The 2023 CONCACAF Central American Cup group stage was played from 1 to 31 August 2023.[1] A total of 20 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 8 places in the knockout stage of the 2023 CONCACAF Central American Cup.[2]
Draw edit
The draw for the group stage was held on 8 June 2023 in Miami, Florida. The 20 involved teams were previously seeded into five pots of four teams each based on their CONCACAF Club Ranking as of 28 May 2023.[1][3]
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For the group stage, the 20 teams were drawn into four groups (Groups A–D) of five containing a team from each of the five pots. Teams from pot 1 were drawn first and were placed in the first position of their group, starting from Group A to Group D. The same procedure was followed for teams from pots 2, 3, 4 and 5, and they were placed in positions 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, within the group to which they were drawn. Each group must contain no more than two clubs from the same national association.[4]
The draw resulted in the following groups:[5]
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Format edit
In the group stage, each group is played on a single home-and-away round-robin basis, with teams playing against each other once, for a total of four matches per team (two home and two away). The teams are ranked according to the following criteria (Regulations Article 12.10.1).:[2]
- Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss);
- Goal difference;
- Goals scored;
- If two or more teams are still tied after applying the above criteria, their rankings would be determined as follows:
- Head-to-head points in the matches played among the tied teams;
- Head-to-head goal difference in the matches played among the tied teams;
- Head-to-head goals scored in the matches played among the tied teams;
- The lowest number of fairplay points, based on the following criteria:
- Yellow card: plus 1 point;
- Second yellow card/indirect red card: plus 3 points;
- Direct red card: plus 4 points;;
- Yellow card and direct red card: plus 5 points;
- Drawing of lots by CONCACAF.
The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage.
Schedule edit
Matches in the competition are being played on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday as decided by CONCACAF. The schedule of each week is as follows (Regulations Article 2).[2][5][6]
| Weeks | Dates | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 1–3 August 2023 | Team 1 vs. Team 3, Team 5 vs. Team 2 |
| Week 2 | 8–10 August 2023 | Team 5 vs. Team 1, Team 2 vs. Team 4 |
| Week 3 | 15–17 August 2023 | Team 4 vs. Team 5, Team 2 vs. Team 3 |
| Week 4 | 22–24 August 2023 | Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 3 vs. Team 5 |
| Week 5 | 29–31 August 2023 | Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4 |
Groups edit
All match times are in EDT (UTC−4) and local times are in parentheses, as listed by CONCACAF.[6]
Group A edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SAP | CAR | UNI | COB | JOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Saprissa
|
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 10 | Advance to Quarter-finals | — | 1–0 | — | 5–0 | — | |
| 2 | Cartaginés
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4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 7 | — | — | 2–2 | — | 5–0 | ||
| 3 |  Universitario
|
4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | 0–0 | — | — | — | 4–1 | ||
| 4 |  Cobán Imperial
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 4 | — | 0–1 | 0–0 | — | — | ||
| 5 |  Jocoro
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 17 | −15 | 0 | 0–4 | — | — | 1–4 | — |
Source: CONCACAF
| Jocoro | 1–4 | Cobán Imperial |
|---|---|---|
Acuña  65' (pen.) |
Report |
Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula (Honduras)[note 1]
Referee: Jefferson Escobar (Honduras)
| Saprissa | 1–0 | Cartaginés |
|---|---|---|
| East 63' |
Report |
| Jocoro | 0–4 | Saprissa |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula (Honduras)[note 1]
Referee: Oliver Vergara (Panama)
| Universitario | 4–1 | Jocoro |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Águila 53' |
Referee: Bryan López (Guatemala)
| Cobán Imperial | 0–1 | Cartaginés |
|---|---|---|
| Report | López 43' |
| Cartaginés | 5–0 | Jocoro |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Cartaginés | 2–2 | Universitario |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Sánchez 35', 71' |
Group B edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | IND | EST | OLI | XEL | FAS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independiente
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4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 10 | Advance to Quarter-finals | — | 2–1 | — | — | 5–0 | |
| 2 |  Real Estelí
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4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 9 | — | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | — | ||
| 3 |  Olimpia
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4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 7 | 1–1 | — | — | 2–0 | — | ||
| 4 | Xelajú
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4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 | 1–3 | — | — | — | 2–1 | ||
| 5 | FAS
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4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 0 | — | 0–2 | 2–4 | — | — |
Source: CONCACAF
| Real Estelí | 1–0 | Xelajú |
|---|---|---|
| A. Bonilla 19' |
Report |
Referee: Fernando Morón (Panama)
| Olimpia | 1–1 | Independiente |
|---|---|---|
| Benguché 65' |
Report | Small 51' |
| Real Estelí | 1–0 | Olimpia |
|---|---|---|
| Medina 36' |
Report |
Referee: Benjamín Pineda (Costa Rica)
| FAS | 0–2 | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Barrera 19' (pen.), 74' |
| Xelajú | 1–3 | Independiente |
|---|---|---|
| Cardona 6' |
Report |
Referee: Said Martínez (Honduras)
| Independiente | 2–1 | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bezerra 76' |
Referee: David Gómez (Costa Rica)
| Independiente | 5–0 | FAS |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Group C edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HER | COM | RES | ÁGU | DIR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herediano
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4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 10 | Advance to Quarter-finals | — | — | 3–2 | 2–0 | — | |
| 2 | Comunicaciones
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4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 | 1–2 | — | 3–1 | — | — | ||
| 3 | Real España
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4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | 3–0 | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Águila
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4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 3 | — | 1–4 | — | — | 1–0 | ||
| 5 | Diriangén
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4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | — | — | — |
Source: CONCACAF
| Comunicaciones | 3–1 | Real España |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Carter 33' |
| Diriangén | 0–1 | Comunicaciones |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Aguilar 40' |
Referee: Adonai Escobedo (Mexico)
| Herediano | 3–2 | Real España |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
| Águila | 1–4 | Comunicaciones |
|---|---|---|
| Salazar 45+1' |
Report |
| Real España | 3–0 | Águila |
|---|---|---|
| Rocca 48', 64', 70' |
Report |
| Comunicaciones | 1–2 | Herediano |
|---|---|---|
| Aguilar 22' |
Report |
Group D edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ALA | MOT | SSM | OLA | VER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alajuelense
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4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 12 | Advance to Quarter-finals | — | 5–1 | — | 1–0 | — | |
| 2 | Motagua
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4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 9 | — | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | — | ||
| 3 | Sporting San Miguelito
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4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | 0–1 | — | — | — | 4–0 | ||
| 4 | Olancho
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4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3 | — | — | 0–2 | — | 3–2 | ||
| 5 |  Verdes
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4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 15 | −13 | 0 | 0–3 | 0–5 | — | — | — |
Source: CONCACAF
| Alajuelense | 1–0 | Olancho |
|---|---|---|
| Suárez 61' |
Report |
| Verdes | 0–5 | Motagua |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Josué Ugalde (Costa Rica)
| Verdes | 0–3 | Alajuelense |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Melvin Matamoros (Honduras)
| Motagua | 2–0 | Sporting San Miguelito |
|---|---|---|
| Y. Mejía 21', 60' |
Report |
| Sporting San Miguelito | 0–1 | Alajuelense |
|---|---|---|
| Report | A. López 90+2' |
Referee: Selvin Brown (Honduras)
| Alajuelense | 5–1 | Motagua |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Auzmendi 15' |
Notes edit
- ^ a b Jocoro played their home matches at Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula (Honduras) instead of their regular stadium Complejo Deportivo Municipal Tierra de Fuego, Jocoro which did not meet CONCACAF requirements.[7]
- ^ The Cartaginés v Universitario match, originally scheduled at 18:00 EDT,[6] was re-scheduled to 20:00 EDT in order to allow both matchday 5 matches to be played simultaneously.
- ^ a b FAS played their home matches at Estadio Las Delicias, Santa Tecla (originally scheduled at Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador[6] which underwent renovations) instead of their regular stadium Estadio Óscar Quiteño, Santa Ana which did not meet CONCACAF requirements.[8]
- ^ The Independiente v FAS match, originally scheduled at 20:00 EDT,[6] was re-scheduled to 22:00 EDT in order to allow both matchday 5 matches to be played simultaneously.
- ^ a b Águila played their home matches at Estadio Las Delicias, Santa Tecla (originally scheduled at Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador[6] which underwent renovations) instead of their regular stadium Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza, San Miguel which did not meet CONCACAF requirements.[9]
- ^ The Sporting San Miguelito vs Verdes match, originally scheduled at 18:00 EDT,[6] was delayed until 18:45 EDT due to adverse weather conditions (thunderstorm).[10][11]
References edit
- ^ a b "Draw details announced for inaugural Concacaf Central American Cup". CONCACAF. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ^ a b c "CONCACAF Central American Cup 2023 Regulations" (PDF). CONCACAF. 17 July 2023 [Approved on 24 February 2023]. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Concacaf Club Ranking as of May 28, 2023". CONCACAF. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "Concacaf confirms 2023 Central American Cup draw details". CONCACAF. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Draw delivers groups for inaugural Concacaf Central American Cup". CONCACAF. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Schedule and stadiums confirmed for 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup". CONCACAF. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ Gutiérrez, Omar (17 July 2023). "Jocoro jugará la Copa Centroamericana en Honduras, FAS y Águila sin sede" [Jocoro will play the Central American Cup in Honduras, FAS and Águila without venue] (in Spanish). El Mundo. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ Gutiérrez, Omar (22 July 2023). "FAS tendrá como sede el estadio Las Delicias para jugar la Copa Centroamericana 2023" [FAS will have Las Delicias stadium as their venue for the 2023 Central American Cup] (in Spanish). El Mundo. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ Gutiérrez, Omar (22 July 2023). "Águila anuncia que el estadio Las Delicias será su sede para la Copa Centroamericana 2023" [Águila announces that Las Delicias stadium will be their venue for the 2023 Central American Cup] (in Spanish). El Mundo. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Copa Centroamericana 2023: Partido de Sporting vs Verdes se retrasa" [2023 Central American Cup: Sporting vs Verdes match delayed] (in Spanish). RPC. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ CONCACAF Champions Cup [@TheChampions] (August 16, 2023). "¡Comienza el juego!" [The game is on!] (Tweet) (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 August 2023 – via Twitter.