THE VALLEY, Anguilla – League C of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League will open in The Valley on Thursday evening at the Raymond E. Guishard Stadium, as hosts Anguilla take on Dominica. It is the only League C game of the day.
The match will be the first ever League C showing for Dominica, who are looking to earn a quick promotion back to League B after suffering relegation last time around.
Anguilla, on the other hand, are in League C for the second time, and are seeking their first win in Nations League play.
The home side also enters the game on a two-match winning streak, having defeated the British Virgin Islands and Saint Martin in friendlies earlier this year. The team will be looking to ride that forward momentum into a good result in their opening match.
Dominica enter on a hot streak of their own, being unbeaten in their last four matches (3W-1D-0L). Notably, that streak began when Dominica defeated Anguilla 3-0 during 2022 World Cup qualification.
That match was played in neutral territory though, and the venue this time around will certainly favor the hosts. Despite two defeats in the previous cycle, Anguilla played much better in The Valley and a spirited crowd certainly helped their cause.
Players to keep an eye on include Dominica’s Julian Wade, who scored in each of the team’s previous two competitive matches (including once against Anguilla) and young midfielder Audel Laville, who scored a brace in the team’s last outing against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines last month.
For Anguilla, teenage striker Jauron Gayle will be looking to add to his international goals total after scoring his first for the senior team back in February. Gayle had previously excelled for the Anguilla youth teams, including during the 2021 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship qualifiers.
