MIAMI.- It all comes down to this for a quartet of teams in League B with Monday’s 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League action deciding which team will go up to League A and earn a direct place in the Gold Cup, which team will earn a place in the Gold Cup Prelims and which teams will turn their attention toward CNL 2023-24.
Guatemala vs. French Guiana
French Guiana heads into Guatemala City’s Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores on 11 points, one more than Guatemala, so the home side knows it needs a win to go into League A from Group D.
Guatemala topped Belize 2-1 on Friday night to set up the deciding contest with French Guiana, who are coming off a thrilling 1-1 draw with the Dominican Republic that saw Jean-David Legrand score from a free kick in the 86th minute, only to concede the equalizer on an indirect free kick in stoppage time.
French Guiana FW Joel Sarrucco is tied for the CNL League B lead with four goals but was held off the scoresheet last game, while Guatemala’s danger men are Oscar Santis and Rubio Rubin, each of whom have a pair of goals over the last three CNL games.
Les Yana Dokos will be without MF Miguel Haabo, who saw red in the game with the Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic vs. Belize
The Dominican Republic topped Belize 2-0 in their previous CNL Group D meeting at FFB Stadium in Belmopan and now hopes to get another win over the Jaguars at home, hosting Belize at the Estadio Panamericano.
In his debut as Dominican Republic manager, Marcelo Neveleff guided his team to a 1-1 draw in French Guiana with FW Carlos Heredia converting in the 92nd minute from an indirect free kick.
Belize played a strong match against Guatemala but couldn’t get the win on Friday in a narrow 2-1 loss and will hope to earn its first victory of the CNL campaign.
While the DR earned victory in the first CNL meeting, history shows Belize can earn three points, with long-time Belize FW Deon McCaulay scoring three times over the course of two World Cup qualification victories in the 2018 World Cup qualification cycle.
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Nicaragua
Group C will be decided at Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago with Nicaragua visiting Trinidad and Tobago. The teams opened CNL play against each other with a 2-1 Nicaragua victory in Managua on June 3, and neither team has lost since then.
That sets up a deciding game with Nicaragua in first place in the group on 13 points needing a win or draw to clinch a Gold Cup berth and a spot in League A, but T&T manager Angus Eve knows his team will go through with a victory.
Both squads enter the contest after complete performances, with Nicaragua scoring in the fourth, 42nd, 60th and 92nd minutes in a 4-1 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while Trinidad and Tobago rode a three-goal first half to a 3-0 win against Bahamas.
Trinidad and Tobago holds a slight edge in a competitive all-time series, having won three of their six meetings, though Nicaragua could level with a win on Monday.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Bahamas
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines hosts the Bahamas at Arnos Vale Stadium with both teams hoping to close out their CNL campaigns in Group C on a positive note after losing earlier this window.
Bahamas fell 3-0 on Friday to Trinidad and Tobago, while Saint Vincent and the Grenadines got a goal from the spot from FW Kyle Edwards in a 4-1 defeat to Nicaragua.
In the last meeting, Bahamas FW Lesley St. Fleur’s 68th-minute penalty kick was the difference, as the Baha Boyz took a 1-0 win in Nassau. The all-time series between these nations is knotted up with each team having won one matchup and both having scored three goals all-time. This sets up as another tight encounter.
