The 2018 CONCACAF League is now in its second edition and as the second tier tournament in a region that already was never the biggest on continental competitions, it is no surprise that the opening matches were played to very little fanfare. It is hard to get pumped for matches between two Central American teams that you are unfamiliar with after the highs of the World Cup and the start of the Liga MX season.
But now that the opening matchday has passed, things get a bit more interesting. The second legs of each of the round of 16 series will be played this week, and should provide some thrilling, high stakes, and intense matches. Here are three games to keep an eye on this week.
Walter Ferretti (Nicaragua) vs Club Franciscain (Martinique)
Club Franciscain provide immediate intrigue due to being from Martinique, which is not a FIFA member. It was given a relatively easy draw in Walter Ferretti and managed to get a clean 1-0 victory at home. This series is completely up for grabs on Wednesday night and a very tense affair is expected.
The Key: Early Focus for Franciscain
Club Franciscain made a habit of falling down early during the 2018 Caribbean Club Championship but were able to come from behind to win in both the Tier 2 final and the qualifying playoff. Conceding an early goal here is not an option as Walter Ferretti can very easily open the floodgates if they go ahead in the first half-hour of this game.
Kickoff Time: August 8 (5:00 PM Pacific)
Herediano (Costa Rica) vs Santa Tecla (El Salvador)
The Costa Rican giants are the favorites to win the whole thing, but they still got work to do in the first round despite a 1-0 home win in the first leg. It is common knowledge at this point that there are no easy games in Central America, but earlier this year in the Champions League Santa Tecla made a fierce comeback to beat Seattle Sounders 2-1 at home, and they are more than capable of getting a victory over a Herediano team that has to balance a crowded Liga FPD schedule with its continental duties.
The Key: Herediano, Get a Goal!
The Costa Ricans cannot count on a shutout here, and it is unlikely that it will happen. Expect them to try to hit early on the counters and take a commanding lead in the series early on. It is going to be an extremely tough environment in El Salvador and that will only be more and more of a factor as the game progresses.
Kickoff Time: August 8 (7:00 PM Pacific)
Portmore United (Jamaica) vs Santos de Guápiles (Costa Rica)
A year ago, Caribbean teams put in a weak showing in this competition. All three teams from the sub-region failed to advance past the first round. Santos defeated San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad and Tobago 8-3 on aggregate. So needless to say, it was a shock result to see Jamaican side Portmore steal a 2-1 victory at Santos in the first leg. They head home with a lead and two away goals and have to be feeling good about their odds to upset Santos, who were runners-up last season.
The Key: Control
Santos is definitely in a funk right now, with the home loss to Portmore last week and more recently a 3-0 defeat to Herediano in the league. But they still have a very dangerous offense that can get the two goals they need. Fans are probably most familiar with winger Osvaldo Rodriguez who has 17 caps for Costa Rica. It is important for Portmore to not sit back too much and allow Santos to attack for 90 minutes. Even with the significant advantage they have, it is unclear if the Jamaican side can hold out for a whole game.
Kickoff Time: August 9 (4:30 PM Pacific)
How to Watch CONCACAF League
All matches are streamed live on Concacaf’s official YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/concacaf
