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Curacao out of CONCACAF Gold Cup for positive COVID tests

Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez, center, fights for the ball against Curacao's Vurnon Anita, left, and Jurien Gaari, during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in Panama City, Saturday, June, 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco) Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez, center, fights for the ball against Curacao's Vurnon Anita, left, and Jurien Gaari, during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in Panama City, Saturday, June, 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)
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MIAMI -

Curacao was dropped from the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Friday because of positive COVID tests and replaced by Guatemala.

Ranked 76th, Curacao was to open Group A on Saturday against El Salvador in Frisco, Texas, then play Mexico on Wednesday in Dallas and Trinidad and Tobago on July 18 at Frisco.

"Ahead of the start of the Gold Cup group stage, all competing national teams went through several rounds of testing and, unfortunately, the Curacao delegation returned a significant number of positive results across their staff and players in the last round of testing," CONCACAF said in a statement. "Although several Curacao players returned a negative test result, local state guidelines require several of them to isolate due to being close contacts of those who tested positive. In light of these circumstances, CONCACAF and the Curacao Football Federation have mutually agreed that Curacao will not participate in the Gold Cup."

Guatemala, ranked 127th, lost its second round qualifier to Guadeloupe 10-9 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw on Tuesday.

CONCACAF said Guatemala was the next highest-ranked team available from qualifying, where Guatemala defeated Guyana 4-0 in the first round.

Guatemala was scheduled to play its opener against El Salvador on Sunday in Frisco.

"CONCACAF and the Curacao Football Federation have made every effort to find a solution that would enable Curacao to compete, however the health and safety of the Curacao players and staff, and all participants in the tournament, must be prioritized," CONCACAF said.

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