ORLANDO, Florida.- Guadeloupe will seek to earn its first 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup win against a confident Jamaica when they clash Friday night at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
If the Gwada Boys are going to secure three points, they will have to change their fortunes against Jamaica. Guadeloupe has only beaten Jamaica three times in their 11 encounters, with the last win coming over 30 years ago in May 1989 -- a 3-1 result.
The last time these two teams faced each was 11 years ago in the 2010 Caribbean Cup final. It was an intense matchup that saw Jamaica just edge Guadeloupe on penalties (5-4). With over a decade having passed, both teams feature new players and optimism ahead of Friday's game.
Jamaica will aim to keep their recent success against Guadeloupe going and kicked off its Gold Cup on a strong note with a 2-0 win over Suriname.
Jamaican striker Shamar Nicholson was the catalyst for his team as he opened the scoreboard for the match. He was aggressive, taking the most shots of the game. But he did it with reason. Nicholson has eight goals in 17 caps with Jamaica. He might be one of the later additions to the Reggae Boyz's roster but he will be key against Guadeloupe.
Guadeloupe didn't get off to the start it would've liked, suffering a 3-1 loss to Costa Rica, but it still had some bright spots. The Gwada Boys created several promising opportunities in attack, something it can build off.
Guadeloupe’s striker Raphael Mirval scored the sole goal against Costa Rica and was involved in several important plays. Mirval has scored nine goals in 10 games with Guadeloupe, he has scored seven goals in his last six matches (including the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League and this Gold Cup). His form will be key if Guadeloupe wants to get its first win of the tournament.
