MIAMI – League C of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League will conclude on Tuesday with a pair of matches in Group A. First place is still very much up for grabs as leaders Bonaire host the Turks and Caicos Islands at home in Rincon, while the US Virgin Islands welcome in title contenders Sint Maarten.
US Virgin Islands vs Sint Maarten
With Sint Maarten still in the hunt for first place, sitting just two points back of Bonaire, their match against the US Virgin Islands in Saint Croix is a huge one.
A win could potentially launch Sint Maarten up into the Gold Cup Prelims later this summer, depending on how Bonaire fares in their match. A loss or draw would be a frustrating conclusion, but the tournament overall would still be considered a huge success, with the team showing significant improvement since the previous Nations League.
Sint Maarten’s last match was a commanding 6-1 systematic breakdown of the previously unbeaten Bonaire. Gerwin Lake netted his second hat trick of the tournament and looked dominant as usual, but teammate Chovanie Amatkarijo may have performed even better. Amatkarijo set up the first two goals before scoring the third himself and looked in complete command over the entire field.
The US Virgin Islands don’t come in with the same momentum, having just lost 1-0 to Turks and Caicos and twice to Bonaire before that. The Dashing Eagle have been eliminated from contention, but hope to break the losing streak and end this tournament on a high note, as well as deny Sint Maarten any chance of advancing.
This will be the third ever meeting between these two sides, having drawn 1-1 in the opening match of the tournament last year and the USVI winning the other encounter 2-1 back in the 2016 Caribbean Cup.
Bonaire vs Turks and Caicos Islands
No matter the result, it will be a historic day in Bonaire as the nation gets to play its first ever competitive match on home soil when they take the field at the Stadion Antonio Trenidat in Rincon on Tuesday night. Finally being able to play in front of home fans is already enough for a celebratory atmosphere, but the big day also coincides with what is arguably the biggest match in Bonaire’s history.
With a two-point gap between them and second-place Sint Maarten, the home side will need a win to guarantee themselves promotion and a spot in the Gold Cup Prelims. A draw or defeat could still see them through, depending on what happens in the day’s other game.
And Bonaire will need to bounce back quickly after taking a heavy 6-1 defeat to Sint Maarten a few days ago. Mentally the team has to put that loss behind them and remember that they are still in control of their own destiny. The last time these two sides met back in June, Bonaire cruised to a 4-1 victory in Providenciales thanks to an Ayrton Cicilia hat trick. The home crowd will be hoping for something similar on Tuesday.
For Turks and Caicos, promotion may be out of reach but they still have an opportunity to play spoiler to Bonaire and finish their revenge tour. After dropping the first three games of the tournament, Turks and Caicos have won the next two, and if they defeat Bonaire they will have successfully beaten the entire group after losing the first time around.
They won 1-0 last week at home against the US Virgin Islands, thanks to a second half goal from Jeff Beljour. Junior Paul (three goals) and the ever-present Billy Forbes (two goals) have provided much of the firepower this campaign, and both looked good in Saturday’s win despite not finding the net. Bonaire cannot expect an easy coronation, but instead must prepare for a tough fight with Turks and Caicos.
