Costa Rica, Jamaica to defend groups leads in Group A

MIAMI – The 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League continues with the twelve teams in League A resuming their quest to reach the CNL Finals.

Costa Rica and Jamaica sit first in their respective groups following the September fixtures and will aim to defend their leads to secure a spot in the next round. The top two teams in each group will advance to quarterfinals at the conclusion of the group stage.

Additionally, the tournament will help to decide berths for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Group A

Costa Rica leads Group A with four points after claiming a win in a draw in September. Los Ticos are the only side in League A that didn’t allow any goals with a solid defensive unit led by Patrick Sequeira, Francisco Calvo and Juan Pablo Vargas. Calvo also added a goal to take his tally to six all-time in the CNL and extend his lead as the nation’s top scorer in the competition.

Guatemala, second in the group on goal differential, also has four points and will have the top spot in sight. Nicholas Hagen, who saved a penalty against Martinique and kept a clean sheet against Costa Rica, and Rubio Rubin, who scored a goal and produced five shots, will be players to watch for Los Chapines.

Suriname has three points and is in the race for one of the two top spots. Virgil Misidjan is one of the team’s main offensive threats after contributing in two of Suriname’s three goals.

Guadeloupe earned its historic first League A victory in the team’s past match to improve to three points. Jordan Leborgne scored the lone goal in Les Gwada Boys historic win against Suriname.

Guyana have claimed a point and is searching for its first victory of the season. Isaiah Jones will be one to watch after bagging a brace in the team’s last match.

Martinique have also collected a point and will strive for its first win of the campaign.  

Group B

Jamaica rose to the top of Group B undefeated with a win and a draw for a total four points in September.  Kasey Palmer, who was all-action in midfield, and Michail Antonio, who scored the winner against Honduras in the team’s past match, will be key for the Reggae Boyz’s efforts of returning to the Quarterfinals. 

Nicaragua has been one of the revelations in League A so far, tallying four points and being second in their group only on goal differential in the team’s return to League A. La Azul y Blanco is unbeaten in its last 14 CNL fixtures, with 10 wins and four draws. Widman Talavera scored a goal in each of the team’s opening matches and will be one player to keep an eye on.

Honduras will look to bounce back after its defeat in the team’s previous match. Los Catrachos are third in Group B with three points and aim to be in the race for the top spot. David Ruiz will be a player to watch after scoring a goal in each of the first two fixtures.

Cuba tallied two draws to remain undefeated this campaign and will host its second match of the tournament in search of a first win to climb up in the table. The nation has lost only lost one of its last 11 CNL fixtures.

French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago look to build on one point earned and rise in the standings with their October encounters.

The first and second-place finishers of each group in League A will advance to the Quarterfinals, where they will join the four top-ranked League A teams. The Quarterfinals will be played in a home-and-away format, with the aggregate score winner in each matchup advancing to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals.