MIAMI.- Participating in the Concacaf Gold Cup for the first time since the 2011 edition, Grenada are back in the competition, making their third appearance in the tournament.
The Caribbean nation were the third team to earn qualification to this summer’s tournament after clinching the top spot in Group A of League B in the 2019–20 Concacaf Nations League.
At the helm for the “Spice Boys” is former Canada men’s national team manager Michael Findlay. The Canadian was announced as the manager of Grenada in January, taking over for Shalrie Joseph, who led Grenada through their Nations League run and Promotion to League A.
In his first months on the job, Findlay was tasked with leading the team through the Concacaf First Round of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. Finishing fourth in Group A with one win and three losses, Grenada gained experience against the likes of fellow 2021 Gold Cup participant El Salvador.
Findlay has called up a young core of players for their Gold Cup quest, including seven forwards under the age of 25 to their 23-man roster. Part of that front line will be 23-year-old Saydrel Lewis, who scored both of Grenada’s goals in World Cup qualifying.
Another player to watch will be 25-year-old forward Jamal Charles, Grenada’s most experienced attacker with 14 goals in 25 appearances. Charles scored the winning goal in all four Grenada victories in CNL play, two of those coming in the final 10 minutes.
Grenada will play their first Gold Cup match in a decade exactly 10 years apart -- on July 13 -- when they take on Honduras, one of their group foes in 2011, in Houston. Grenada will remain in Texas for their July 17 match with Qatar and will finish group action against Panama on July 20 in Orlando.
“The Gold Cup is a great opportunity for us to assess our progress and overall program position, and there is no better place to do that than competing with teams such as Honduras, Qatar and Panama” said Findlay in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com in June.
