MIAMI, Florida – On Monday, September 28, Concacaf will conduct the Draw for the 2021 Gold Cup in which 16 teams will look to win Concacaf’s most prestigious national team tournament, including Gold Cup debutants Suriname.
Here is a breakdown of the teams in Pot 3.
Martinique – Martinique are back in the Gold Cup for the third consecutive time and seventh overall after a strong second-place finish in their League A group in the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League. Les Matinino have been a headache for former champions United States and Mexico in recent Gold Cups, losing narrowly 3-2 to each nation in the 2017 and 2019 Gold Cups, respectively. Head Coach Mario Bocaly can count on the likes of FW Kevin Parsemain to provide the goals, making Martinique a team to watch in the 2021 tournament.
Curacao – Curacao took the Concacaf region by storm at the 2019 Gold Cup as they reached the knockout round in what was just their second Gold Cup appearance. Thanks to a second-place finish in their group in 2019-20 CNL League A, Curacao are back in the tournament for a third straight time and will be led by new Head Coach Guus Hiddink. The Dutch manager has been at the helm of some of the largest clubs and national teams in the world, and now he will look to lead Curacao on a deep run at the 2021 Gold Cup.
Suriname – The 2021 Gold Cup will mark the debut for Suriname, who took League B of the 2019-20 CNL by storm by finishing first in their group to punch their Gold Cup ticket. The main attraction is 21-year-old FW Gleofilo Vlijter, who was the top scorer across all leagues in the 2019-20 CNL with 10 goals. Along with other young stars like FW Donnegy Fer and MF Ivenzo Comvalius, Suriname Head Coach Dean Gorre has a squad that could prove to be quite the revelation at the 2021 tournament.
Grenada – The Spice Boys are back in the Gold Cup for the first time since 2011 and will be making their third appearance in the tournament. Jamal Charles is the danger man up top evidenced by his six goals in the 2019-20 CNL, as he led Grenada to a first-place finish in their group in League B. Another hallmark of Grenada is a relentless defense that conceded just four goals in six CNL matches, which should make any opponent wary at next summer’s tournament.