Shell Energy Stadium Hosts Gold Cup Doubleheader
(image via Concacaf.com)
After Thursday’s thrilling 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti at Shell Energy Stadium, the Concacaf Gold Cup is back tonight with a doubleheader of matches in Group B. Curacao will take on Canada in the opening match, followed by Honduras against El Salvador.
These matches will be the second of three group stage games for each team in Group B. The top two, after Tuesday’s third games, will advance to the quarterfinals and keep their dream alive of lifting the Gold Cup.
Canada comes into Houston on the heels of a 6-0 beat down of Honduras in their opening match. Jesse Marsch’s squad looks like one of the tournament favorites and they showed why in their first game Tuesday. The Canadians dominated Honduras from the start and they will look to do the same tonight against Curacao. Canada is led by European-based attackers Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan, as well as notable MLS names like Tani Oluwaseyi, Richie Laryea, and Dayne St. Clair.
Their opponent in the first match, Curacao, is ranked 90th in the FIFA world rankings, 60 spots behind Canada. They picked up a 0-0 draw against El Salvador in their opening match, and that comes off two straight wins earlier this month in World Cup Qualifying over Saint Lucia and Haiti. Former Columbus Crew goalkeeper Eloy Room is one of many veterans on this squad, along with Cuco Martina, Leandro Bacuna, and Kenji Gorre. Curacao will look to build off the point in their first match and pull off a shock upset tonight.
The second match features two teams looking to rebound. Honduras, coming off that 6-0 defeat to Canada, knows they can only go up from there. After being eliminated in the group stage two years ago in this tournament, Honduras will know they need a result tonight to avoid another disappointing showing on the continental stage. Santos Laguna striker Anthony Lozano leads the line for Honduras with former Dynamo winger Romell Quioto in support.
El Salvador will also be looking for a result in this match to buoy their chances of advancing. They come in with one point after the draw against Curacao and know they have the tough task of a match with Canada to finish their group stage schedule. Goalkeeper Mario Gonzalez put in a Man of the Match performance in posting a clean sheet against Curacao and El Salvador will need him to come up big again in this match.
With Canada on three points, Curacao and El Salvador on one point, and Honduras yet to get a point, it is still all to play for in Group B. Tonight’s doubleheader should be two great games of soccer and the atmosphere in downtown Houston should be electric, especially for the second match.
