The Gold Cup continues on Tuesday with a couple of games on schedule. One that’s on the list is Costa Rica vs. Canada. The Ticos head into Tuesday’s matchup as the CONCACAF Gold Cup betting favorites against the Canadiens.
Navigating the group stages of any tournament is tough, and much of what teams do depends on how they perform in the opening game of the group. While a win or loss does not totally seal your fate, it can have a major impact on how each of the remaining two games are approached.
I’m not entirely sure that this is how things will play out, though, as I think both teams will be going all out to get maximum points from this one. Winning the group means getting a more manageable game in the next round.
Costa Rica vs Canada 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Odds & Expert Pick
When: Tuesday, July 11 at 7:30 PM EST Where: BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston TV: FS1 Radio: None Live Stream: Fox Sports Go CONCACAF Gold Cup Odds: Costa Rica -½-120 , ML -120, U 2 -110 / Canada +½EV, +400, O 2 -110 / Draw +235#CAN coach Octavio Zambrano says #CANMNT welcomes the upcoming tough #GoldCup2017 test against #CRC pic.twitter.com/FUYqp01cWE
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) July 10, 2017
Brief Game Analysis
Each team has played one game in Group A, and the results went pretty much as expected. Costa Rica ground out a 1-0 win over Honduras, while Canada did what was required of them with a 4-2 win over French Guiana. Before this group began, football fans believed that this group was Costa Rica’s to lose, with the belief being that the second place spot would come down to the final game in the group stage between Canada and Honduras.What’s Happened So Far?
Things certainly appear to be shaping up that way, but Canada will be looking to flip the script a little in this one, perhaps knowing that Costa Rica might take their foot off the gas a little with an easy game against French Guiana to come after this one. The reality is that a draw would suit both teams quite nicely in this game, and it would not be the first time in football that we have seen teams in this situation quite happily settle for that point apiece.Why Bet on Canada?
It was tough to know what to expect from this Canada team, as their squad is made up of younger guys who are new to the international stage. While they certainly performed well in their opening group stage win over French Guiana, their inexperience did shine through, just a little. The Canadians roared out to a 3-0 lead, only to take their foot off the gas and allow their opponents to pull it back to 3-2. This may well be a group where goal difference becomes a factor, and Canada may live to regret not putting a bigger beating on French Guiana when they had the opportunity. This will be a much sterner test for this young group, and they will be looking to Alphonso Davies to once again provide some scoring punch after the teenager bagged a pair in the opener. The 16-year old certainly did not look out of place on the international stage, and his speed and finishing prowess could pose problem for the Ticos.
Why Bet on Costa Rica?
Of the bigger teams taking part in the 2017 Gold Cup, it is perhaps Costa Rica who have brought the strongest squad to the States. The general consensus was that they would tear through this group without much trouble, but they looked very shaky at times against Honduras, and were perhaps a little lucky not to be a couple of goals down in the first half. Most of their issues came via defensive frailties, but there was no denying that the Ticos looked very good going forward against Honduras. The addition of Rodney Wallace out on the left gave Costa Rica another great attacking outlet, and it was Wallace who delivered a pinpoint cross for Urenas to hammer home for the winner. The one problem that Costa Rica may have ahead of this game is the fitness of Johan Venegas, as he was taken out early with an injury in the opening game.Rivalry History
- Games Played: 20
- All-Time Series: Costa Rica 8-4-8
- Current Winning Streak: Costa Rica (1)
- Largest Margin of Victory: Costa Rica. October 13th, 2014. Score: 3-1
- Longest Streak: Costa Rica (2004-2005)
Recent Game History
- July 14th, 2015. CONCACAF Gold Cup. Draw. Score: 0-0
- May 28th, 2013. International Friendly. Costa Rica. Score: 1-0
- July 10th, 2009. CONCACAF Gold Cup. Draw. Score: 2-2
- July 14th, 2015. International Friendly. Draw. Score: 1-1
- July 6th, 2007. CONCACAF Gold Cup. Canada. Score: 2-1
Predicted Starting Lineup
Costa Rica
- 18-Patrick Pemberton
- 15-Francisco Calvo
- 5-Kenner Gutierrez
- 2-Johnny Acosta
- 3-Giancarlo Gonzalez
- 16-Cristian Gamboa
- 20-David Guzman
- 10-Bryan Ruiz
- 13-Rodney Wallace
- 21-Marco Urena
- 12-Joel Campbell
Canada
- 18-Milan Borjan
- 23-Michael Petrasso
- 5-Dejan Jakovic
- 19-Steven Vitória
- 17-Marcel de Jong
- 6-Samuel Piette
- 10-David Junior Hoilett
- 20-Patrice Bernier
- 8-Scott Arfield
- 12-Alphonso Davies
- 9-Lucas Cavallini
Upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup Schedule
- Costa Rica vs. French Guiana. July 14th, 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
- Canada vs. Honduras. July 14th, 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
