The field for the Concacaf Gold Cup is set, with the 16-team group stage participants finalized after the preliminary round completed Tuesday night at DRV PNK Stadium.
Frantz Pierrot scored a hat trick in an 11-minute span in the first half to help Haiti clinch their spot with a comfortable 4-1 win over Bermuda.
Haiti are in Group B with the United States, Canada and Martinique and open up against the USMNT July 11 at Children’s Mercy Park.
Penalties were needed — and a lot of them — to decide the other two berths, with Guadeloupe outlasting Guatemala 10-9 in a 12-round shootout after the sides played to a 1-1 draw, which led to an epic celebration.
Trinidad and Tobago and French Guiana were also deadlocked 1-1 with the Soca Warriors prevailing 8-7 on penalties. Columbus Crew winger Kevin Molino scored Trinidad’s lone goal during the match and also converted his kick in the eight-round shootout en route to being named Man of the Match.
The Soca Warriors meet defending champion Mexico in their Group A opener July 10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Below is the completed groups after Tuesday’s preliminary round results. The bracket and complete schedule can be found here.
Group A
- Mexico
- El Salvador
- Curacao
- Trinidad and Tobago
Group B
- United States
- Canada
- Martinique
- Haiti
Group C
- Costa Rica
- Jamaica
- Suriname
- Guadeloupe
Group D
- Honduras
- Panama
- Grenada
- Qatar