Guadeloupe vs Guatemala

A place in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup is up for grabs as Guadeloupe and Guatemala go head-to-head in a top-table Group D six-pointer at the Red Bull Arena.

Despite being given a low percentage to make it out of the Gold Cup group stages for the first time since 2009 before the tournament, Guadeloupe are in a prime position to progress from Group D. Unbeaten in the opening two matches (W1, D1), including a 4-1 thrashing of Cuba on day two, they start the final group round atop this section, with only the continent’s heavy hitters Mexico and the United States boasting a better scoring tally than ‘Les Gwada Boys.’ Since goal difference could determine qualification in case the three sides finish this matchday level on points, avoiding defeat would do the trick for Guadeloupe. And considering they’re unbeaten in their last four matches (W3, D1) and defeated Guatemala after penalties in their only previous Gold Cup H2H, they’re in a perfect position to do just that.

In the meantime, Guatemala eked out a 1-0 win over Group D minnows Cuba in a curtain-raising fixture before holding Canada to a scoreless draw on day two. But since the Canadians are widely expected to thrash the Cubans in the other encounter, another share of the spoils may not be enough to guarantee them a place in the Gold Cup knockout stages for the first time since 2011. One strike may determine the outcome in Harrison, considering Guatemala’s last five games have featured under 1.5 total goals (W2, D1, L2), highlighting the importance of scoring an opener. That may not necessarily benefit ‘Los Chapines,’ as they’ve failed to get on the scoresheet in four out of six internationals since the start of June.