SAN PEDRO SULA – An unprecedented qualification for the Olympics will be on the line on Friday when Guatemala square off with the Dominican Republic in the semifinals of the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship in Honduras at the Estadio Morazan in San Pedro Sula.

Both sides were part of a historical night on Wednesday in their respective quarterfinal triumphs.

The Dominican Republic qualified for their first ever World Cup at any age level by defeating Jamaica 1-0 to secure their place in the 2023 FIFA Men’s Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia.

Not to be outdone, Guatemala edged Mexico 2-1 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in their quarterfinal match-up to reach their first U20 World Cup since 2011.

Now, the opportunity is there for one of these two teams to clinch a first ever Olympic berth and punch their ticket to Paris 2024.

The Dominican Republic have reached this phase of the tournament with back-to-back wins after advancing directly to the Round of 16 from last November’s CMU20 Qualifying.

First, it was a wild 5-4 Round of 16 triumph over El Salvador in which the Caribbean nation twice rallied from a second half deficit to knock out the Central Americans. The Dominican Republic then followed that up with a superb defensive effort against the Reggae Boyz.

The dangerman for the Dominican Republic has been Angel Montes De Oca, who bagged a brace against El Salvador and then scored the lone goal against Jamaica.

But it is going to take something special from Montes De Oca and his teammates if they are to get the better of Guatemala GK Jorge Moreno. The Chapines’ shot-stopper is making a very strong case for the Golden Glove Award for his performances in the knockout rounds.

After saving a penalty during regulation versus Canada in the Round of 16 (1-1, 4-3 in PKs), Moreno once again saved a penalty deep into the second half in Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Mexico to keep his team tied at 1-1. He then followed that up with three saves in the spot kicks to lead his side to a 2-1 shootout win.

Guatemala also have talent up top in FW Arquimides Ordonez, who scored his fourth goal of the CMU20 against Mexico with a well-placed header.

With the stakes so high and a first ever Olympic berth at the fingertips of both teams, this semifinal is a must-watch for all.