MIAMI, Florida – This Saturday four more teams will get their first crack at League A of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League, as Suriname take on Jamaica in Group A, while El Salvador play host to Grenada in Group D.
The first match of the day will kick off at the Frank Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, Suriname, with the home team facing a familiar foe in the Reggae Boyz in a battle of teams that earned promotion from League B.
Their last meeting came just last summer in the opening match of Group C of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup when Shamar Nicholson and Bobby Reid scored in a 2-0 Jamaica win.
While they have never faced each other in the CNL proper, they did lock horns in CNL Qualifying in November 2018 when Jamaica emerged with a narrow 2-1 victory.
Overall, there have been seven meetings between the two nations, with Jamaica winning five and Suriname with two; Suriname’s last win against Jamaica was a 3-1 triumph in a 1996 Caribbean Cup affair.
When it comes to players to watch for Suriname, look no further than the dynamic Gleofilo Vlijter, who led all scorers in the 2019-20 CNL with a whopping 10 goals.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Nicholson is back in the fold for Jamaica after leading his side with four goals in the previous edition of the CNL.
El Salvador vs. Grenada
The nightcap in League A pits El Salvador welcoming in Grenada to the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Just like the day’s first match, this is a contest between two teams that finished first in their respective League B groups in the 2019-20 CNL to earn promotion to the top flight.
There has been just one previous encounter between these two nations, coming last year in the First Round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 when the Cuscatlecos downed the Spice Boys 2-0 on goals from Gerson Mayen and David Rugamas.
El Salvador Head Coach Hugo Perez will be leaning on midfield maestro Narciso Orellana to spark the attack. No El Salvador player made more passes in the last CNL than Orellana with 312. Up top, 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup scorer Joaquin Rivas will be among the players hoping to polish off those scoring chances.
When it comes to Grenada and goals, it all starts with Jamal Charles. The striker enjoyed a prolific 2019-20 CNL scoring six of his team’s eight goals, including three game-winning goals coming in the final half-hour of play.
No doubt that four teams all coming off of promotion will be keen to garner winning starts in League A.
