MIAMI, Fla.- The second day of the Gold Cup Prelims will see three more matches played at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. A pair of debutants will be in action alongside four countries that have become much more regular Gold Cup sides in recent years.
French Guiana vs Sint Maarten
French Guiana will take on Sint Maarten in the first match of the day in the first ever meeting between the two sides.
Les Yana Dokos have reached the group stage of the Gold Cup one time before, in 2017. In each cycle since then, the side has been in the mix to get back to the group stage, but has come up just short each time.
Joel Sarrucco netted four of the team’s eight goals during the Nations League B campaign that saw them finish in second place, just two points off the pace of group winners Guatemala. Goalkeeper Donovan Leon, based at AJ Auxerre in France, tallied an impressive 18 saves.
Sint Maarten have never before appeared on a stage of this magnitude. Even reaching this phase is a commendable achievement for a country with one of the smallest populations in all of Concacaf, but Sint Maarten are here to do more than just take part.
Gerwin Lake has become well-known around the region as an exceptionally dangerous goalscorer. With eight goals in this Nations League cycle and five during the previous, he is the top scorer in Concacaf Nations League history at any level. In addition to Lake, 18-year-old midfield prodigy Oliver Hobgood was elected to the Nations League C Best XI, as was defender Mitchell De Nooijer.
Suriname vs Puerto Rico
Suriname made their Gold Cup debut in 2021 and made a good showing of themselves, finishing with three points. The Natio have risen to prominence in the Nations League era, dazzling fans during the inaugural competition and becoming one of the stronger sides in the region in the process.
Puerto Rico, like Sint Maarten, are making their debut at a major tournament and have gotten here through the path of the Nations League C. Unlike Sint Maarten, who battled until the final matchday to take a spot in the Prelims from Bonaire, Puerto Rico dominated their group wire-to-wire and their arrival in South Florida was never in doubt.
The two will take the field opposite one another on Saturday evening, for just the second ever head-to-head matchup. The first, a 2005 Gold Cup qualifier, ended in a 1-1 draw.
Players to watch for Suriname include star striker Gleofilo Vlijter, who has 10 Concacaf Nations League goals in his career and scored twice during the 2021 Gold Cup. Right back Kelvin Leerdam has had a long and successful career in the Eredivisie, and more recently in MLS.
For Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rivera led the way with six goals and two assists during the Nations League. Rivera was simply dominant throughout the competition. Gerald Diaz had two goals and an assist, and Devin Vega’s command of the midfield earned him a place in the League C Best XI. Defender Sidney Paris also was selected to the Best XI.
Guyana vs Grenada
In the final match of the first preliminary round, Guyana will take on Grenada. This is a long and historic series, with 17 previous meetings between the sides. Grenada have won 10 matches, while Guyana have won five. However, this is the first time the teams have faced off at the Gold Cup.
The Golden Jaguars reached the group stage for the first time in 2019, and are making their second straight trip to Florida for the Prelims.
Guyana arrive in Fort Lauderdale by way of Nations League B, where they finished with a 3W-1D-2L record. Nineteen-year-old Omari Glasgow led the way with three goals and certainly looks like he could be the next big thing in Guyanese football. The veteran Neil Danns still patrols the midfield at 40 years of age, and scored three times at the 2019 Gold Cup. A similar performance this time around would garner plenty of comparisons to former Cameroon great Roger Milla.
Grenada have appeared in the group stage on three prior occasions, and are now two wins away from doing so for a second consecutive tournament. The Spice Boyz ended up in the Prelims after a third-place finish in their League A group, behind the United States and El Salvador.
Jamal Charles, who scored once in League A, has seven total Nations League goals across the two editions of the competition so far. Also a threat to score is Romar Frank, who netted Grenada’s only goal at the 2021 tournament. Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong provided a goal and an assist during the Nations League.
Despite some previous experience, a victory would be the first ever at the Gold Cup for either side. The winner of course will also move on to face either Antigua and Barbuda or Guadeloupe for a spot in the group stage.
