CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group B: USA 2-2 Haiti

ESPN Soccernet has this report on a thrilling match between USA and Haiti.

Holden's strike keeps U.S. unbeaten in group play

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- The United States had just two minutes left to avoid its first loss ever in CONCACAF Gold Cup group play. Haiti was heading for its first win over an American team by since May 1969, when it won 1-0 in San Diego. Then Stuart Holden stepped up.

The Houston Dynamo midfielder sent a 25-foot shot past goalkeeper Jean Dominique Zephirin into the upper right corner in the first minute of second-half injury time, giving the United States a 2-2 tie Saturday night in its final first-round game.

Stuart Holden emotional after the equalising goal - Image from Reuters

"We were pushing the whole second half," said Holden, who also assisted on Davy Arnaud's goal in the sixth minute. "We kept knocking on the door and the chance fell to me." The Americans, seeking their third straight title in the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, finished first in Group B and will play Jamaica or the third-place team in Group C next Saturday in Philadelphia.

The United States (2-0-1), which already had clinched advancement, improved to 23-0-2 in Gold Cup group play. The United States once again started a young lineup, with goalkeeper Luis Robles, and midfielders Sam Cronin and Colin Clark making their first international appearances. So did 32-year-old defender Jay Heaps, a member of the New England Revolution and veteran of 301 MLS games.

Six of the starting 11 made their first national team starts, with those four joined by forward Arnaud and defender Brad Evans.

"The experience of today will be something that they can draw from" the rest of the tournament, U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "You use these three games to gain experience. You use these three games to get confident. We use some of the things that happened today as reminders."

Haiti (1-1-1) finished third in the group round and also advanced. The two best of the three third-place teams move on. Haiti had taken the lead with goals in the first four minutes of the second half by Sirin Vaniel and Mones Chery.

"What an irony," Haiti coach Jairo Rios said. "The poorest country in the world against what could be considered the superpower of the world and they (the Haitians) could be able to hold themselves on the field, demonstrating the real passion for the game from the players."

Holden set up the first goal with a short pass to Arnaud, who gathered it in at the top of the penalty area, to the left of defender Frantz Bertin. Arnaud then rolled a soft shot with his left foot to the right of Zephirin, who came out of the net to try and cut down the angle.

"Goals give anybody confidence," said Arnaud, who plays for the Kansas City Wizards. "It was a good start, but more importantly, I'm part of the group now." The United States controlled play for the first 40 minutes before Haiti became more aggressive.

"Before the tournament started everybody thought that we were just going to come and make a fool out of ourselves," Rios said. Haiti nearly tied the game in injury time at the end of the first half. A crossing pass from the left side eluded Fabrice Noel just in front of Robles. But the ball continued on to Vaniel, who fired a shot that Robles managed to kick out with his knee. Vaniel got it back but shot the ball off the outside of the net.

The Haitians didn't miss their next two big chances.

In the first minute of the second half, Leonel Saint Preaux sent a crossing pass from near the right corner that soared over the outstretched right hand of Robles. Vaniel got to it before it hit the ground and headed it into the net. A poor judgment play by Robles led to the next goal. He left his net to try and get to a ball to his left. Before he reached it, the ball was passed out to Chery. Robles raced back to get in position, but Chery sent a 25-foot shot into the upper left corner as the goalkeeper was still running in that direction.

Trailing, the U.S. inserted Charlie Davies in the 73rd minute and Brian Ching in the 76th. "When you begin the tournament, the goal is to win your group and advance," Bradley said. "So the first thing that we said after the game is, `We've accomplished that goal."

Match Stats

				United States				Haiti
Shots on goal				5				5
Shots wide				8				2
Fouls				14				11
Corner Kicks				8				4
Offsides				0				7
Possession				53%				47%

Match Commentary

Minute		Description
90' +3		Full Time and an incredible end to this match, it's 2-2 and Haiti must be heartbroken. Although they have drawn this match a point will be enough to see them through to a quarter final.
90' +2		Holden with a magnificent strike, goal of the tournament. You couldn't make this up if you tried and it's 2-2. Aveska kicks the ball away from Brian Ching that falls to Holden and he unleashes an unstoppable shot past a despairing dive from Zephirin.
90' +1		Free kick to USA and Haiti defending well, 3 minutes of added time.
90'		S. Holden has scored a goal for United States!
88'		Haiti clinging on, a mad scramble in the Haiti box and once again they clear. It's back to wall time for Haiti as the USA pour forward.
85'		Free kick to USA, Zephirin punches clear and rebounds to Davies who controls with his chest, turns and shoots but it's cleared by Haiti.
84'		M. Sampeur enters the game and replaces L. Saint-Preux.
83'		Heaps with a cross and Brian Ching with a header that Zephirin gathers with ease.
82'		Free kick to Haiti to relieve some pressure.
81'		Ten minutes left and Haiti hanging on. USA with all the possession, Haiti reduced to long clearances.

Minute		Description
80'		K. Beckerman gets yellow.
		Beckerman pulls the Jersey of Saint-Preux and that's a yellow card.
79'		A. Thermeus enters the game and replaces F. Noel.
		Noel limps off as Thermeus comes on.
77'		B. Ching enters the game and replaces C. Clark.
76'		Holden out to Cronin and his left foot strike goes wide.
75'		The two teams have met 15 times with the Stars & Stripes winning six, Haiti five and six encounters ending in draws. So Haiti do have the USA's number.
74'		Corner to USA, Holden with the corner kick and it's cleared.
73'		Sirin is down getting the magic sponge treatment.
70'		The USA knocking on the door . Haiti looking a little fragile here.
69'		Aveska with an awful header back to his keeper and Davies sneaks in and his shot goes just wide.
68'		Clark with some work down the left flank and Holden has a glancing header that goes just wide, good stuff here from the USA.
66'		Corner to USA and Arnaud with a chance but his effort is deflected for a second corner kick. Holden with the corner and Haiti defend well.
65'		Free kick to Haiti on the half way line. Results in open play.
63'		C. Davies enters the game and replaces K. Cooper.
		K. Beckerman enters the game and replaces S. Quaranta.
62'		Gilles gets a cross in and the USA defend well, corner to Haiti and Marcelin has a weak effort that goes wide, goal kick to the USA.
58'		As we all draw a breath you have to hand it to Haiti, they are still harassing every USA player when they have possession. Their tails are up and it's great entertainment.
55'		Haiti is the last Caribbean team to defeat the Stars & Stripes on US Soil, 1:0 in San Diego, during the 1970 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round.
52'		Haiti full value for their lead, an incredible match.
49'		M. Chery has scored a goal for Haiti!
		Incredible scenes here as Haiti continue to press forward, they score again as Heaps makes a bad clearance to Chery, he lets rip from 25-yards and it's in the top right hand corner, Robles is rooted to the spot and Haiti take a 2-1 lead.
46'		V. Sirin has scored a goal for Haiti! Great assist by L. Saint-Preux.
		Haiti get the second half underway. And Haiti have scored, Saint-Preux with a cross and Robles flaps at it and Sirin sneaks in at the back post and makes no mistake with a simple header.
45' +3		Haiti almost score at the death, Saint Preux crosses for Sirin who shoots and Robles makes a good save, the follow up shot goes out for a goal kick. A golden opportunity for Haiti to bring the scores level as the whistle goes for half time and it's 1-0 to the USA.
45'		Aveska heads out for a USA corner, Holden whips in the corner and Conrad heads just wide. 2 minutes of stoppage time.
43'		Corner to USA, cross comes in and Kenny Cooper rises to head the ball back across goal but it's a goal kick.
41'		Free kick to USA approximately 30-yards out, Quaranta wastes his delivery.
38'		Free kick to the USA, results in open play.
36'		Haiti pressing here for a goal.
31'		M. Parkhurst gets yellow.
		Parkhurst with a yellow bringing his opponent down just outside the area. Free kick to Haiti, Saint-Preux blazes it over the bar.
30'		Corner Haiti, headed away by the USA. A great game boiling up here.
29'		Back to the other end and Haiti almost score as Noel tries his luck from distance, Robles makes a hash of the catch and its heading toward the goal, Robles manages to get back push it away for a corner.
28'		Holden lets rip with a belter from a full 30-yards and hits the underside of the crossbar.
27'		D. Arnaud gets yellow.
		Yellow to Arnaud for tugging down Marcelin.
25'		Arnaud alone in the area, he chests it down but it gets away from him, goal kick.
23'		Cooper is pulled down in the area by Aveska, referee waves play on, corner kick. Heaps rises to head and it's over the bar.
20'		The finesse of the USA is being challenged by the precocious defending of Haiti. Some good strong challenges coming in from Haiti.
19'		These two countries have met before in CONCACAF Gold Cup action, you have to go back to the 2000 group stages when the USA cantered to a 3-0 victory over the ‘Les Grenadiers’
15'		Holden loses possession in his own half and Haiti put together a few good passes, sloppy play there from Holden.
13'		Free kick to Haiti, results in open play.
12'		The USA have their tails up while Cooper looks menacing down the right flank, goal kick to Haiti.
11'		Corner kick results in open play.
10'		Free kick to USA, Holden bends it in and it deflects for a corner.
9'		The USA is currently on an extraordinary run in this competition, they have won eleven consecutive games, a streak that stretches back to the 2005 Gold Cup.
8'		Free kick to USA, results in open play. A great start for the USA.
6'		D. Arnaud has scored a goal for United States! Great assist by S. Holden.
		USA have scored. Arnaud latches onto a through ball from Holden and slots past the despairing Zephirin.
5'		Haiti getting well forward in these opening exchanges.
4'		Clark lines one up and shoots from the edge of the area, it's too high and goes out for a goal kick.
3'		Corner kick to Haiti, Aveska with the cross and it goes out for another corner. Corner Kick comes in and Robles collects at the second attempt, nervous start for the USA.
2'		Free kick to Haiti after a high challenge from Cronin. Results in open play.
1'		USA get the first half underway. Your referee is Walter Quesada from Costa Rica and his assistants are Leonel Leal from Costa Rica and Ricardo Morgan from Jamaica. Your fourth official is Walter Lopez from Guatemala.
		Welcome to live commentary of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B encounter between USA and Haiti at the Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. The USA have never lost a Gold Cup group stage match and have already qualified for the quarter final stages. Haiti is still right in this group, a win or a draw will guarantee them a place in the last eight, a loss and they have to wait on other results.

Match Commentary and Stats are shared from www.goldcup.org.