Teen David has a bracing debut
Canada 4 Martinique 0 NEXT: MEXICO, 10:30 P.M., WEDNESDAY
PASADENA, CALIF.— Jonathan David scored twice in his Gold Cup debut, helping Canada to a 4-0 win against Martinique in the Group A opener at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
Junior Hoilett and Scott Arfield also scored, as Canada got its first win in the Gold Cup since defeating French Guiana 4-2 in the opener of the 2017 tournament. It was also the sixth consecutive win for Canada in all competitions, outscoring opponents 27-1 in that span.
David, the 19-year-old forward for Kaa Gent in the Belgian First Division, put Canada ahead 1-0 in the 33rd minute when he pounced on a mistake by Martinique as it tried to build out from the back. Daniel Herelle could not control a pass from goalkeeper Loic Chauvet and David collected the loose ball, scoring into the left corner after charging in on goal and forcing Chauvet to go down.
David made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute, boosting his tally to six goals in his first five matches with the senior national team. Kept onside by midfielder Karl Vitulin, David collected a long ball over the top from Samuel Piette and score on a breakaway. Canada goalkeeper Milan Borjan made two timely saves late in first half the against Kevin Parsemain, Martinique’s alltime leader in goals. Borjan stopped a shot with his feet in the 44th minute when Parsemain accelerated past the Canadian defence for a breakaway, and the Red Star Belgrade goalkeeper parried away another chance by Parsemain in stoppage time after he picked off a poor pass by Piette.
Canada had not defeated Martinique in two previous Gold Cup group stage matches.