Guyana, Grenada seeking rebounds in WCQ

Gold Cup Trinidad Guyana Soccer
Trinidad and Tobago defender Mekeil Williams (17) is held back by Guyana midfielder Callum Harriott (11) as they battle for control of the ball during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match in Kansas City, Kan., Wednesday, June 26, 2019.
Associated Press/Colin E. Braley, file

The March slate of the First Round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 close with a six-match schedule on Tuesday, according to CONCACAF.

It said no team in action on Tuesday notched a victory in the first game out, “so everyone will be looking to pick up some points and gain some momentum ahead of June matches.”

CONCACAF said the day kicked off with Guyana and The Bahamas both looking to bounce back from defeats suffered earlier in the month.

Guyana fell 3-0 to Trinidad and Tobago, but kept a clean sheet in the second half; while the Bahamas suffered a 4-0 reverse to St. Kitts and Nevis, CONCACAF said.

It said Belize and the Tucks and Caicos Islands (TCI) enter their match at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic also looking for their first points of qualification.

“Belize made the short trip from Port-au-Prince after a loss at Haiti, while the TCI will hope to show progress from a defeat to Nicaragua last time out,” CONCACAF said.

It said St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the British Virgin Islands meet in Curacao’s Ergilio Hato Stadium. Oalex Anderson leads the line for Vincy Heat.

CONCACAF said the British Virgin Islands will be without Charles Medway after he saw red for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Guatemala.

“Grenada welcomes the US Virgin Islands to the Kirani James Athletic Stadium for a Group A matchup,” CONCACAF said. “Jamal Charles, Kharlton Belmar and Leon Braveboy will look to spark the Grenada attack after being held scoreless by El Salvador, though USVI defenders Dusty Good and Joshua Ramos will have something to say about that.”

After hanging tough in a 1-0 defeat to Panama in the Group D opener, CONCACAF said “Barbados now turns its attention to Anguilla, which fell to the Dominican Republic in its debut.”

CONCACAF said the night comes to a close with Bermuda and Aruba both looking for a victory.

It said Bermuda manager Kyle Lightbourne is set to be back on the sidelines after missing a 5-1 loss to Canada because of COVID-19 protocol.

CONCACAF said Aruba is seeking its first goal of the tournament after falling 6-0 to Suriname.