3/1 To Win
U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has been hugely impressed with the attitude of Derby County midfielder Duane Holmes following his inclusion in the 23-man roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The 24-year-old, who was born in Columbus, Georgia, made his international debut for the USA on Wednesday night but was on the losing side as they were beaten 1-0 by Jamaica.
However, Holmes earned recognition from both supporters and journalists for his impressive performance after coming off the bench in the second half.
His display earned him a place in the Gold Cup squad, which starts later this month, after making 32 appearances for the Rams following his arrival from Scunthorpe United last summer.
“We watched Duane extensively at Derby County and we liked what we saw,” Berhalter told dcfc.co.uk.
“We liked his competitiveness and his technical ability, and he’s a guy that we certainly had on our radar to make the final roster.
“There were two concerns: one was his health, and how he was going to manage through the game and understand what we asked of him from a positional responsibility.
“He did well with all those things in the limited time that we were able to see.”
The United States, who are reigning champions of the competition, kick off their campaign against Guyana, who are managed by Club Ambassador Michael Johnson.
They also face Trinidad & Tobago and Panama in the Group Stage and should they qualify, they will be through to the Quarter Finals.
The US are aiming for their seventh tournament win and that would take them level with Mexico who have won the competition the most times.
