Round two of the Gold Cup Group Stage kicks off this week and invited nation Qatar take on 2021 quarter-finalists Honduras in Group B at State Farm Stadium, Glendale.
Key Takeaways
- Both Qatar and Honduras are searching for their first points of the tournament after suffering defeats in their opening Gold Cup fixtures
- The Maroons have just one win in their last five and suffered their maiden group stage defeat at the Gold Cup against Haiti last time out
- Los Catrachos have been woeful in front of goal of late and have scored just two goals in their last six outing
Qatar will be hoping to improve upon their inaugural semi-final finish at the last edition of the Gold Cup but will have to bounce back here after their loss against Haiti in round one. As for Honduras, they will be hoping to return to their 2011 and 2013 Gold Cup performances, where they finished in fourth place, since they have failed to make it past the quarter-finals in any of the four tournaments after.
Qatar Form
A difficult World Cup for Qatar has been met with poor form ever since. The Maroons have picked up just two victories in the eight matches they’ve played since last winter and opened their Gold Cup campaign with a 2-1 defeat against Haiti last time out.
Despite Yusuf Abdurisag putting Qatar ahead after just 20 minutes against the Grenadiers, Duckens Nazon was able to draw the scores level just before the break. Haiti would end up snatching a winner right at the death as Frantzdy Pierrot completed an extremely late comeback to hand them all three points.
Invited guests Qatar are now on the back foot and must pick up points here if they are to make it to the quarter-finals.
Honduras Form
Head coach Diego Vásquez struggled to invoke any sort of form heading into the 2023 Gold Cup for Honduras and the nation have won just one of their four matches played this calendar year. That came in a 1-0 win over El Salvador in a friendly match back in March. Goals have been extremely hard to come by too since the Central American nation have scored just two goals in their last six matches.
Los Catrachos' preparation for the tournament wasn’t the best as they played just one warm-up match this summer, losing 1-0 against Venezuela in a friendly. Beginning their Gold Cup campaign with a bitterly disappointing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Mexico, Honduras will have to respond here if they are to stand any chance of making it into the knockouts.
Head-to-Head
Qatar and Honduras have met just twice in their history, with the Arabian nation running out victors in both meetings. The Maroons recorded a 2-0 triumph when they met at the 2021 Gold Cup, pipping them to top spot in Group D. They also met in a friendly last October as Qatar ran out narrow 1-0 winners.
Team News
Joint-top all-time goalscorer Almoez Ali was left on the bench against Haiti as Mohammed Muntari got the nod to lead the line for Qatar. It will be interesting to see whether head coach Carlos Queiroz recalls his star forward to the lineup here.
21-year-old Jassem Gaber was also called into the starting eleven as he replaced Abdullah Marafee in the middle of the park. The experienced Ali Assadalla is an option too but Queiroz appears to be preferring the younger generation of late.
Honduran youngster Luis Vega made just his second international appearance against Mexico but it was perhaps one to forget at the back for the Marathón man who also picked up a first half booking. The experienced Alberth Elis and Alexander Lopez were selected to help support the attack but failed to make much impact.
That meant Vásquez was forced to call upon veteran Jerry Bengston from the bench in the second half but he hasn’t hit the back of the net for Honduras since the last Gold Cup in 2021. Jorge Benguche was the last man to score for Los Catrachos and could start up top once more here.
Key Players
Muntari’s winner against Jamaica for Qatar in a friendly prior to the tournament was enough for him to beat out star forward Ali in the starting lineup for the opener against Haiti. However, it is Abdurisag who seems to be in better form of late as he managed to score the only goal for the Maroons last time out. The 23-year-old also managed to find an assist against Jamaica so he could continue in his good form here.
Honduras are desperately searching for some firepower in their lineup, especially without the injured Romell Quioto. Former Houston Dynamo and Bordeaux forward Alberth Elis could be the man to get the goals as he looks to add to his tally of 12 for his country.
How to watch on TV or Online
Fans in the UK can view the Gold Cup matchup between Qatar and Honduras live on Viaplay Sports 1.
Final Thoughts
Neither side are in the best of form heading into the match and they have also both struggled in front of goal of late. It is imperative for both Qatar and Honduras to pick up points here in order to bounce back from their round one defeats. It should be a close and cagey game that will most likely be low-scoring.
Gold Cup