MIAMI, Florida – Five spots in the second round are up for grabs as the first round of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the Concacaf region closes on Tuesday.
Several are head-to-head matchups, with the winner of the final match of qualification going through to the second round, which will see two-legged series between group winners and the winner of those moving into the final round of qualification.
The first is Haiti and Nicaragua in Group E. Haiti forwards Duckens Nazon had four goals and Frantzdy Pierrot got a hat trick of his own in Haiti’s 10-0 victory over the Turks and Caicos Islands, while Nicaragua captain Juan Barrera scored his third goal of the round in a 3-0 win over Belize last week. Neither team has conceded yet in qualification, and Haiti go through in the case of a draw, but Juan Vita’s men will be eager to put the first blemish on Haiti’s defense.
Guatemala’s trip to face Curacao at the Ergilio Hato Stadium also will decide the winner of Group C. Both teams are undefeated and have a plus-14 goal difference, though Curacao has scored one more goal than Guatemala. The Central Americans are coming off an impressive team effort with 10 different scorers in a 10-0 win against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines last time out, while Curacao got doubles from three players in a 8-0 win against the British Virgin Islands.
Canada and Suriname also come into their contest undefeated and known the winner will go into the second round from Group B. Each team has looked impressive thus far in qualification, with Canada outscoring opponents 23-1 and Suriname doing the same 15-0. After coming in as substitutes against Aruba in a 7-0 win, Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David are likely to start. Suriname will hope forward Nigel Hasselbaink can score a hat trick in the third consecutive match, while a defense anchored by Ryan Donk stymies John Herdman’s attack.
Group A comes down to El Salvador versus Antigua and Barbuda at the Estate Cuscatlan in San Salvador. El Salvador captain Marvin Monterrosa paced La Selecta as they found a 7-0 win against the U.S. Virgin Islands, the first match as senior manager for Hugo Perez. Antigua and Barbuda got a goal from Rhys Browne and defended well for a 1-0 win against Grenada in its most recent match.
If that match ends in a stalemate, Montserrat also could top the group if it beats Grenada at Kirani James Stadium on Tuesday by a significant margin. Adrian Lewis Clifton had a pair in a 4-0 win over the U.S. Virgin Islands in Montserrat’s last match, though Grenada will be eager to close qualification with a win ahead of the 2021 Gold Cup.
Panama hosts the Dominican Republic to determine how things shake out in Group D. A stoppage-time goal from Manny Rodriguez earned a draw for the Dominican Republic against Barbados and kept them in contention to top the group. Panama enjoyed a 13-0 victory over Anguilla with Gabriel Torres netting four, and now the Canaleros know a draw is enough for the dream of making two straight World Cups to stay alive.
Saint Kitts and Nevis already secured its place atop Group F and in the second round after topping Guyana 3-0 in its most recent match. They’ll put their perfect record on the line against Trinidad and Tobago, whose scoreless draw with the Bahamas on Saturday meant T&T are eliminated from the next round.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Cuba meet on the final day in Group C at Kirani James Athletic Stadium with both teams eliminated. Cuba is coming off a 5-0 victory over the British Virgin Islands as Los Leones del Caribe look to build momentum ahead of the Gold Cup, while Vincy Heat will try to bounce back from a 10-0 reverse in Guatemala last time out.
Guyana and Puerto Rico play their Group F finale with each knowing the potential of a second-place finish in the group is on the table. Puerto Rico has gotten stronger during qualification with a loss, a draw and a victory in that order, while Guyana dropped their last contest, a 3-0 loss to Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Barbados and Dominica each got a result in their previous match this month in Group D, with Dominica riding three first-half goals to a 3-0 win over Anguilla and Barbados fighting the Dominican Republic to a 1-1 draw. They’ll look to close qualification strong when they meet at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium.
The Cayman Islands are searching for their first point of qualification in Group B and get one last crack with a contest against Bermuda at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. Bermuda fell to Suriname, 6-0, last week but topped Aruba earlier in qualification and will hope to double its win total to get momentum for the Gold Cup qualifiers.
