Haiti 0 Saudi Arabia 1
June 15 – Saudi Arabia opened their second appearance at Concacaf’s Gold Cup with a 1-0 win over Haiti on a baking hot San Diego early evening. It was a result that was against the run of play but not undeserved.
The Saudis are well marshalled under Herve Renard and that disciplined defensive based structure hides a lot ills, even if it can be a bit desperate and chaotic at times.
Haiti paid the pressure of prioritising physicality over finesse, guilty of wasting too much good possession with heavily hit final balls. They are also an aging team with not one of their starting XI under the age of 25 and it is starting to show.
Herve Renard brought his Saudi team into this Gold Cup (their first time as guests was in 1998) short of many of his best players who were either on duty at the Club World Cup or injured.
The Saudis have been struggling in World Cup 2026 qualification and they certainly aren’t the side that beat Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.
Saudi Arabia were on the back foot from the start with a performance that at times was more Chaplin than Championship as they at times scrambled to keep Haiti out and their players regularly going down with the slightest gust of wind on a windless night. The medical support staff had a busy evening bringing on the stretcher only to be ushered off with no patient. How they must have yearned for some real medical action to show off their skills.
In contrast the Haitians and their natural physicality bounced and bumped along but could not bring enough game breaking first touch of the ball in the danger areas. Their preference to go through rather than round opposition and to take one touch too many in the box only added to the comedy in this error strewn conflict.
But it was Haiti who started the brighter and with most promise. On 9 minutes Duckens Nazon found himself free on right in the box but blazed his shot wide of the right hand post. He should have done better.
Haitian pressure built and after a series of rebounds Dany Jean hammered over the bar – it was to be the story of the Haitian attack, the first half and ultimately the match.
On 16’ Saudi’s Ziyad Al Johani was brought down on the edge of the box on Saudi’s first real venture into the deep end of the Haitian half. Hamamma Al Hammami’s low free kick forced a clumsy foul by Frantdzy Pierrot on an evening of clumsiness and the referee pointed immediately to the spot.
Salah Al Shehri, after some pushing and shoving between the sides (would have not been betting against the Haitians if a proper fight had broken out), calmly slotted the penalty low to Jhony Placide’s right. 1-0 and Saudi Arabia had the lead against the run of play.
Eight minutes later Saudi, on the counter attack, thought they were two up but Al Hammami was ruled offside.
Normal service was resumed and more scrambling in the Saudi defence as it twice blocked Haitian pile drivers shots. Saudi were hanging in and Nawaf Alaqidi in the Saudi goal was enjoying blocking Pierrot’s shots as Haiti huffed and puffed but blew no-one’s house down.
With the minutes to half time ticking down a foul on Pierrot by Abdullah Madu on the edge of the box set up another chance for Haiti but the opportunity was wasted by Louicius Deedson’s tame curler wide of the post. It was the story of his game.
Pierrot had another chance to tap in deep into first half added time but couldn’t get his foot to the ball. Deedson hammered over the top again.
Haiti ended the half a goal down having had 51% of the possession – it felt like they had had a lot more.
The second half started with more of the same. Haiti wasted good position after good position while the Saudis absorbed the pressure with defenders in their box and a solid defensive shape that generally kept the Haitians away from the danger area.
Saudi almost made it 2-0 on 75 minutes, while Haiti had a claim for a penalty turned down and then a Pierrot goal ruled out for offside on 80 minutes.
In added time Pierrot went down in the box but the impressive Madu had won the ball fairly.
It wasn’t to be Haiti’s night.
They both now head to Texas where Saudi will play the USA in Austin and Haiti will try to put things right against Trinidad and Tobago.
| Grp D | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Haiti | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1750087012labto1750087012ofdlr1750087012owedi1750087012sni@n1750087012osloh1750087012cin.l1750087012uap1750087012