After laboring to a 2-1 win over Honduras in their CONCACAF Gold Cup opener, Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. men's national team will be looking for a response against Group A underdogs Haiti Friday night.
Despite a brace from Clint Dempsey, it was Jorge Luis Pinto's side which put up a fight against the Americans, ruffling the center back pairing of Ventura Alvarado and John Brooks and putting in a performance that plausibly merited a greater outcome.
[RELATED: Dempsey at the double: U.S. outlasts Honduras in Gold Cup opener]
Before the USMNT ground out their victory at Toyota Stadium on Tuesday, a plucky and much-improved Haiti side fought back from a 1-0 deficit against Panama to seize a 1-1 draw against the 2013 Gold Cup finalists.
With a quarterfinal berth in sight, Klinsmann insinuated that adjustments to the starting lineup may be in the offing ahead of Friday's match in Foxborough, bearing in mind the quick, three-day turnaround between games throughout the group phase. Specifically, the midfield, which was stretched and dragged around every so often against Honduras, will presumably be rotated with Mix Diskerud and Alejandro Bedoya relieving Kyle Beckerman and Gyasi Zardes.
[SHOP: Get your USMNT gear here]
For the Americans, a triumph over an athletic Haitian outfit would not only cement their passage to the knockout stages, but would be the stepping stone to securing first place in Group A with Panama and Honduras lying in wait.
Chicago Fire
Viewing information:
United States vs. Haiti
Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Where: Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass.
HOW TO WATCH
TV information: FOX Sports 1, UniMás, Univision Deportes
Live stream: Fox Sports Go, Fox Sports 2Go
UP NEXT
The United States faces 2013 Gold Cup runner-up Panama at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. on Monday, July 13. Kickoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports 1.