Day 4 of the 2015 Gold Cup is here and we kick off the second round of group games with Group A taking center stage on Friday at Gillette Stadium.
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After their 2-1 win over Honduras to open the tournament, the U.S. national team play Haiti and would all but seal a spot in the quarterfinals with a win. The USMNT will be hoping Clint Dempsey can add to the two goals he bagged in Texas on Tuesday, but Haiti snagged a late 1-1 draw with Panama in the most surprising result of the tournament so far. As for the other match, Panama and Honduras will square off in a key game for that will likely decide who ends up finishing second in Group A and qualifies automatically for the last eight.
Below is a brief primer on what to expect from both games, while you can follow the action live by clicking on the link above.
Game 7: Honduras vs. Panama
When: Friday, 6 p.m. ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Live updates: NBCSports.com
2013 finalists Panama slipped up big time in their opening game vs. Haiti and although the likes of Blas Perez caused plenty of problem up top, defensively they looked shaky throughout their 1-1 draw in Frisco. Honduras may now be the favorites for this one as they caused the U.S. plenty of problems on Tuesday with Andy Najar going close and Mario Martinez looking a threat. This should be an absolute beauty of a game for the under-card before the main event gets going...
Game 8: USA vs. Haiti
When: Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Live updates: NBCSports.com
And, of course, the main event is the U.S. squaring off against Haiti and although Dempsey has been stripped of the captaincy, he is still their go-to man. He proved that on Tuesday with two instinctive finishes and Jurgen Klinsmann’s side know they must not underestimate Haiti who looked well-organized against Panama. If the U.S. score early, Haiti could crumble, but the longer it stays scoreless, the longer a big crowd at Gillette Stadium will become nervous. The U.S. had plenty of uneasy moments defensively on Tuesday -- something which both Klinsmann and goalkeeper Brad Guzan admitted to our own Andy Edwards -- and the young central defensive partnership of Alvarado and Brooks must hold firm against the unknown quantity that is, Haiti.