Central American Cup, Olympic Play-In lead week in Concacaf

A very full week is in store in the Concacaf region, with the Concacaf Central American Cup quarterfinals, the second round of Road to W Gold Cup matches, the fourth week of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup and the second leg of the Concacaf Olympic Playoff between Canada and Jamaica.

Central American Cup

The Central American Cup returns to the fold this week with the first leg matches of the four quarterfinals. Not only will the winner of each series advance to the semifinals, but they will also qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, so a good start in the first leg is crucial.

All four match-ups are exciting, including the second match on Wednesday between Comunicaciones of Guatemala versus Herediano of Costa Rica.

Both clubs were winners of the Concacaf League, with Herediano taking the crown in 2018 and Comunicaciones achieving that feat in 2021. If this match-up sounds familiar, it is because they squared off in the group stage, with Herediano rallying from a 1-0 deficit to capture a 2-1 victory. Now they meet again over the course of two legs to determine which team will punch their Champions Cup ticket and keep their Central American Cup title hopes alive.

The other three match-ups will see Motagua host Independiente of Panama on Tuesday night in Honduras, Nicaraguan giants Real Esteli will welcome in three-time Concacaf champions Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica and a battle of Costa Rican clubs will be featured on Thursday with Cartagines at home against Alajuelense.

Road To W Gold Cup

The Road to W Gold Cup continues with some big matches across all the leagues. Tuesday night’s encounter in Group A between Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago in Pachuca, Mexico, will be one to watch. El Tricolor know that securing three points at home will be critical to their chances of finishing atop the group, while Trinidad and Tobago will be keen to begin the competition with a winning start.

There will also be some important match-ups in Group C of League B on Tuesday. Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and Bermuda all aiming to win the group to advance to the Prelims for a chance to qualify for the 12-team 2024 W Gold Cup. Dominican Republic host Barbados knowing that victory is paramount, while Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will hope the comforts of home do the trick against a feisty Bermuda side.

Caribbean Cup

The Caribbean Cup will begin its fourth week of play with teams closing in on clinching a berth in the semifinals.

Group B will feature a battle of the top teams in the group as Harbour View of Jamaica host Robinhood of Suriname on Wednesday. 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield winners Robinhood have taken the Caribbean Cup by storm, with six points from their first two games.

The leader has been FW Shaquille Cairo. After finishing as the top scorer of the Shield with 10 goals, Cairo has accounted for all three of Robinhood’s goals in their two wins. But Harbour View are a tough foe to take down, evidenced by their win and draw in the first two matches. A full three points for either side would all but assure a semifinal spot.

The big game to watch in Group A will be on Tuesday between Moca of the Dominican Republic and Martinique’s Golden Lion in Moca. Each team has three points after two games and is poised to move up the standings. A victory for either could be just the springboard they need to reach the semifinals.

Olympic Play-In second Leg

A spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic and a place in the 2024 W Gold Cup will be at stake on Tuesday in Toronto, Canada, where the women’s national teams of Jamaica and Canada will meet in the second leg of their Concacaf Olympic Playoff.

Canada would like nothing more to reach Paris to defend their Gold Medal from Tokyo 2020, while Jamaica are trying to make even more history by becoming the first ever Caribbean nation to qualify for the Olympics.