MIAMI, Florida – The 16-team field for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup is now official following Sunday’s results in Week 4 of 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League Qualifying.
Haiti, Canada, Martinique, Curacao, Bermuda, Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, El Salvador and Nicaragua have finished in the top 10 of the 34-team table and will join Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, United States and Trinidad and Tobago in this summer’s tournament.
The day started on a historical note, as Bonaire earned its first win since 2014 with a dramatic 2-1 home triumph over British Virgin Islands. Jermaine Windster gave Bonaire the lead in the 7’, only for Jamie Wilson to pull level in the 76’. But Windster would rise up and score a dramatic winner in the 88’ for the three points.
Up next was Grenada, who traveled to Puerto Rico and got the best of the Boricuas 2-0 thanks to goals from Antonio German in the 27’ and Arthur Paterson in the 74’.
Things took an interesting turn in the third match of the day, as Bermuda took down hosts Dominican Republic 3-1 in a winner-take-all affair in which the victor would punch its Gold Cup ticket.
The home side had a dream start with an Enmy Pena goal in the 3’, but Bermuda would show its character and score three unanswered goals through Zeiko Lewis (15’), Nahki Wells (64’) and Justin Donawa (74’) to clinch its first ever Gold Cup.
Canada was back flexing its scoring muscles in a 4-1 home win over French Guiana. Junior Hoilette got things going in the 11’, but French Guiana would not back down and pulled level after a Kevin Rimane goal in the 26’.
But the final hour of play belonged to Canada, who got scores from Lucas Cavallini in the 39’ and 51’ and Jonathan David in the 41’ to finish second in the table.
In a battle of teams that clinched Gold Cup berths, hosts Haiti edged Cuba 2-1 thanks to a late goal. Duckens Nazon scored his sixth goal of CNLQ to make it 1-0 to Haiti in the 26’, but Cuba would respond in the 61’ through Luis Paradela.
Just when it looked like things would end in a draw, Kevin LaFrance scored in the 87’ to give Haiti the three points a first-place finish in the table.
The night ended with a thrilling finish that saw Nicaragua punch the last Gold Cup ticket with a 1-0 win at Barbados, courtesy of a Juan Barrera goal in the 65’.
