MIAMI, Florida – Two spots in the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals this June in Las Vegas will be up for grabs as Group B and Group C of League A come to a close on Tuesday.
Canada vs. Honduras
The night begins with Canada hosting Honduras at BMO Field in Toronto to decide Group C. The two teams head into the match even on six points, but with Canada ahead on goal difference, meaning a draw will suffice for Canada to reach their first ever CNL Finals.
The two teams met last June in Honduras where the Catrachos emerged with a 2-1 victory, but Canada arrive fully confident into Tuesday’s affair after dispatching Curacao 2-0 in Curacao.
Jonathan David scored the opener against the Caribbean side and also scored in the earlier loss to Honduras, giving him two goals in this CNL, tying him with Alphonso Davies for the team lead in the group stage.
Honduras have four goals in Group B and will have three of those goalscorers in the fold on Tuesday night, including FW Romell Quioto and midfielders Kervin Arriaga and Kevin Lopez. The latter two found the back of the net in the home win against the North Americans.
Honduras lead the all-time series, with 12 wins, seven draws and eight defeats, but only a win will be enough to seal their place in the CNL Finals for a second straight time.
Costa Rica vs. Panama
After their dramatic 2-1 comeback win at Martinique on Saturday, Costa Rica will attempt to reach a second straight CNL Finals when they take on Panama in the decisive match of Group B at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose.
Heading into the final minutes of Saturday’s affair in Martinique, Costa Rica’s CNL Finals chances were on their last breath, but a pair of goals in the dying minutes from Aaron Suarez and Anthony Contreras changed everything and brought Costa Rica to within a point of group leaders Panama.
Another victory on Tuesday night will catapult the Ticos into the CNL Finals, but Panama will be keen to spoil the party and only require a draw to do it.
Their earlier meeting in this group stage resulted in a 2-0 win for Panama in which Ismael Diaz and Cecilio Waterman scored for the Canaleros.
The all-time series has Costa Rica in front with a mark of 26W-14D-12L, including in Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 when they played to a 0-0 draw in Panama and a 1-0 Costa Rica win in San Jose.
The Ticos have been buoyed by the presence of young stars like Suarez, Contreras, Jewison Bennette and Josimar Alcocer, plus experienced veterans like Joel Campbell and Francisco Calvo, who each have a goal in the current CNL.
Panama have the talent in defense though to keep Costa Rica under wraps. They have yet to concede in their three games in Group B and have the manpower going forward to put Costa Rica on their heels.
Diaz and Waterman are in the fold, as is playmaker Alberto Quintero, who is Panama’s all-time assists leader with three.
