United States vs. Haiti
2021 Concacaf Gold Cup | Group B
Sunday, July 11, 2021 | 8 p.m. CT
Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Broadcast Schedule:
English | FS1
Spanish | Univision, TUDN
Streaming | FOX Sports app, TUDN app
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gianluca Busio is on the brink of representing the United States Men’s National Team for the first time as the Americans prepare for their Concacaf Gold Cup Group B opener on Sunday night against Haiti at Children’s Mercy Park, a world-class venue with which the 19-year-old is well familiar.
Busio, of course, has blossomed into one of the best teenage players in American soccer by delivering countless game-changing displays for Sporting both at Children’s Mercy Park and elsewhere across Major League Soccer. Once a 14-year-old member of the Sporting KC Academy, Busio will now seek his senior international debut in a highly anticipated matchup slated for 8 p.m. CT with live coverage in English on FS1 and the FOX Sports app and in Spanish on Univision, TUDN and the TUDN app.
Concacaf Gold Cup tickets at Sporting’s home stadium start at $45 via SeatGeek.com and three-day passes can be purchased for access to all five international matches from July 11-18. Sunday’s doubleheader will pit Canada against Martinique at 5:30 p.m. CT followed by the U.S. MNT nightcap versus Haiti.
USA Schedule: 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup (Group B) at Children’s Mercy Park
Selected by U.S. MNT head coach Gregg Berhalter for the first time, Busio is the second-youngest player and one of only seven teenagers to be selected to a Gold Cup roster in U.S. history. The 23-player squad also features Kansas City native Nicholas Gioacchini, two-time World Cup veteran Brad Guzan, reigning MLS Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman and FC Schalke 04 forward Matthew Hoppe, who scored six goals in Germany’s Bundesliga last season.
2021 GOLD CUP – USMNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS)
GOALKEEPERS (3): 22-Brad Guzan (Atlanta United; 64/0), 18-Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), 1-Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 1/0)
DEFENDERS (8): 21-George Bello (Atlanta United; 1/0), 2-Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 18/1), 20-Shaq Moore (Tenerife/ESP; 5/0), 4-Donovan Pines (D.C. United; 0/0), 12-Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 3/1), 16-James Sands (New York City FC; 0/0), 3-Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids; 3/0), 5-Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 14/2)
MIDFIELDERS (6): 23-Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 31/2), 6-Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City; 0/0), 17-Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 24/7), 10-Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 20/0), 19-Eryk Williamson (Portland Timbers; 0/0), 14-Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 12/0)
FORWARDS: (6): 7-Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 35/8), 11-Daryl Dike (Orlando City; 3/1), 8-Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen/FRA; 3/2), 13-Matthew Hoppe (Schalke/GER; 0/0), 15-Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; 7/2), 9-Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; 56/12)
Riding a wave of momentum after beating Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League Final last month in Denver, the U.S. will look to start strong in Group B against a Haiti outfit that hammered Saint Vincent and the Grenadines last Friday and Bermuda on Tuesday in the Preliminary Round. One of Haiti’s most prominent players is winger Derrick Etienne, who notably scored for Columbus Crew SC in their 2020 MLS Cup victory over Seattle Sounders FC last December.
A North Carolina native, Busio moved to Kansas City in 2016 to join the Sporting KC Academy and has developed into one of the sport’s top teenagers since signing a Homegrown Player contract with the club at age 15 in August 2017. Busio became the second-youngest player in MLS history to record an assist (Aug. 4, 2018) and score a goal (Oct. 17, 2018) in his debut season and has eight goals and eight assists in 62 MLS appearances over the last three years.
Busio has demanded the spotlight in 2021, amassing two goals and three assists while starting all 13 matches for a Sporting side that sits second in the Supporters’ Shield standings with 26 points and an 8-3-2 record. He scored the opening goals in Sporting’s 1-1 draw with Orlando on April 23 and 3-2 victory over Houston on May 29, with the latter earning AT&T MLS Goal of the Week honors as Busio became the league’s second-youngest player to score directly from a free kick. He is the first Sporting KC player selected to the U.S. Men’s National Team since Ike Opara in January 2018 and the first Sporting KC Academy product to join the full national team for an official competition.
The Gold Cup is the region's flagship international tournament, featuring men's national teams from across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. First contested in 1991 and taking place every two years, the Gold Cup crowns the confederation's champion and the 16th edition will be played from July 2-Aug. 1 in eight U.S. markets. The Americans are seeking their seventh Gold Cup championship, having hoisted the trophy in 1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2017.
