[This is the third article in a four-part preview. In the previous articles I went over the stadiums, overall setup of the tournament, and Groups A and B. In this article I will be breaking down the last two groups. In the following article, I will talk about who I think the favorites are to win, and how I think the Gold Cup will play out.]
Group C
Where the Favorites to make it are Costa Rica and Jamaica
- Costa Rica
- Guadeloupe
- Jamaica
- Suriname
Costa Rica has had a recent change in coaches and Luis Fernando Suarez was appointed just few weeks before the tournament. He is hoping that a mix of new talent and experienced players will take the team far in the tournament. I think Costa Rica has a talented group, led by striker Joel Campbell, and they should not be underestimated. I think they have a shot at reaching the semi-finals.
Group D
Where the favorites to make it are Honduras and Qatar
- Grenada
- Honduras
- Panama
- Qatar
Qatar was originally going to participate in Copa América, which is also taking place during the time of this article’s publication. Due to COVID and complications with hosting, Qatar pulled out and is now the only quest team this year to participate in the Gold Cup. They are the hosts of the upcoming World Cup and the reigning AFC Asian Cup winner, having defeated Japan 3-1. Although they are not thought of as favorites to win, they are expected to make it out of the group and possibly further.
Honduras are an experienced team are were able to make it to the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals where they lost a close 0-1 match to the USA. I think they will make it out of the group and could finish at the top of their group.
Stay tuned for my next article where I will be discussing who I think is going to win, and how I think the tournament will play out.
Photo: AT&T Stadium, Wikipedia, Creative Commons
