CONCACAF Gold Cup: Canada Plan to Seize Group B

Curacao vs Canada

Canada can be the first Group B team to clinch their spot in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals with a win over Curacao this Saturday at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Les Rouges began this tournament with an emphatic win against Honduras last Wednesday. This result put them at the top of the group with three points, while Honduras dropped to the bottom with zero points, and Mauro Biello’s side heads into this contest with a world of confidence.

On the other hand, La Pantera Azul are fresh from a drab 0-0 draw against El Salvador. Curacao are level with El Salvador at one point each, and getting another positive result could help them in hopes of making it to the next round.

​The pregame SBOTOP betting odds predict Canada will dispatch Curacao with ease, which should motivate Dick Advocaat’s men to play with house money.

 

Talking Points

Curacao found it difficult to score

Curacao’s offense has been humming along under head coach Dick Advocaat, notching nine goals while conceding only one on the other end during their recent World Cup qualifiers matches against St. Lucia and Haiti. However, they couldn’t get it going against El Salvador earlier this week. Despite having 61.0 percent possession, La Pantera Azul only had six shots total, with only three on target.

The team is expected to do better this Saturday, looking to put up a fight against Canada. Their recent form should provide some optimism to fans, as they have suffered just one loss in their previous nine matches played across all competitions (2-0 defeat to Kazakhstan) and are undefeated in eight consecutive matches against CONCACAF teams.

​La Pantera Azul will likely rely on the in-form Gervane Kastaneer to provide the necessary ammunition. The 29-year-old Persib Bandung forward has netted four times in his last three appearances, including a hat-trick against St. Lucia.

Meanwhile, Cuco Martina, Leandro Bacuna, and team captain Eloy Room continue to make history for Curacao, topping the country’s all-time caps list with 67, 61, and 60. Rangelo Janga is the nation’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals in 42 caps, and he plans to extend his record this week.

 

Canada make a huge statement sans Marsch

Canada took the competition by storm with a dominant performance against Honduras, despite not having their head coach, Jesse Marsch, on the sidelines. Mauro Biello is expected to take charge this Saturday because Marsch is banned from the touchline for one more match.

Les Rouges’ 6-0 win over Honduras was their biggest win since a 7-0 result over Aruba last June 2021. They’ve done this despite not having their best squad, which makes them one of the tournament’s favorites.

Alphonso Davies (knee) and Moise Bombito (wrist) will not feature for Les Rouges in this tournament due to injuries. Stephen Eustaquio is playing for Porto in the ongoing Club World Cup, though he could return to the tournament should Canada make a deep run.

Cyle Larin came off the bench, and Jonathan Osorio didn’t play last time out, but they are expected to assume bigger roles throughout the tournament alongside Lille striker Jonathan David.

 

History

Saturday marks the fourth competitive meeting between Curacao and Canada. Canada won all three prior matchups, including a 2-0 result during the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League group stage (Group C).

Since a penalty shootout defeat against Uruguay in the third-place match at last year’s Copa America, Canada have won their last six matches when scoring multiple times. Les Rouges have not conceded a goal in the opening half in their last three competitive fixtures played this June. They are on a seven-game winning streak when leading after the first 45 minutes.

Curacao won their last match at Shell Energy Stadium, beating Honduras 1-0 on matchday 2 of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage. 

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 odds predict a straightforward result for one of the tournament’s hosts. Canada are 1.23 favorites to win, whereas Curacao are huge 7.90 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.94 in the 1X2 market.

Any result besides a win is considered a disaster for Canada, while Curacao will be happy to take home a point out of this fixture. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can expect their fair share of CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 highlights, making alternatives such as Over 2.75 at 1.82, Over 3.00 at 2.07, and Total Goals 4-6 at 2.74 viable, with Les Rouges likely to score more.

   

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