CONCACAF Preliminary Gold Cup Group A Matches

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

CONCACAF Preliminary Gold Cup Group A Matches

 

September 21, 2020

Panama v Nicaragua

 

Nicaragua started the Preliminary Gold Cup with a solid victory over Panama.

 

Panama, the hosts, sought to make their mark on the tournament early, while Nicaragua needed to start well.

 

Nicaragua looked smart early and placed great pressure on the Panamanian defence. However, a handball down the other end gifted Panama the penalty, only for Rolando Blackburn to fire over the crossbar.

 

In the 36th minute, Richard Rodríguez shot from long range and hit the inside of the post, before the ball trickled over the line.

 

Dshon Forbes doubled the lead seven minutes later, shooting from a similar position as Rodríguez.

 

Panama needed to come back, and it started with a goal un the 66th minute via Gabriel Torres, who slotted low and accurate.

 

However, Nicaragua played keepings off, taking charge of Group A with a 2-1 victory.

 

Blackburn will look to be subbed for the next match.

 

 

September 21, 2020

Grenada v Dominica

 

Grenada faced Dominica in their opening Gold Cup match, and though they had chances in the first half, Grenada could not get any decent shot on target.

 

Instead, Dominica went on a rampage early in the second half, scoring via Erkin Williams’s head from a corner.

 

The rest of the match was quite tight, with neither side giving the other an edge in the match. In the end, Dominica surprised Grenada with the 1-0 victory.

 

 

September 26, 2020

Panama v Grenada

 

Panama made two changes for their second match, including placing Rolando Blackburn on the bench. Grenada made one change in defence.

 

The Panamanians started well, with Gabriel Torres nearly scoring, only for the shot to be partially saved and the ball to bounce over the crossbar. However, from the corner, Adalberto Carrasquilla ran at the ball and fired it into the back of the net.

 

Jose Fajardo hit the woodwork just before the hour mark, as Panama stamped their authority on the match. However, no more goals were scored. Still, Panama had the vital three points.

 

 

September 26, 2020

Dominica v Nicaragua

 

Dominica and Nicaragua kept their same starting eleven, and Briel Thomas earned an early yellow card for Dominica, while Francisco Flores did the same for Nicaragua.

 

From the latter free kick, Dominica scored via Javid George, who slid into a shot that was clearly missing across the face of goal from right back Darryl Longdon. George’s slide connected perfectly with the ball and the ball shot into the back of the net.

 

Nicaragua had the better of the possession, but Dominica had three clear chances go begging across the first half.

 

Nicaragua attacked without relent for the first twelve minutes of the second half, where all Dominica could do was repel with defensive clearances. Finally, the equaliser came when Player of the Match Danilo Zuñiga scored with a shot as he lost balance, after the initial Ariagner Smith hit the bottom of the right-hand post and rebounded to the path of the midfielder.

 

Neither side played for the win, as they both played a little more defensively, not wanting to wrestle the full three points. In the end, Dominica’s steely interceptions kept Nicaragua from advancing too often, and the match ended 1-1.

 

 

October 1, 2020

Dominica v Panama

 

Dominica and Panama knew a win was necessary to progress to the Semi Finals, while the loser was likely to miss out altogether.

 

Dominica altered their line up with giving Julian Wade a rest, while Panama made no changes.

 

Gabriel Torres had the best chance for Panama as they looked the side more likely to score, only for his eighteenth-minute shot to be stopped by the Dominican goalkeeper, and the second a header that hit the woodwork in the 31st minute.

 

However, Dominica held firm and gained momentum of the play just before the break, resulting in three shots by Javid George in the same passage of play. After the break, he just missed from near the penalty spot, giving Dominica an edge over Panama.

 

However, that was not the case as the match petered out into a scoreless draw, giving neither side any real hope in advancement, as they looked to the results in the other match.

 

 

October 1, 2020

Nicaragua v Grenada

 

Nicaragua needed a win, ideally, while Grenada had no hope of reaching the Semi Finals.

 

Nicaragua swapped their left back and striker, while Grenada made seven changes.

 

Nicaragua had shots from wider angles than desired early before Danilo Zuñiga scored with his head off a corner.

 

Byron Bonilla backed that up in the 35th minute with a header goal of his own, doubling Nicaragua’s lead.

 

Grenada missed key opportunities, before finally getting headers on target. Saydrel Lewis earned a yellow card for being too forceful in his fifty-fifty challenges, as did Josh Gabriel. In the end, Nicaragua kept their clean sheet and advanced to the Semi Finals, along with Dominica.