FRISCO –Fresh off of his first full senior cap, North Texas SC midfielder Bicou Bissainthe and Haiti will take on Canada in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup on June 29. The match will kickoff from BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston at 6 PM and the match will be broadcasted on FS1 in English and Univision en Español.
National Team Debut
After staying on the bench for the first two group stage matches, Bissainthe, 20, made his senior debut in Haiti's third group stage bout with Costa Rica, coming on in the 79th minute as a substitute for Bryan Alceus.
With those 11 and some minutes of playing time, Bissainthe became the first North Texas SC player in team history to represent his country at the senior international level.
“I am happy (to make my debut) but the most important thing is to help the team, that’s why I’m so motivated,” Bissainthe said after the match. “I’m young, I’m still a U-20 player, so to play in the Gold Cup is a great achievement for me.”
His nine appearances in USL League One coupled with his youth national team experience allowed the dream of playing at one of the biggest possible stages internationally become a reality for Bissainthe.
“I’m proud, and North Texas SC is proud also, as well as my country,” Bissainthe said. “It’s a great motivation for me and I’m very happy to be at North Texas.”
Team Overview
La Sélection Nationale has already made history at the Gold Cup. With its 2-1 win over Group B favorites Costa Rica on Monday, Haiti topped its group for the first time in competition history.
Haiti was a perfect 3/3 in the 2019 edition’s group stage, defeating Bermuda 2-1 and eliminating Nicaragua with a 2-0 win before upsetting Costa Rica.
Canada has also had a tournament to remember. The Canucks got to this point after finishing in second place in Group A and scoring the most goals the country has ever scored in a Gold Cup (12) in just three games so far.
America’s northern neighbors lost to Mexico 3-1 but that was in between 4-0 and 7-0 victories over Martinique and Cuba, respectively.
Canada has the edge over Haiti historically, with a 7-1-2 record against the Caribbean nation.
Chance at Last Four
A victory in this game would be huge for both sides.
Haiti hopes to make the semifinals for the first time in the Gold Cup in its current form. During the Concacaf Championship era, Haiti made the final three straight times (‘71, ‘73, ‘77), winning its only regional title in 1973.
Meanwhile, a victory for Canada would grant the nation its first semifinal berth since 2007. Canada has been crowned champions once in the Gold Cup era (2000) and once in the Concacaf Championship era (‘85).
