United States' Dike, Hoppe shows they are ready for a major test after the Gold Cup vs roaming. Martinique
For the United States men's national team, Thursday's CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage match against Martinique was not the result. A 6-1 win was crucial, but the real value of head coach Gregg Berhalter was to see some youngsters face off in the competition.
The upcoming three-match World Cup qualifiers in September, October and January will require more rotation than in previous rounds. So while most preferences may not be the only option, there are still many players who are fighting for meaningful roles.
“That’s all the reason we chose this list,” Berhalter said. "And why was it important for us to fight the boys' pre-World Cup qualifiers."
Martinique, a region of France with a population of less than 400,000, is the kind of opposition the United States should easily handle, and any measures to take things that need to be done in that context. For example, Daryl Dike was a great forward - he scored two goals and looked at the possibility of starting at No. 9 - but that was exactly what was to be expected of him given the level of opposition.
While performance won’t move him forward to Josh Sargent on the depth chart, it keeps him prominent in the conversation. Berhalter says so, following the win.
"I don't think it's right now to make a decision in this game," Berhalter said. "I think he has done well, scored good goals and showed why we really measure him and we think he is an important part of our team. But we are not rushing to conclusions about anyone who is being fired today."
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