U.S. national team manager Bruce Arena said he is looking for an improved performance in his side's second Gold Cup group stage match against Martinique.
United States opened the tournament with a disappointing 1-1 tie against Panama, one that saw the visitors create the better chances on the day. Martinique, meanwhile, recorded a 2-0 win over Nicaragua, putting them top of Group B after the first round of matches.
"We're clearly coming off a result that we don't think is particularly good, our game against Panama," Arena said at his prematch news conference. "We need to have a better showing and hopefully we'll be ready to play against a team that had an impressive opening group game versus Nicaragua."
Arena added that for a U.S. roster that is a bit inexperienced, rebounding from a subpar performance is all part of adjusting to the game at international level.
"Young players have ups and downs and the way they deal with it is important," he said. "I see Landon [Donovan] here. I think Landon had a bad game with the national team at one time, so it's all part of it."
Arena indicated that several aspects of Wednesday's match will see him make significant changes to his starting lineup.
"We play three games in a week, and with travel and difficult conditions with heat and humidity," he said. "We also want to see some other players. It's a big focus of this roster for this competition. All of that, plus Martinique as well, so it's a combination of factors that will bring some changes to our lineup."
Martinique brought a physical approach to its opening match, recording four yellow cards and 22 fouls. Arena said he isn't worried about that aspect of Martinique's game.
"The physicality is not an issue," he said. "We're used to that. All the players, from either club play or international experience, it's nothing they haven't faced before."