Gold Cup Day 2: Match thread and discussion

The 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B kicks off with a bit of the twist, as the opening round matches will be played outside of the United States at San José, Costa Rica’s Estadio Nacional. The group features two Central American and two Caribbean teams fighting for two spots in the quarterfinal.

Bermuda qualified for its first ever Gold Cup, notching impressive wins over the Dominican Republic and El Salvador in CONCACAF Nations League qualification. The Gombey Warriors could continue to make history by advancing to the knockout round, but they’ll have to contend with a dynamic Haitian side led by an attacking trio of Frantzdy Pierrot, Duckens Nazon, and Derrick Etienne. Both island nations are hoping to use this year’s Gold Cup as a springboard to future World Cup qualification, with Bermuda attempting to “follow in Iceland’s footsteps” and Haiti dreaming of a return to its golden years in the 1970s.

Costa Rica, widely considered the third-(or-perhaps-second-)best team in CONCACAF, has surprisingly never won the Gold Cup, but finished in second place during the 2002 competition. This could be the year for Los Ticos, as both Mexico and the United States are entering the tournament with weakened squads and new coaches. Gustavo Matosas, while a relatively recent hire, leads a team experienced veterans including Kendall Waston and Bryan Ruiz. They take on a visiting Nicaragua side that will likely be looking ahead to the next two matches. As noted by Stars and Stripes FC’s Alex Showell, expect Henry Duarte’s side to “play extremely defensively”.

How to watch

Haiti vs. Bermuda

Location: Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica — San José, Costa Rica

Kick-off time: 6:00 p.m. Eastern, 3:00 p.m. Pacific

Available TV: FS2 (English), Univision (Spanish), Univision Deportes (Spanish)

Available stream: Fox Sports Go (App/Website), Univision (App/Website), FuboTV (Free trial)

Costa Rica vs. Nicaragua

Location: Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica — San José, Costa Rica

Kick-off time: 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 p.m. Pacific

Available TV: FS1 (English), Univision (Spanish), Univision Deportes (Spanish)

Available stream: Fox Sports Go (App/Website), Univision (App/Website), FuboTV (Free trial)

Related Reading

Group B preview

Discuss the matches in the comment section. Keep it civil.

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