PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – Caribbean qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup will open August 18 in Antigua and Puerto Rico and finish with the Digicel Caribbean Championship final in Martinique on November 28, the CFU announced Tuesday.
Sixteen teams will open the competition in four groups of four at Puerto Rico, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados and the Dominican Republic with the group winners and two best runners-up advancing to a second round.
They will join second-round hosts Guyana, Grenada and Guadeloupe as well as seeded sides Netherlands Antilles, eight-time champion Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti in three groups of four, from which the winners and runners-up will qualify for a final group stage.
Martinique and defending champion Jamaica will enter in the third round beginning November 19 in Martinique, making two groups of four that will produce four semifinalists — the Caribbean representatives to next year’s Gold Cup.
FIRST ROUND
Group A: Anguilla, Bahamas, Cayman Islands Puerto Rico
At Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Wednesday, August 18
Bahamas vs. Cayman Islands
Puerto Rico vs. Anguilla
Friday, August 20
Cayman Islands vs. Anguilla
Puerto Rico vs. Bahamas
Sunday, August 22
Anguilla vs. Bahamas
Puerto Rico vs. Cayman Islands
Group B: Antigua & Barbuda, Cuba, Saint-Martin, Suriname
At St. John’s, Antigua
Wednesday, August 18
Suriname vs. Cuba
Antigua & Barbuda vs. Saint-Martin
Friday, August 20
Saint-Martin vs. Suriname
Antigua & Barbuda vs. Cuba
Sunday, August 22
Cuba vs. Saint-Martin
Antigua & Barbuda vs. Suriname
Group C: Barbados, British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
At Bridgetown, Barbados
Wednesday, October 6
St. Vincent & the Grenadines vs. St. Lucia
Barbados vs. British Virgin Islands
Friday, October 8
British Virgin Islands vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Barbados vs. St. Lucia
Sunday, October 10
St. Lucia vs. British Virgin Islands
Barbados vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Group D: Dominica, Dominican Republic, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis
At Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Wednesday, October 6
St. Kitts & Nevis vs. Dominica
Dominican Republic vs. Montserrat
Friday, October 8
Montserrat vs. St. Kitts & Nevis
Dominican Republic vs. Dominica
Sunday, October 10
Dominica vs. Montserrat
Dominican Republic vs. St. Kitts & Nevis
SECOND ROUND
Group E: Group A winner, Group B winner, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles
At Providence, Guyana
Wednesday, October 20
Netherlands Antilles vs. Group A winner
Guyana vs. Group B winner
Friday, October 22
Group B winner vs. Netherlands Antilles
Guyana vs. Group A winner
Sunday, October 24
Group A winner vs. Group B winner
Guyana vs. Netherlands Antilles
Group F: Group C Winner, best first-round runner-up, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago
At St. George’s, Grenada
Wednesday, October 20
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Group C winner
Grenada vs. best first-round runner-up
Friday, October 22
Best first-round runner-up vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Grenada vs. Group C winner
Sunday, October 24
Group C winner vs. best first-round runner-up
Grenada vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Group G: Group D winner, second-best first-round runner-up, Guadeloupe, Haiti
At Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe
Wednesday, November 3
Haiti vs. Group D winner
Guadeloupe vs. second-best first-round runner-up
Friday, November 5
Second-best first-round runner-up vs. Haiti
Guadeloupe vs. Group D winner
Sunday, November 7
Group D winner vs. second-best first-round runner-up
Guadeloupe vs. Haiti
THIRD ROUND
Group H: Group E winner, Group F runner-up, Group G winner, Jamaica
At Riviere-Pilote, Martinique
Friday, November 19
Group E winner vs. Group G winner
Jamaica vs. Group F runner-up
Sunday, November 21
Group F runner-up vs. Group E winner
Jamaica vs. Group G winner
Tuesday, November 23
Group G winner vs. Group F runner-up
Jamaica vs. Group E winner
Group I: Group F winner, Group E runner-up, Group G runner-up, Martinique
At Fort-de-France, Martinique
Saturday, November 20
Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up
Martinique vs. Group G runner-up
Monday, November 22
Group G runner-up vs. Group F winner
Martinique vs. Group E runner-up
Wednesday, November 24
Group E runner-up vs. Group G runner-up
Martinique vs. Group F winner
SEMIFINALS
At Fort-de-France, Martinique
Friday, November 26
Group H winner vs. Group I runner-up
Group H runner-up vs. Group I winner
FINALS
At Fort-de-France, Martinique
Sunday, November 28
Third-Place
Semifinal losers
CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinal winners
