The end of the group stage in the CONCACAF Gold Cup could give us quite a result in terms of surprises, with one of the region's giants in serious jeopardy of missing out on the KO phase.
With the USMNT and Mexico already through to the next round, Costa Rica are looking at an early exit from the competition right in the eye. To avoid an embarrassing result, Los Ticos will have to claim a win in their game against Martinique, in what can be considered as a proverbial KO match before that stage begins.
On the other match, Panama and El Salvador do have something to play for, as a win for Panama could seal a perfect finish for them. Meanwhile, El Salvador are still in the race to finish second, but not even winning three points could be enough to seal their spot if things don't go their way in the other fixture.
Let's have a look at the permutations that could take place in each game.
Panama vs El Salvador
Los Canaleros have already earned a place in the KO stage, but they want to go out of the group stage with a bang. The team led by Thomas Christiansen is far from being a perfect squad, but the right tools have given them a legitimate chance of finishing first in the group. To do so, La Marea Roja must defeat El Salvador, although even a draw would do the trick for them if they are not that interested in landing a perfect record. As for Los Cuscatlecos, a win is the only result that would help their purpose to reach the next round, but their options are not as high as you would think, since Martinique and Costa Rica have a better record than them and could easily thump them out of the tournament.
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Costa Rica vs Martinique
In a do-or-die tie between these teams, it all comes down to one scenario. If Costa Rica can find a way to beat Martinique, Los Ticos will make it past the group stage. If they cannot claim all the points, Martinique will finish as runner-up in Group C and automatically earn the nod to play the KO stage. As things stand, Martinique reached the final match with three points, which means that any positive outcome could give them the spot in the KO Stage...even a one-nil win by El Salvador, as the tie-breaker would give them the edge following their 2-1 win in Matchday 1.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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