MIAMI, Florida – The fourth week of the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup comes to a close on Thursday with matches in Group C and Group D.
Sporting San Miguelito vs. LD Alajuelense
Starting off the night will be a showdown in Group D between Panama’s Sporting San Miguelito and Alajuelense of Costa Rica at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama.
Alajuelense have two wins from two games and currently sit second in the group with six points, while Sporting San Miguelito are in third place with three points after two games.
The opportunity is there for the Panamanians to leapfrog the Ticos, but a tough task awaits against the former Concacaf champions, who have registered a pair of clean sheets in their two wins and have been boosted by the play of Aaron Suarez, with a goal in each game from the young attacker.
Freddy Gondola has also been a pest to opposing defenses with a goal and six shots taken, while reliable veteran MF Celso Borges has maintained his usual level of excellence, completing on average 92 percent of his passes.
The home side found their scoring stride in last week’s 4-0 win over Verdes, with four different players netting a goal, including veteran striker Gabriel Torres.
One player who has impressed for Sporting San Miguelito is 19-year-old MF Rodrigo Tello. A member of the Panama team at the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship in Honduras, Tello has shown poise beyond his years in completing 71 passes in the tournament.
Over the weekend in the Panamanian Football League, Sporting San Miguelito lost 0-1 against Deportivo del Este. Sporting San Miguelito is currently placed third with 7 points in the Eastern Group, which consists of six teams.
In the Costa Rican League, LD Alajuelense defeated San Carlos 3-0 on Saturday with goals from Fredy Góndola, Johan Venegas, and Alexis Gamboa to remain in the second position on the table with 11 points; Saprissa leads with 12. Joel Campbell and Johan Venegas, with two goals each, are the top scorers for LDA in the 2023 tournament.
Match Officials
Referee: Selvin Brown (HON)
AR1 José Ojeda (NCA)
AR2 Jorge Ordoñez (GUA)
4th Official Oficial José Valladares (HON)
Real España vs Diriangen
The week wraps up with a Group C affair pitting Diriangen of Nicaragua against Honduran side Real Espana at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Neither side has been able to find the win column yet but hope still remains for Real Espana to advance despite two defeats in their first two matches. However, the story is different for Diriangen, who are eliminated from advancing to the quarterfinal stage after just one point from three matches.
Still, it is a great opportunity to end the tournament on a high note and they have the pieces to do it in the form of Matias Galvaliz, Tomas Alvarez and Erick Tellez.
Galvaliz leads the team in passes with 121, while Alvarez was involved in three scoring chances last week in the 1-0 loss at Aguila. Tellez has been excellent with his work rate, making five clearances and recovering three balls.
Real Espana will counter with the dynamic duo of Daniel carter and Darixon Vuelto. Carter has two goals and an assist in the tournament, while Vuelto has a goal from three shots.
In the Honduran National League, Real España lost 0-2 in the "Clásico" against CD Marathon, a defeat that placed them in fifth position on the table with 6 points, tied with FC Motagua and CD Marathon. The leaders in Honduras are CD Olimpia and Olancho FC with 7 points.
In the Nicaraguan First Division, Diriangén drew 1-1 away against Managua. Diriangén stands fifth on the table of 10 teams with 5 points; the leader is Real Estelí with 12 points.
Match Officials
Referee: Benjamín Pineda (CRC)
AR1 Ronald Bruña (PAN)
AR2 Alejandro Camarena (PAN)
4th Official Fernando Morón (PAN)
