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Canada opens Gold Cup with big win over Martinique

Omar Vega / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Canada kicked off its quest for Gold Cup glory with a 4-0 win over minnow Martinique on Saturday.

Jonathan David confidently put his country ahead when he preyed on a defensive lapse, and added his second after 53 minutes when Samuel Piette found him with a long ball through the middle. Junior Hoilett and the lively Scott Arfield also scored during the one-sided affair.

John Herdman's ranks put together some good moves in the first half but had to wait until the 33rd minute to take the lead. David, 19, took advantage of Martinique's slipshod attempt at playing out of the back, thieving the ball from Daniel Herelle after a loose touch and sitting down the goalkeeper before tapping into the corner.

While Canada was clearly the stronger team, its own haphazard defending during the final minutes of the opening stanza reminded the players their job wasn't complete.

But it was over soon after that. Gent teenager David pocketed another composed effort, Hoilett tapped in at the back stick following some determined work from Alphonso Davies, and Arfield coolly slid the ball past Loic Chauvet in the 67th minute.

Milan Borjan made sure he clocked out with a clean sheet when he athletically kept out Kevin Parsemain's free-kick in injury time.

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