MIAMI, Florida, CMC – Opportunity knocks for several Caribbean Football Union teams when the Concacaf Nations League resumes today around the confederation.
One of the signature battles brings together hosts Grenada against a star-studded Jamaica, but the other match in League A, Group B between hosts Suriname and Haiti also appear to be quite intriguing.
The two teams in League B, Group A, hosts St Lucia and fellow unbeaten side Guadeloupe will be hoping to come away from their contest unscathed, and the two bottom teams, neighbours St Kitts & Nevis and St Maarten will be aiming to come away with their first win.
The story will be similar when the battle for the top spot in League C, Group C between Dominica and the British Virgin Islands takes centre stage, and Bonaire and Anguilla seek their first win in League C, Group A.
Jamaica top their group with four points, owning the tie-breaker with Cuba on goals scored, and being able to call upon English Premier League players such as Demarai Gray, Bobby Reid, Michail Antonio, and Leon Bailey make them one of the most potent attacks in Concacaf.
Grenada will be no push-overs and will be keen to use home advantage and try to earn a win against the Reggae Boyz at the the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St George’s.
History is not on their side because the Jamaicans have won the last five matches between the two sides and have an overall record of nine wins, two losses, and two draws against the Spice Boyz.
Suriname and Haiti are two teams that love to attack directly, and this could make their match a very wide-open affair at the Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo.
Historically, Haiti hold a slight advantage in the all-time series with three wins, two losses, and five draws, and won the previous match between the two sides six years ago during a Gold Cup qualifier that featured six goals.
St Lucia and Guadeloupe won their first two matches to begin with a perfect six points, but the home team are in first place on goal differential, and now the two meet at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground trying to put some daylight between them.
This will be the fourth match between the two sides and their first in 22 years, with Guadeloupe holding a 2-1 advantage and hoping history is kind to them.
With four group matches remaining, there is still opportunity for St Kitts & Nevis and St Maarten to turn their records around, but this will be a hard-fought slog at the Raymond Guishard Technical Centre in Basseterre.
Both Dominica and the BVI terrorised the Turks & Caicos Islands in their opening matches, but they will now have to try to bully each other in the second match of a double-header at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.
This will be the 10th time the two sides will meet, and the Nature Boyz have dominated this opponent, winning eight of the previous matches.
On the flip side, Bonaire and Anguilla will meet at the Antonio Trenidat Stadium in Rincon, having both lost to St Martin in their openers.
This will be the first match between the two sides, and this is a golden opportunity to get back into the mix in the group.
While the Anguillans are looking their first goal of the campaign, Bonaire will be seeking to make sure that they do not let a hard-earned advantage slip through their hands.
Matches in the CNL continue throughout the weekend and into next week with Trinidad & Tobago Soca Warriors – unbeaten in their first two games – in a headline contest against Guatemala tomorrow at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, where Haiti and Jamaica clash two days later.