Preview: Cuba vs. Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe can end an eight-match winless run at the Gold Cup when they travel to Shell Energy Stadium in Houston for a date with Cuba on Saturday.
On matchday one, the Cubans gave up a goal early in the second half, losing 1-0 to Guatemala, while an own-goal in stoppage time enabled Les Gwada Boys to draw Canada 2-2.
For the opening 45 minutes on Tuesday, the Cubans were playing with fire, making it far too easy for their opponents to enter their half of the field.
While they escaped numerous close calls to go into half time even, including a saved penalty late in the opening 45 minutes, the pressure eventually became too much as Los Leones del Caribe suffered a third successive defeat without scoring this year.
Pablo Elier Sanchez saw his side register just one effort on target versus the Guatemalans, as Cuba fired one or fewer shots on goal for the second time in their last three games.
As a result, Cuba are now without a goal in six of their previous seven group stage encounters at the Gold Cup, a streak which dates back to 2015 when they won their last match in this competition, 1-0 over Guatemala to advance into the knockout stage.
Another defeat on Saturday, combined with a win or draw by the Guatemalans versus Canada, would put them out of contention for the knockout stage in 2023.
They have never met Guadeloupe in the group stage of this competition, although Cuba scored a memorable 3-2 victory against them in March 2003 to help them qualify for the tournament that year.
Preview: Cuba vs. Guadeloupe – prediction, team news, lineups
It was a case of better late than never for Guadeloupe in their opening fixture on Tuesday as Jacen Russell-Rowe scored on his own goal, enabling Jocelyn Angloma’s side to claim a point in the group stage of this tournament for the first time since 2009.
That also ended a seven-match losing streak for Les Gwada Boys in this competition, scoring multiple goals in a single group stage clash for the first time since their 2011 appearance.
Before that draw with Canada, this team had not earned a result when conceding the opening goal since coming back to defeat Saint Kitts and Nevis 2-1 in a 2010 friendly.
They have netted nine times in their three previous international encounters after failing to score in its final two CONCACAF Nations League fixtures, including a 1-0 defeat to Cuba.
While Guadeloupe have suffered four defeats in six meetings versus Los Leones del Caribe, these sides have traded wins in each of their previous four encounters, with Les Gwada Boys scoring in the 90th minute for a 2-1 triumph at the Nations League in June 2022.
On the opposite side, it was the second time in their last three group fixtures at the Gold Cup that they had failed to win despite scoring first, previously squandering a 1-0 lead on matchday two of the 2021 tournament when they were beaten by Jamaica, 2-1.
Cuba CONCACAF Gold Cup form:
L
Cuba form (all competitions):
DWWLLL
Guadeloupe CONCACAF Gold Cup form:
WWD
Guadeloupe form (all competitions):
LWWLLD
We say: Cuba 1-2 Guadeloupe
While they were struggling to keep up in the second half, Guadeloupe held a solid backline and did well to cut off the danger areas against Canada.
We believe Les Gwada Boys will carry much more momentum into this match when compared to Cuba, who looked like a team that was holding on and depending a little too heavily on their goalkeeper to bail them out.