For this reason, in the short-term, the 2019 Gold Cup will be considered a failure – an enormous missed opportunity. A year in which the United States looks to be struggling to adapt to a new manager and system, Mexico is fighting through a glut of injuries, and Costa Rica look sluggish, and in desperate need of roster renewal. Mistakes were made that kept Canada from storming the CONCACAF top four and announcing themselves as a true contender in the region – poised to challenge for a spot in the 2022 World Cup. Manager John Herdman took his time landing on what seemed to be his preferred starting XI. As a consequence, against Haiti there was a real sense that the players were not fully comfortable in the system, or their particular roles. There was an undercurrent of offensive football running through this Canada side at the start of the Gold Cup, but a consistent, and tangible system never seemed to truly emerge in the same way it has for the United States, Mexico, or even Haiti. Moreover, the decision to start Marcus Godinho at rightback despite the fact that he struggled mightily in the match against Martinique. The 22-year-old was directly responsible for two of Haiti’s three goals, and could have been removed for Zarchary Bault-Guillard when his game appeared to begin to breakdown early in the second half, but instead was left on to impact the match.