KANSAS CITY, US: Daryl Dike scored twice and helped force an own goal, helping the US to overwhelm Martinique 6-1 Thursday night and clinch a berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals.
Miles Robinson, Gyasi Zardes and Nicholas Gioacchini also scored for the US, which started a lineup of players who have not been in coach Gregg Berhalter’s top-level player pool.
Canada lead the US (both 2-0) on a total-goals tiebreaker going into their matchup Sunday, which will determine the Group B winner.
The US improved to 37 wins, one loss and four draws in the Gold Cup group stage.
Berhalter changed seven starters from last weekend’s opening 1-0 win over Haiti, inserting defender James Sands along with Gianluca Busio, George Bello, Eryck Williamson, Christian Roldan, Matthew Hoppe and Dike. The lineup averaged five international appearances and was in effect a junior varsity, with only Roldan regularly getting much time with the primary player pool.
Hoppe, who started, and Donovan Pines, who entered in the 70th, raised the total to 47 debuts in 31 matches under Berhalter.
Dike, coming off a breakout loan from Orlando to second-tier Barnsley in England’s second-tier League Championship, raised his international goals total to three. He put the US ahead in the 14th minute with a header off a long cross from Hoppe.
Busio’s shot hit the crossbar in the 23rd minute, and Dike headed the rebound toward goal. Samuel Camille attempted a clearance, but the ball popped up and spun in.
Robinson made it 3-0 in the 50th when Busio’s corner kick sailed though the box and Williamson, making his first start, crossed for Robinson to head the ball in for his second international goal.
Dike exchanged passes with a Roldan in the 59th, broke in and lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Gilles Meslien.
Acosta, just into the game, fouled Kevin Fortune, leading to Riviere’s penalty kick that beat American goalkeeper Matt Turner in the 64th.
Zardes got his 13th international goal in the 70th, two minutes after replacing Dike, and Gioacchini, who is from Kansas City, scored his third international goal in the 90th off a cross from Busio, who plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.
