single shot on net.
Trinidad and Tobago Player to Watch
The best player on the Soca Warriors is Kevin Molino. He has registered 19 goals for the national team in just 44 career appearances, and no other player on the roster has double-digit goals. Molino has been playing in America since 2011, and the Minnesota United midfielder is out to make his mark after recently recovering from an ACL injury that kept him out for almost the entirety of 2018.
United States Player to Watch
Unsung heroes need to step up if the United States are to successfully repeat as Gold Cup champions, and the play of Paul Arriola was very encouraging. Arriola opened up the scoring for the USMNT on Tuesday night after finishing a Weston McKennie pass with a solid strike. He continued to create throughout the evening after registering the first goal, testing Guyana’s flanks time and time again. That ability to open up defenses has been missing recently, and that should earn him another start.
United States vs Trinidad and Tobago Betting Prediction
Midfielder Weston McKennie might not play for the Americans after coming off due to an injury against Guyana. That will further test the creativity of a midfield that has been lacking in that aspect, and that makes me believe Trinidad and Tobago will cover on the goal line even more. Trinidad and Tobago can really frustrate this midfield by holding things up, and I don’t trust the Americans to score much.
United States 2, Trinidad and Tobago 1
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