The third meeting came in the opening match of the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup, with the USA an appropriate 4-0 score line on the Fourth of July in Seattle. Freddy Adu (seventh minute), Stuart Holden (31st minute), Robbie Rogers (60th minute) and Charlie Davis (68th minute) scored. The Americans outshot the Spice Boys25-3, as Troy Perkins recorded the clean sheet.
Interesting note: seven of the USA’s starters entered the match with a combined 11 international appearances.
RECENT MATCHES
Grenada enter the match on a 10-game winless streak through June 4. They last posted a win against the US Virgin Islands, a 1-0 result at home on March 30, 2021.
They dropped all three matches in group play at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, losing to Honduras, 4-0, Qatar, 4-0, and Panama, 3-1.
Grenada played only twice since the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. During a short European tour, they played Gibraltar to a scoreless draw on March 23 and lost at Andorra, 1-0, on March 28
In its Concacaf Nations League opener on June 4, the Caribbean side lost at El Salvador, 3-1. After the hosts’ Nelson Bonilla scored the first of his two goals in the second minute, Alexander McQueen equalized two minutes later. Bonilla struck for the go-ahead tally in the 43rd minute and Grenada’s AJ Paterson scored a 55th-minute own goal to close out the scoring.
Grenada nearly upset El Salvador during the home leg on June 7 in George’s. The Spice Boys twice took the lead behind goals from Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong (29th minute) and Jamar Charles (54th minute), but El Salvador found a late equalizer, with Cristian Gil putting one home in the 88th minutely.
MANAGER
Canadian-born Michael Findlay has guided the Caribbean side to a 1-8-1 record since taking over as head coach on Jan. 21, 2021
After playing in the Canadian Professional Soccer League, the 58-year-old Findlay eventually entered into coaching, beginning with the British Columbia Soccer Center as an assistant coach before his appointment as their Director of Football Development.
He has also previously worked as an assistant with several Canadian Men’s National Teams, including the Under-17, U-20 and U-23 squads.
ROSTER
The Spice Boyz brought in a relatively young 25-man roster into its Concacaf Nations League matches. Slightly more than half the players are below the age of 25.
Forward Jamal Charles, who plays for Real Sociedad, is the side’s leading scorer with 15 goals in 30 appearances.
Seven players perform in the United States – defenders Kwesi Paul (Peachtree City, USL League Two) and AJ Peterson and Ettiene (both Charleston Battery, USL Championship), midfielders Alexander McQueen (Indy Eleven, USL Championship), Shavon John-Brown (El Paso Locomotive, USL Championship) and Josh Gabriel (Westchester Flames, USL League Two) and forward Kharlton Belmar (Colorado Springs Switchbacks).
GRENADA ROSTER BY POSITION:
Goalkeepers (3): Jason Belton (Paradise, 45/0); Charles Reice-Cook (Dartford/ENG; 6/0); Trishawn Thomas (Queens Park Rangers/ENG; 0/0)
Defenders (8): Benjamin Ettienne (Charleston Battery/USA; 9/0), Kayden Harrack (Queens Park Rangers/ENG; 4/0), Christian James (Camerhogne; 1/0), Kraig Noel-McLeod (Enfield Town/ENG; 9/ 0), Lemoud Ogiste (Sunsetters FC; 0-0), AJ Paterson (Charleston Battery/USA; 18/4), Kwesi Paul (Peachtree City/USA; 5/0), Tyrone Sterling (Dulwich Hamlet/ENG; 15/ 0)
Midfielders (7): Steffon Abraham (Paradise; 8/0), Leon Braveboy (Hard Rock FC; 7/0), Ashley Charles (Wealdstone/ENG; 2/0), Josh Gabriel (Westchester Flames/USA; 6/0), Shavon John -Brown (El Paso Locomotive/USA; 34/4), Alexander McQueen (Indy Eleven/USA; 15/1), Kwazim Theodore (Unattached; 35/1)
Forwards (8): Luke Akins (Mansfield Town/ENG; 0-0), Kharlton Belmar (Colorado Springs Switchbacks/USA; 8/0), Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong (Aldershot Town/ENG; 7/1), Jamal Charles (Real Sociedad/ESP : 30/15), Romar Frank (Camerhogne; 19/1), Saydrel Lewis (Real Juventud/HON; 26/7), Kairo Mitchell (Notts County/ENG; 14/2), Dejon Noel-Williams (Braintree Town/ Eng; 7/0)