MIAMI, Florida – Group A of League A of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League returns to action on Sunday with another three-match slate in which the likes of Martinique and El Salvador will be leaning on the comforts of home to try to earn their first victories of the campaign.
Martinique vs. Curacao
The day starts off at the Stade Pierre-Aliker in Fort-de-France, Martinique, where Curacao pays a visit to Martinique in a match-up of teams who suffered defeats on matchday one.
Martinique fell 3-0 on the road in Panama, while Curacao came up just short in a late 1-0 loss at Trinidad and Tobago.
Curacao certainly had their chances to find the back of the net, especially in the final minutes, so they will be keen to get on the scoresheet against Les Matinino.
This will be the third match between the two sides, with Curacao owning a slight 1W-1D-0L lead in the all-time series.
A defeat for either side will seriously complicate the road to a top-two finish and advancement to the quarterfinal round, so a full three points will be paramount.
Guatemala vs. Panama
Two teams who continue to impress in the Concacaf region will meet at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where home side Guatemala will host 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup finalists Panama.
Both sides got off to superb starts in this new CNL campaign, with the Canaleros handling Martinique 3-0 and the Chapines powering past El Salvador 2-0.
Guatemala are playing some of their best football in years under the guidance of Head Coach Luis Fernando Tena and the goal-scoring exploits of Carlos Mejia and Pedro Altan against El Salvador made for a festive night in the Guatemalan capital.
Panama are similarly playing outstanding football at the moment, and at the heart of it all is 2023 Gold Cup Best Player Award winner Adalberto Carrasquilla, who was once again exceptional for his national team against Martinique, providing an assist on Jose Fajardo’s opening goal.
This is the first CNL meeting between the two, but all-time there have been 10 encounters, with nine wins for Panama and a single victory for Guatemala. Along the way, Panama have outscored their fellow Central Americans by 19-5.
El Salvador vs. Trinidad and Tobago
The day wraps up with El Salvador hosting Trinidad and Tobago at the Estadio Jorge Gonzalez in San Salvador.
El Salvador fell 2-0 to Guatemala in their opening match on Thursday night, while Trinidad and Tobago came away with a dramatic 1-0 win versus Curacao.
The hero for the Soca Warriors was 19-year-old Nathaniel James, who scored in the 87th minute of his Trinidad and Tobago senior team debut to deliver the three points to his side.
With three points already in their pocket, no doubt that Trinidad and Tobago will arrive to San Salvador feeling confident of getting a positive result on Sunday. For El Salvador, anything less than a victory would certainly complicate their road to the next stage.
Mayer Gil, Brayan Gil and Christian Martinez led the way in shots taken with two, so that trio and more will attempt to find the back of the net.
James got the goal for Trinidad and Tobago, but it was the clever playmaking of Ryan Telfer who set it up, with Aubrey David also a force with three shots.
