Canada has finally learned the names of its opponents in the first season of the CONCACAF Nations League. The Canadian men will play against the United States and Cuba in the top flight of this competition. The group stage will start in September, while the tournament champions will take place in March next year. Only the winner of each respective group will advance to the semi-finals.
In order to do so, Canada will not have an easy job, as the Canucks haven’t won a game against their southern neighbour since 1990, with 9 draws and 6 defeats since. However, Canada has a much better score with Cuba, winning against the Caribbean nation in the last three games.
Canada was impressive in the CONCACAF Champions League qualifiers, winning all four games and earning a spot in League A, with CONCACAF’s best-ranked teams – Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S.
Canadian fans arrive to BC Place Stadium for FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 matches in Vancouver, Canada, on June 21, 2015. – Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com
The qualifying round also earned a place at this year’s Gold Cup for the best 10 teams – Haiti, Canada, Martinique, Curacao, Bermuda, Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua and El Salvador, who’ll join the aforementioned best teams at the 15th edition of the championship of the North, Central American, and Caribbean region organized by CONCACAF.
Looking Forward to the New Competition
All the teams playing in League A of the Nations League will be split into four groups of three, while the winners will advance to the semi-finals of the competition. The four last-placed teams will be relegated to League B.
League B is comprised of 16 teams, divided into four groups. The winners of each group will be promoted to League A, while the bottom teams will be relegated to League C.
League C is split into three groups of three and one group of four teams, with the winners going to League B.
Although currently ranked 8th in the region, Guatemala will play in League C due to a suspension imposed by FIFA.
2019/20 CONCACAF Nations League
League A
Group A: U.S., Canada, Cuba.
Group B: Mexico, Panama, Bermuda.
Group C: Honduras, Trinidad & Tobago, Martinique.
Group D: Costa Rica, Haiti, Curacao.
League B
Group A: French Guiana, St. Kitts & Nevis, Belize, Grenada.
Group B: El Salvador, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Montserrat.
Group C: Jamaica, Guyana, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba.
Group D: Nicaragua, Suriname, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica.
League C
Group A: Barbados, Cayman Islands, Saint-Martin, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Group B: Bonaire, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands.
Group C: Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Anguilla.
Group D: Guadeloupe, Turks and Caicos, Sint Maarten.