MIAMI, Florida – League A of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League began Thursday with Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and Guatemala all emerging with home victories.
The day started with Trinidad and Tobago getting off to a winning start, registering a 1-0 home victory against Curacao at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
The first half saw Curacao create the majority of the scoring chances, but overall, the finishing of the two sides was off-target, leaving things scoreless going into intermission.
Trinidad and Tobago started to take control in the second half, creeping closer to goal, including a Reon Moore shot that flashed just wide in the 74’.
The decisive score came in the 87’ and it was from 19-year-old debutante Nathaniel James, who took a nodded down header from Ryan Telfer and cranked a shot into net for his first Soca Warriors goal.
There was still work to do, though, to secure the three points and GK Denzil Smith made sure of it, making a one-on-one save against Curacao’s Jearl Margaritha in the 90’ to nail down the win.
Panama started the new edition of the CNL at home at the Estadio Universidad Latina in Penonome, Panama with a 3-0 victory against Martinique
It was an ideal start for the Canaleros, as Jose Fajardo made it 1-0 in the 9’ on a finish off an inch-perfect pass from 2023 Gold Cup Best Player Award winner Adalberto Carrasquilla.
Panama remained on the front foot but would have to wait until the early stages of the second half to extend their advantage to 2-0, as Ismael Diaz struck in the 47’ thanks to a cross from the right wing from Eduardo Guerrero, allowing Diaz to nod home a header.
Martinique looked to pull a goal back and almost did so in the 86’ when a superb backheeled pass set up Mickael Biron with a golden opportunity, but the shot-stopping ability of Panama GK Cesar Samudio proved pivotal.
Cecilio Waterman then put the finishing touch on the Panama win with a strike in the final seconds of stoppage time, cementing the 3-0 victory for the Canaleros.
Rounding out the day was an all-Central American contest between Guatemala and El Salvador at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where the home side secured a 2-0 triumph.
It was all Guatemala at the start and after Nathaniel Mendez fired over the crossbar in the 7’, Carlos Mejia opened the scoring in the 15’ by heading in a chip from Alejandro Galindo, making it 1-0 to Guatemala.
Mendez was then clipped in the El Salvador area in the 28’, leading to a penalty for the hosts, but Rubio Rubin’s effort was swallowed up by El Salvador GK Tomas Romero.
The spot kick save sparked the El Salvador attack and they nearly evened things up when Amando Moreno went just wide in 44’ with an effort.
Guatemala reasserted their authority to start the second half and Mejia was a whisker away from a second, but was unable to connect on a cross with the goal gaping wide open for him.
Guatemala kept pressing and the big insurance goal came in the 78’ on a hammered left-footed shot from substitute Pedro Altan, doubling the lead to 3-0 and wrapping up the three points.
