One of the most memorable runs in recent Concacaf Gold Cup history was in 2019 when Curacao, in just their second Gold Cup appearance, reached the quarterfinals.

Now, four years later, Curacao will hope to take flight again in the Gold Cup beginning in the Prelims.

Curacao’s first Gold Cup campaign came in 2017 and despite not getting a result, they were very competitive in all three matches. That set the stage for their remarkable run in 2019, beginning with their first Gold Cup goal scored by Leandro Bacuna against Honduras in what turned out to be their first ever Gold Cup victory in a 1-0 final.

A sensational second half stoppage time strike from Jurien Gaari in their group stage finale against Jamaica earned Curacao a 1-1 draw and a precious point that ultimately earned them a spot in the quarterfinals.

Despite falling 1-0 to the United States in the final eight of that edition, Curacao had won over fans across the region. The island nation did qualify for the 2021 edition in the group stage, but had to withdraw due to several players contracting COVID-19.

Two years on, Curacao are back in the Gold Cup mix and will begin in the Prelims after a third-place finish in Group C of League A of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League.

Bacuna and Gaari played big roles in their CNL campaign, with Bacuna scoring one of Curacao’s two goals, while Gaari had an assist.

Anthony van den Hurk tallied the other goal and Vurnon Anita chipped in with an assist, but arguably the best performer for Curacao was standout GK Eloy Room, who recorded 11 saves.

Bacuna and Gaari are the country’s all-time Gold Cup scorers with one each, with Bacuna heading up a list of seven players who have played in every Curacao Gold Cup game to date (7 games).

Curacao kick off the Prelims in the first round against Saint Kitts and Nevis, and a victory in that affair would send them to the decisive second round contest between the winner of French Guiana and Sint Maarten.

Should Curacao earn those two victories in the Prelims, they will be back in the familiar surroundings of a Gold Cup group stage, this time in Group D against Canada, Cuba and Guatemala, and with the dream of making another memorable run.