Canada and El Salvador will face off in their final Group B fixture as both sides aim to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

While the co-hosts sit top of the group with four points and their opponents remain bottom with just one, qualification is still wide open with all four teams in contention to progress.

Match preview

Canada were widely expected to dominate Group B with relative ease and their emphatic 6-0 victory over Honduras in their opening match only strengthened that belief.

However, after taking an early lead against Curacao through Nathan Saliba, Les Rouges failed to kill off the game and were punished deep into stoppage time when Jeremy Antonisse equalised to make it 1-1, ending their run of seven consecutive wins in matches where they led at half time.

That late lapse means Canada cannot yet confirm a place in the quarter-finals, though a draw in this match will be enough to secure progression regardless of other results in the group.

Jesse Marsch will be back on the touchline for this decisive clash after serving his two-match suspension, and will be determined to lead his side into the knockout phase while maintaining an unbeaten record in normal time which now stretches to five matches across all competitions.

Canada hold a 50 percent win rate against El Salvador with 10 wins from 20 previous meetings, including victories in their last two encounters, both of which came during World Cup qualifying in 2021 and 2022.

In their two previous Gold Cup meetings, the Canadians emerged with a 1-0 victory in 2009 and battled to a goalless draw in 2015.

El Salvador head into this fixture knowing that only a surprise win can keep their hopes of avoiding another early group-stage exit alive, mirroring their struggles from the 2021 edition when they also finished bottom of their group.

Hernan Gomez’s men have not tasted victory in this competition since July 2021 when they defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in Texas, and they will need to produce something special to change that record here.

La Selecta began this tournament by holding Curacao to a goalless draw, but their 2-0 loss to Honduras last time out not only dented their qualification hopes, it also ended a five-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.

The challenge does not get any easier for El Salvador who have failed to beat Canada in six consecutive competitive meetings, last claiming a meaningful victory against them in a World Cup qualifying match in 1997.

Team News

Canada remain without star player Alphonso Davies, as he continues to recover from a cruciate ligament injury, while defender Moise Bombito is also absent following recent wrist surgery.

Midfielder Stephen Eustaquio is unavailable as he is representing Porto in the Club World Cup, with hopes of joining up with the national team should Canada advance to the knockout rounds.

Elvin Ronaldo Alvarado who featured in El Salvador’s opening game did not play against Honduras, but could return to the forward line as coach Gomez assesses his attacking options.

After employing a two-man front line and four-man midfield in the defeat to Honduras, Gomez may consider reverting to the 4-3-3 system that produced a solid display against Curacao.

Canada possible starting lineup:

St. Clair; Sigur, Miller, Waterman, Laryea; Buchanan, Kone, Choiniere, Ahmed; Oluwaseyi, J. David

El Salvador possible starting lineup:

Gonzalez; Tamacas, Sibrian, Cruz, Larin; Landaverde, Cartagena, Duenas; Ordaz, Gil, Henriquez