Team Profile
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Sint Maarten march into their first ever Concacaf Gold Cup as perhaps one of the most intriguing teams to appear at the tournament.
Making it this far is an impressive achievement for one of the region's smallest countries, who are riding an incredible wave of momentum after a dramatic comeback to top their Nations League C group back in March. But Sint Maarten have demonstrated the potential to go even farther.
Sint Maarten were led in that tournament by Gerwin Lake, who ran wild with eight goals and a pair of assists.
His partner in attack, Chovanie Amatkarijo, looked almost as dangerous in the final two matches of the Nations League. Key Gerritsen’s performance was also of note with two goals and an assist.
With a solid core and a strong goalkeeper in Gikay Croes, Sint Maarten have grown into a serious contender to reach the Gold Cup group stage since their humble beginnings in Nations League C four years ago.
Their signature 6-1 victory over Bonaire in March asserted that Sint Maarten was no fluke and has really leveled up recently. The addition of some overseas based players and several practice matches against Dutch professional sides certainly has helped on that front.
Fans can expect a high intensity, swashbuckling approach to the game that has been as joyful to watch as it has been effective. Sint Maarten’s 19 goals in the Nations League came in all forms, ranging from long strikes to beautiful team connections that led to tap-ins.
But on the other end, Sint Maarten did leave themselves open, conceding at least once in all six of their matches. They will need to tighten up at the back to compete on the continent’s biggest stage.
Sint Maarten will play French Guiana in the first preliminary round on June 17, in Fort Lauderdale. The winner of that match will play the winner of Curacao/Saint Kitts and Nevis for the final spot in Group D of the main draw.
