Cup semifinals, return of Road to W Gold Cup headline week

MIAMI, Florida – It will be a very busy week in the Concacaf region, with the start of the semifinals of the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup and the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup on the docket, while the women’s national teams return to action in the October window of the Road to W Gold Cup.

Central American Cup

With their ticket already punched to the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, the semifinalists of the 2023 Central American Cup return to action on Wednesday with an all-Costa Rican battle between Herediano and Alajuelense in the semifinal first leg at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose.

Herediano got a goal in second half stoppage time in their quarterfinal second leg to eliminate Comunicaciones, 3-2, while Alajuelense have won all six matches they have played in the Central American Cup to reach this stage. With these two sides so familiar with each other through countless domestic encounters, fans can expect the margins to be very thin.

On Thursday the other semifinal will begin between CA Independiente of Panama and Nicaragua’s Real Esteli in the first leg in Nicaragua. These two teams are already acquainted with each other after having squared off in the group stage when CAI pocketed a 2-1 home victory. They meet again with the stakes much higher, as a first-ever Concacaf Final for either club is there for the taking.

Also on the schedule are the first legs of the Central American Cup Play-In. On Tuesday, Costa Rican club Cartagines will host Comunicaciones of Guatemala, while on Wednesday, Motagua of Honduras will welcome in Costa Rican giants Saprissa.

In order to claim one of the final two Champions Cup berths, a strong start in this series will be imperative for all sides.

Caribbean Cup

The 2023 Caribbean Cup will also begin its semifinal stage, as four teams vie for a berth in the 2024 Champions Cup. It all begins on Tuesday in an all-Jamaican affair as Harbour View host Cavalier in the first leg. Both sides boast dangerous goalscorers, with Cavalier FW Shaniel Thomas currently leading all players in scoring with seven goals, while Harbour View have a dynamic one-two punch in Shaquiel Bradford (3 goals) and Omar Thompson (2).

On Wednesday night the setting will shift to the Dominican Republic where home side Moca will welcome in Robinhood of Suriname in their semifinal first leg. It will be an interesting contrast between Moca’s solid defense and Robinhood’s high-flying attack. Moca have three clean sheets in the tournament, while Robinhood scored eight goals in the group stage, led by Shaquille Cairo’s five goals.

Road To W Gold Cup

The October window of the Road To W Gold Cup begins on Wednesday, as some of the teams at the top of their groups in League A will look to draw closer to a berth in the 2024 W Gold Cup, while the leaders in League B continue to set their sights on the W Gold Cup Play-In.

Opportunity knocks in Group A of League A for Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago, who meet in the first of two consecutive matches on Friday in Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica enter the fray in Group B and will look to quickly over take Panama (3 points) and Guatemala (3 points) in a visit to Panama on Wednesday, followed by a home date with Guatemala on Sunday. Meanwhile, Haiti can really put some pressure on Group C rivals Costa Rica and Saint Kitts and Nevis in a Thursday visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis.

In League B, Group A leaders Suriname can put some distance between themselves and second-place Guyana, as those two teams face off on Wednesday and again on Sunday. Thursday in Tegucigalpa will be the site for a massive game in Group B, where second-place Honduras (4 points) host leaders El Salvador (6 points), with the winner arriving at the midway point with the group lead. It is a similar story in Group C on Friday, as second-place Barbados look to make up a three-point deficit at home against first-place Bermuda.

The US Virgin Islands have the chance to move up the table in Group C of League C first with a visit to leaders Grenada on Wednesday, followed by a home date with Bahamas on Sunday. In Group A, Belize will look to continue their winning ways and stay atop the group, as they pursue a third straight victory in a visit to Turks and Caicos Islands, while on Friday, Cuba can rise to the top of Group B with a win away at Guadeloupe. In Group D, Curacao will also get their first taste of action in League C, as they travel to second-place Cayman Islands.