MIAMI, Florida – The fifth and final week of the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup group stage begins on Tuesday with a big four-match slate to determine the fates of the teams in Group A and Group B.
CS Cartagines vs CD Universitario
Starting off things will be a crucial encounter in Group A between Cartagines of Costa Rica and Panama’s Universitario at the Estadio Jose Rafael Fello Meza in Cartago, Costa Rica.
Cartagines (6 points) go into the contest holding a one-point edge over Universitario (5 points) for second-place in the group and a spot in the quarterfinals.
A win for either team would assure a spot in the final eight and could be enough to secure the group’s top spot, depending on the final result between first-place Saprissa (7 points) and Coban Imperial (4 points).
Allen Guevara leads Cartagines in scoring in the tournament with two goals and has been helped by Jostin Daly, who also has a goal and 11 shots taken.
Everardo Rose has played a massive role for Universitario with two goals and an assist, while GK Joseph Esquina has provided a solid presence in net with two clean sheets and just one goal allowed.
Deportivo Saprissa vs. CSD Coban Imperial
The Cartagines-Universitario match will be taking place at the same time as Saprissa’s home date with Coban Imperial at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Saprissa only require a draw to advance, while a win would secure a first-place finish in the group. Coban Imperial are still alive and can advance with a win by at least two goals.
The visiting Guatemalans certainly have the talent to do it, with the likes of Janderson Pereira and Anllel Porras, who each have found the back of the net in the tournament.
The home side from San Jose are no strangers to decisive Concacaf matches and can turn to veterans like David Guzman and Jefferson Brenes for inspiration. Guzman leads the team in shots with 14 and had an assist in the 4-0 win versus Jocoro, while Brenes had a goal and an assist in that game. Brenes also leads the team in passes with 124.
Club Atletico Independiente vs. FAS
Group B will headline the two nightcaps, with all eyes on the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama for Independiente’s home date with CD FAS of El Salvador.
The mission for Independiente is quite simple: Get a result, and they advance. With a three-point cushion over Honduran giants Olimpia for second-place in the table, Independiente only need a draw at home against the already-eliminated Salvadorans.
But FAS will arrive with the mindset of playing spoiler, especially with players like Joao Plata and Dustin Corea in the fold. Plata scored in last week’s match with Olimpia and now has nine goals in 15 Concacaf games. Corea also found the back of the net last week and leads the side in shots in the tournament with eight.
Independiente have their strengths as well and an early goal would help settle some early nerves. Players like Carlos Small and Hector Hurtado will play pivotal roles. Small has two goals on nine shots in the tournament, while Hurtado has been a workhorse with nine ball recoveries.
CD Olimpia vs. CSD Xelaju MC
No doubt that many radios will be tuning into the Independiente-FAS match from the Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where Olimpia take on Xelaju of Guatemala in their Group B finale.
Olimpia must win and hope for an Independiente defeat against FAS in order to reach the quarterfinal stage.
After tallying just one goal in their first two games, the Olimpia attack kicked into gear last week against FAS in a 4-2 win, aided by Jorge Benguche’s brace. Dangerous MF Edwin Rodriguez is also displaying his top form and had an assist last week in El Salvador.
Even though Xelaju are eliminated from quarterfinal contention, they can make Olimpia’s life very difficult with players like Maynor de Leon, who has five ball recoveries, and veteran GK Jose Calderon, who has made 17 saves in three matches and boasts a wealth of Concacaf experience.
