MIAMI, Florida – The third week of the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup comes to a close on Thursday with a pair of games.
The contest in Group D will feature a pair of Honduran sides locking horns, as Motagua host Olancho at the Estadio Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Motagua come into the contest riding the wave of back-to-back clean sheet wins versus Verdes (5-0) and Sporting San Miguelito (2-0) and currently sit atop the group, slightly ahead of Alajuelense on goal difference. Meanwhile, Olancho have just one match under their belts, a narrow 1-0 defeat in week one in Costa Rica against Alajuelense.
While Motagua have a long history of success in Concacaf tournaments, including three runner-up finishes in the Concacaf League, their track record against Olancho tells a different story. In four all-time matches between the two Honduran sides, Olancho have three wins, including the last three.
Adding to the intrigue of Thursday night is that Motagua FW Agustin Auzmendi will be facing his former club. Auzmendi was a lethal goalscorer last season for Olancho and is off to a quick start at Motagua, with three goals in this competition.
Yeison Mejia has also provided punch in attack, accounting for both goals in the win versus Sporting San Miguelito, while chipping in with an assist against Verdes.
Olancho will counter with a pair of veterans who know a thing or two about playing international matches. Angel Tejeda has two goals in 16 career Concacaf matches, while 2011 Copa Centroamericana winner Mario Martinez has three goals in 20 Concacaf games.
Match Officials FC Motagua (HON) vs Olancho FC (HON)
REF: RANDY ENCARNACION (Dominican Republic)
AR1: WALTER CID (Dominican Republic)
AR2: JOSE BARE (Dominican Republic)
4TH: ADONIS CARRASCO (Dominican Republic)
CD Aguila vs. Diriangen FC
The first game of the night will take place in Group C at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador where home side Aguila will face Diriangen of Nicaragua.
Aguila opened their campaign last week with a 2-0 defeat at Herediano and will be seeking their first points against a Diriangen side that played to a 1-1 draw with Herediano in week one before falling 1-0 at home last week to Comunicaciones.
Aguila have a veteran-laden team that knows how to handle the pressures of Concacaf nights, including MF Darwin Ceren, who took three shots, completed 46 passes and had three ball recoveries against Herediano. Attacker Duvier Riascos is another familiar name to many across the region and the 37-year-old was one of the dangermen against the Ticos, with three shots.
Diriangen have experience on their side as well in Matias Galvaliz, who has an assist in the tournament and completed 55 passes against Comunicaciones. Luis Copete is another who can strike, evidenced by his goal in the opener against Herediano. Copete also works hard on the defensive end with eight clearances.
Match Officials CD Aguila (SLV) vs Diriangen FC (NCA)
REF: SERGIO REYNA (Guatemala)
AR1: ALEJANDRO CAMARENA (Panama)
AR2: ANDRES VARGAS (Panama)
4TH: CRISTHOFER CORADO (Guatemala)
