MIAMI, Florida – The group stage of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup continues on Tuesday with the first matches in Group D, as Canada begin their quest for a second Gold Cup title, while Cuba and Guatemala will each vie for a winning start.
Canada vs. Guadeloupe
Group D play in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup opens Tuesday when Canada and Guadeloupe meet at BMO Field in Toronto.
Canada earned its place in the tournament by topping its Concacaf Nations League group and finished as runners-up at the CNL Finals, falling 2-0 to the United States in the Final.
Guadeloupe came through the qualification route, getting through the first and second round of the Prelims without conceding in either game. Les Gwada Boys beat Antigua and Barbuda 5-0 and Guyana 2-0 to move into the group stage for the fifth time in their history.Canada will look for leadership from some of the players who were part of the CNLF run, with GK Milan Borjan, MF Stephen Eustaquio and FW Lucas Cavallini among the players that Head Coach John Herdman recalled from earlier this month, while FW Charles-Andreas Brym and DF Zac McGraw are among those looking to make a name for themselves.
Guadeloupe manager Jocelyn Angloma, who led the team in scoring during its historic run to the Gold Cup semifinals in 2007, will lean on the experience of DF Meddy Lina and hope for more quality performances from Prelims standouts DF Andreaw Gravillon and FW Luther Archimede.
The teams have split the all-time series, with Guadeloupe topping Canada 2-1 at the Orange Bowl in Miami during that 2007 run. Canada had the edge four years later further north in Florida, as a goal from Dwayne De Rosario pushed the North Americans to a 1-0 victory at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
Match Officials Canada vs Guadeloupe
Referee: RUBIEL VAZQUEZ (USA)
1st Assistant Referee: COREY PARKER (USA)
2nd Assistant Referee: KYLE ATKINS (USA)
4th Official: KEYLOR HERRERA (Costa Rica)
VAR: JORGE PEREZ (Mexico)
AVAR1:ERICK MIRANDA (Mexico)
Guatemala vs. Cuba
DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida will be the setting for the second match of the day in Group D, as Guatemala take on Cuba.
Guatemala lead the all-time series with nine wins, four losses and three draws, while outscoring the Cubans 19-9. However, it was Cuba who emerged victorious in their lone Gold Cup encounter and it was a big one, as a 1-0 win carried Cuba into the knockout round of the 2015 tournament.
Guatemala are appearing in their 12th Gold Cup and second consecutive after qualifying as the first-place team in Group D of League B of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League.
FW Rubio Rubin was one of the key players in that run to the top of the group table, with three goals, while Carlos Mejia and Jose Morales helped serve as playmakers with two assists each.
Cuba are back in the Gold Cup group stage for the first time since the 2019 edition and they will fancy their chances of a run to the knockout round after capturing the top spot in their League B group in the 2022-23 CNL.
Veteran striker Arichell Hernandez is back in the fold after scoring four goals in the CNL and will be aided up top by the ever-dangerous Luis Paradela, a player who served as a goalscorer and playmaker for his team in the six CNL matches. Paradela found the back of the net twice, while also dishing out three assists.
There is also Gold Cup experience with Jorge Corrales and Maykel Reyes, the former having played in seven matches in the 2013 and 2015 tournaments while the latter scored the winning goal in that 2015 victory over Guatemala.
Guatemala vs Cuba
Referee: OSHANE NATION (Jamaica)
1st Assistant Referee: ZACHARI ZEEGELAAR (Suriname)
2nd Assistant Referee: JASSETT KERR-WILSON (Jamaica)
4th Official: RANDY ENCARNACION (Dominican Republic)
VAR: ISMAEL CORNEJO (El Salvador)
AVAR1: MELISSA BORJAS PASTRANA (Honduras)
