Away teams enjoyed the run of play during Sunday's round of matches in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.

El Salvador secured a 3-1 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Group F at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Jairo Henriquez opened the scoring with a stunning strike from outside the box in the 10th minute. Oalex Anderson equalized for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the 43rd minute with a well-placed header from a corner.

However, Rafael Tejada restored El Salvador's lead in the 60th minute after a smooth build-up play involving Henriquez and Francis Castillo. Nelson Bonilla sealed the win in the 83rd minute, connecting on a long cross from Nelson Blanco. El Salvador now sits on four points, trailing group leaders Suriname by two points, while Saint Vincent and the Grenadines remain winless.

In Grenada, Costa Rica continued their dominant start in Group B with a 3-0 victory over the home team at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George's, Grenada.

Manfred Ugalde scored the opening goal in the ninth minute, capitalizing on a through ball from Brandon Aguilera. Alvaro Zamora doubled the lead in the 34th minute with a composed left-footed finish.

Gerald Taylor added the third in the 70th minute, finishing a short pass from Ugalde. Costa Rica's goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira secured his second clean sheet of the campaign. Costa Rica leads the group with six points, while Grenada has only one point from two matches.

Meanwhile, in Bridgetown Haiti triumphed 3-1 over Barbados in Group C at Wildey Turf.

Louicius Deedson opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a precise shot inside the right post. Markhus Lacroix extended the lead with a powerful strike into the top netting in the first-half stoppage time.

Barbados' Niall Reid-Stephen pulled one back in the 73rd minute, but Bryan Labissiere's 84th-minute goal on a counter-attack ensured Haiti's victory. Haiti now has six points, matching the pace with first-place Curaçao, while Barbados remains without a point after two defeats.

At the National Sports in Hamilton, Honduras delivered an emphatic 6-1 win over Bermuda in Group A. Kervin Arriaga started the scoring in the 15th minute, but Bermuda's Zeiko Lewis equalized from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time.

David Ruiz put Honduras back in the lead in the 49th minute, followed by goals from Edwin Rodriguez (53rd minute), Luis Vega (56th minute), Andy Najar (62nd minute), and Bryan Rochez (90+1 minute). Luis Palma played a crucial role with three assists. Honduras leads the group with six points, while Bermuda has one point from two matches.

Panama secured a 3-1 victory over Montserrat in Group D at the National Football Stadium in Managua, Nicaragua. Jovani Welch gave Panama the lead with a long-distance strike in the 40th minute. Montserrat's Kaleem Strawbridge-Simon equalized with a similar effort in the 48th minute. However, Panama regained control with a header from Jose Fajardo in the 61st minute, assisted by Jose Luis Rodriguez, who then scored Panama's third with a header in the 70th minute. Panama now has six points, keeping pace with group leaders Nicaragua, while Montserrat remains winless.

Costa Rica and Honduras were among the winners on the second day of round two of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers on Thursday.

Costa Rica won 4-nil over Saint Kitts and Nevis in Group B at the National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Orlando Galo struck with a header in the box to open the scoring in the 40’, connecting on a long service from Jefferson Brenes following a throw-in.

Galo secured his brace in the 50’ with a left footed strike just outside the box.

Josimar Alcocer came off the bench to add a third for the hosts in the 83'.

Andy Rojas, another second half substitute, extended the lead in the 84' to secure the three points.

Costa Rica will travel to face Grenada on Sunday in St. George's. Saint Kitts and Nevis will host the Bahamas on Tuesday in Basseterre.

Honduras won 3-1 over Cuba in Group A at the Chelato Ucles National Stadium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Maykel Reyes struck first for the visitors in the 23', capping off a counterattack with a chipped ball from the penalty arc.

Antony Lozano tied the match minutes later, in the 26', as Honduras took advantage of a free kick from short distance. Luis Palma delivered the service over the top, which Lozano received with his chest as he spun to hit the ball with his right foot.

Edwin Rodriguez obtained the lead for Honduras in the 45'+2 with a left footed shot in the box.

Rubilio Castillo extended the lead in the 82' with a strike off a long pass from the right side of the box by fellow second half substitute David Ruiz.

Up next for Honduras is playing away at Bermuda on Sunday. Cuba will host the Cayman Islands on Tuesday in Santiago de Cuba.

Haiti defeated Saint Lucia, 2-1, in Group C at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Caniggia Elva opened the scoring in the 18' to put Saint Lucia on the board.

Jean-Kevin Duverne tied the match in the 47', connecting with a strong header off a corner kick service from Fabrice Picault.

Duckens Nazon completed the comeback in the 78', powering through the defense for the match-winning goal.

The Haiti national team will remain in Bridgetown to face Barbados on Sunday. Saint Lucia will also stay on the island to host Aruba on Tuesday at Wildey Turf.

Panama took a 2-nil victory over Guyana in Group D at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium in Panama City, Panama.

Cristian Martinez broke the deadlock in the 62' with a goal inside the box, connecting on a pass over the top from Adalberto Carrasquilla.

Jose Rodri­guez made it a two-goal lead for the hosts in the 65' with a one-hit finish on the other end of a service from Edgar Barcenas.

The next opponent for Panama is Montserrat on Sunday in Managua, Nicaragua. Guyana will meet Belize on Tuesday at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados.

El Salvador and Puerto Rico played to a scoreless draw in Group F at the Cuscatlan Stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Darwin Ceren had a look towards goal in the 23’ but the attempt went wide of the goal.

The hosts came close again in the 26’ as a long-range attempt from Christian Martinez hit the crossbar.

Leandro Antonetti delivered a menacing header in the 78’ but was just wide of the left post as the match stayed scoreless.

Goalkeepers Mario Gonzalez and Joel Serrano ended the night with their first clean sheets of the campaign.

Suriname, who won on Wednesday, maintains its spot at the top of the group as a result. Anguilla and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have yet to play their first match.

Next for El Salvador is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Sunday in Paramaribo, Suriname. Puerto Rico will host Anguilla on Tuesday in Bayamon.

Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas has announced he is retiring from international football at the age of 37.

Navas, who announced earlier this month that he would be leaving Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires in June, has now ended speculation about his participation in the Copa America.

The goalkeeper has made 114 appearances for his national side since his debut in 2008, playing in three World Cups, including Costa Rica’s run to the quarter-final in Brazil in 2014.

Navas’ last appearance for Costa Rica came against Argentina in a friendly in March.

In a video posted to social media, Navas said: "This chapter of my life is coming to an end. I leave with my heart full of gratitude and my eyes looking forward, always carrying the name of our beloved Costa Rica.

"It's a bittersweet feeling, difficult to accept, this stage has come to an end. It's not goodbye, it's see you later because I know our paths will continue to cross. Thank you, Costa Rica, see you later, pura vida."

Costa Rica’s Copa America campaign will kick off against Brazil on June 24 in Los Angeles.

Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are set to cross swords in the group stages of this year’s fourth edition of the Concacaf Nations League, as both were drawn in Group B of League A for the 2024/25 campaign which is scheduled to kick off in September.

This year’s Concacaf Nations League will again be contested in a three-league format –Leagues A, B and C –and will see the Confederation’s 41 senior men’s national teams doing battle during the FIFA match windows of September, October, and November 2024. The semi-finals and finals of the tournament, which serves as the qualifiers for next summer’s 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, are scheduled for March 2025.

The teams have been grouped across the respective Leagues based on their results from the 2023/24 staging. The Reggae Boyz and their Soca Warriors counterparts, who contested the business end of the competition for the first time in that campaign, will be hoping to do so again on this occasion.

They are among 12 teams, split in two groups of six teams each to contest League A in a “Swiss style” league system, with each team playing a total of four games (two at home and two away).

Jamaica, last edition’s semi-finalist, and Trinidad and Tobago, who made the quarterfinals, are drawn alongside Honduras, Cuba, Nicaragua, and French Guiana, while Group A comprises, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Suriname, and Guyana.

After group stage play in September and October, the first and second-place finishers of each group, will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will join the four top-ranked League A teams, Mexico, United States, Panama, and Canada. The quarterfinals will be played in a home-and-away format, with the winner of each fixture, on aggregate, set to secure a berth in next year’s Finals.

Meanwhile, League B will feature 16 teams divided into four groups of four teams. Each team will play every team in its group twice. The groups were drawn as follows:
 
Group A -El Salvador, Montserrat, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Bonaire

Group B -Curacao, Saint Lucia, Grenada, and Saint Martin
Group C -Haiti, Puerto Rico, Aruba, and St Maarten
Group D -Dominican Republic, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominic 
Matches in each group will be played at a centralized venue instead of the previous home-and-away format, to alleviate travel challenges that Member Associations face.

The third best-ranked teams in each group will host the September matches, the second best-ranked teams will host the October matches, and the best-ranked teams will host the decisive November matches.

Over in League C, which consists of nine teams, divided into three groups of three teams, the format takes a similar shape, where each team will play every team in its group twice.

Group A -Barbados, Bahamas, and US Virgin Islands
Group B -Belize, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Anguilla
Group C-Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cayman Islands, and British Virgin Islands

Where centralized venues are concerned, the second highest-ranked teams in each group will host the September matches, and the highest-ranked teams will host the October matches.

Schedule:

Group Stage: September 2-10, October 7-15, and November 11-19, 2024
Quarterfinals: November 11-19, 2024
Semifinals: March 20, 2025
Final and Third Place Match: March 23, 2025

As expected, Frazsiers Whip will be Jamaica’s representative in the inaugural Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup, a new annual tournament that includes the best clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean and crowns the region’s women’s club champion.

The tournament is also the sole path through which clubs in Concacaf can qualify for the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which FIFA has committed to launching in the near future.

By virtue of winning the 2022/23 Jamaica Women’s Premier League, Frazsiers Whip booked their spot for the first edition of the competition, which will feature 11 clubs from seven Member Associations.

The other confirmed participants are Canada’s 2023 League One Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship winners Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Costa Rica’s LD Alajuelense, Mexico’s Tigres UANL Femenil, as well as the United States trio of Gotham FC, San Diego Wave FC and Portland Thorns FC.

El Salvador and Panama are yet to confirm their representatives for their solitary spots, while Mexico’s two other representatives will be known at the conclusion of the Liga MX Clausura.

Interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert, who guided Frazsiers Whip to league honours, welcomed the move by Concacaf, which he believes will offer some exposure for local players, despite the gulf in class between other leagues around the region and Jamaica's Women's League.

"It's important for local football, however, I don't think any of our local teams will be able to match up with the teams from Mexico or United States. Those clubs are professional clubs playing in a fully professional leagues, while ours is nowhere close to their standard," Gilbert told SportsMax.TV in a recent interview.

"But it is good, it is more football and more exposure for our local players. At the same time, I think it sends a signal of how important it is for us to look at what we are doing in terms of resources and surfaces for our local teams. So, it is good move by Concacaf, and I think it's for us now here in Jamaica to look at what we are doing and try to improve the quality of our league," he added.

The official draw for the tournament is scheduled for June 6.

Action in the Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup is expected to get underway in August, with a Preliminary Round, followed by Group and Knockout Stage play. The Preliminary Round Play-in will be a single-leg match between two clubs, with the winner advancing to the Group Stage. 

The Group Stage will feature 10 clubs divided into two groups of five clubs each. Each club will play every club in its group once, for a total of four matches per club (two at home and two away). At the conclusion of Group Stage play, the group winners and runners-up (four clubs) will progress to the competition’s final four. 

The semifinals, third-place encounter, and final, where the first-ever Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup winners will be crowned, will be centralized in a venue to be announced.

Jamaica’s young Reggae Boyz will have powerhouse teams United States and Costa Rica, along with Caribbean neighbours Cuba to contend with in the group stages of this summer’s Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championships in Mexico.

Those teams will contest Group A of the tournament scheduled for July 19 to August 4. Honduras, Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Canada will contest Group B, while host Mexico, Panama, Guatemala and Haiti will lock horns in Group C.

The groups were revealed during a live draw on Thursday.

Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz, who topped Group F on their way to the Championships, will now be guided by Jerome Waite, who is looking forward to the challenge of possibly qualifying the country to its first Under-20 Men's World Cup since the Argentina feat in 2001.

To achieve the feat, Waite, who took the reins from John Wall after the Caribbean qualifiers, will have to first secure a top two spot from the Group, as only the top two finishers from each group, along with the two best-third-place teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.

From there, the four semi-finalists will secure qualification as Concacaf’s representatives at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup next year.

Waite, who is no stranger to high pressure situations, was at the helm when the young Reggae Boyz went into the 2018 tournament without much preparation or expectation, but surprised the entire nation when they finished level on 13 points from five games with Concacaf kingpins, Mexico, at the top of the group.

However, Mexico qualified for the second round by virtue of a better goal difference than the Jamaicans, as only the group winner advanced.

Since then, Jamaica's closest run to FIFA Under-20 World Cup qualification was when they made the quarterfinals of the 2022 tournament in Honduras.

"Qualification will not be easy, but it is something that can be accomplished," Waite said.

After missing out on their Copa America dream, Trinidad and Tobago’s Shannon Gomez is hoping they will have better fortunes in bringing their 2026 FIFA World Cup vision to fruition. However, he quickly pointed out that it will require players maintaining their work rate and never-say-die attitude to make it possible.

Gomez’s views came as he reflected on the tremendous work rate and commitment the Soca Warriors displayed throughout the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League A campaign, which recently ended in a 0-2 play-in defeat to Canada in Frisco, Texas.

Though that loss denied them a coveted spot in the prestigious CONMEBOL Copa America tournament, Gomez, a defender, took heart from the overall Nations League outing and views it as a solid platform on which they can build heading into the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers in June.

“We need to stay focused on what’s next for T&T football. (We have to) think about the things we (dreamt) of as kids, and being able to qualify for a World Cup will be a massive achievement. There are no words to describe what that will mean for T&T and what it will mean for us as well,” Gomez said in a video interview with Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) media.

“Nobody goes out onto the field thinking that they are not going to win the game. We went to win the game and we had the opportunity to win the game. But overall, it’s about reflecting and taking the positives out of the game to push forward and continue producing great results for T&T,” he added as he reflected on the Canada defeat.

The Angus Eve-coached Soca Warriors are drawn in Group B for the second round of World Cup qualifiers, alongside Bahamas, Costa Rica, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis. The top two teams in the group will advance to the final round where 12 teams will be split into three groups of four.

The teams will play six matches on a home-and-away basis, with the three group winners gaining automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by Concacaf powerhouses Canada, Mexico and United States. The two best second-placed teams will then advance to an intercontinental playoff to fight for two World Cup spots.

Qualification would be the twin island republic’s second appearance at the global showpiece and Gomez is optimistic that the Soca Warriors will continue to improve both technically and tactically to accomplish the feat.

“For me personally, it’s about strengthening our strengths and working on our weaknesses to strengthen them as well,” the 27-year-old San Antonio FC player said.

“I think just focusing on that and keeping that as the focal point of the camp and from the top come down with TTFA and the continued support from the T&T fans. That will be the best thing moving forward and to be able to pick up some massive results coming up in the World Cup qualifiers,” he ended.

Despite a gritty display at home, Suriname's Robinhood failed to progress to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup after they played out a 1-1 stalemate with Costa Rica's Herediano in their second-leg Round of 16 contest, at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo on Wednesday.

Needing to overturn a two-goal deficit, Robinhood through a stoppage time goal from Don Tuur ended the two-leg tie with some positives to build on, though they lost 3-1 on aggregate. Adrian Garza got Herediano's goal in the 56th minute and confirmed their quarterfinal date with Liga MX side Pachuca.

Herediano largely controlled the first half and registered the only shots on target, although there were moments when Robinhood showed their teeth in transition, which served as a warning that they could be dangerous on the counterattack.

Robinhood came out more positive on the resumption and gradually applied pressure on the Herediano back line in their probe to reduce the deficit, but they unfortunately found themselves further behind.

The Costa Ricans broke the deadlock when Garza received a pass on the right wing and dismissed two defenders before rocketing a shot past Robinhood's custodian Jonathan Fonkel.

Robinhood should have pulled a goal back on the hour-mark when a giveaway led to back-to-back shots in a goalmouth melee, but the Herediano defence stood firm on both occasions to deny their opponents.

From there, Herediano were more threatening going forward and went close to a second in the 68th, but Andy Rojas steered his shot wide.

Robinhood’s Tuur got another good look at goal for the in the 78th off a looping cross, but he also hooked the shot wide.

However, the striker made amends and gave his team and home fans something to cheer about when he turned in a loose ball.

Suriname’s Robinhood, the Caribbean’s lone remaining representative in the Concacaf Champions Cup, will be hoping to extend their stay in the tournament, as they target a successful homecoming to overturn a two-goal deficit against Costa Rica’s Herediano in their second-leg Round of 16 contest, on Tuesday evening.

Herediano, who claimed a 2-0-win in first-leg action last week, are aiming to build on that advantage, but Robinhood have enjoyed a magical run to reach this point and will rate their chances highly to produce another big wave of the wand at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo.

The Dutch-speaking Caribbean club emerged topped last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Shield, just to qualify for the Caribbean Cup, also topped the Caribbean Cup to qualify directly to the Round of 16 of this Champions Cup.

Through it all, Robinhood performed very well at home, winning all four matches in Paramaribo during the Caribbean Cup, while outscoring opponents 6-1.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel, who topped his peers for that award at the end of the Caribbean Cup, turned in a dazzling display in the first leg, as he pulled off a whopping 14 saves to keep Robinhood within touching distance.

In attack, Robinhood’s chances will be heavily reliant on Dimitrio Andro, who had the two best scoring chances of the first leg in which he also completed 34 passes.

Meanwhile, Herediano are riding a two-match winning streak in Champions Cup play and will be in pursuit of their first Champions Cup quarterfinal appearance since the 2014-15 edition.

Getsel Montes had the opening goal for the Ticos, giving him three in his last five Champions Cup matches, on top of leading the team in passes with 70.

Andy Rojas and Elias Aguilar were key contributors as well to the victory. Rojas registered five shots, four on target, while Aguilar completed 47 passes.

The Caribbean will also be represented off the field, as Jamaican Daneon Parchment and Tristley Bassue of St Kitts and Nevis will be the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to Guatemalan Julio Luna, for the encounter.

Caribbean representative Haiti had a positive start in their hunt to secure qualification to this year's FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup, as they opened the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship with a 2-1 win over Costa Rica in Group A action in Toluca, Mexico, on Thursday.

Lourdjina Etienne scored both goals for the Haitians in the 45th and 60th minutes, while Daniela Ocampo (89th) pulled one back for Cost Rica.

This was the second meeting between the two nations at this stage of the tournament, the first coming back in 2010 when Costa Rica blanked their Haitian counterparts 2-0. However, Haiti, were in their element and returned the favour on this occasion.

They broke the deadlock in the waning moments of the first half on an excellent team goal in transition, as Pierreline Nazon found Desert Dominique, who then slotted a pass over to Etienne, who applied the perfect finish to put Haiti 1-0 up at the break.

Etienne got her second on the hour mark with a well-struck effort from just outside the 18-yard area that gave the keeper no chance at a save.

Costa Rica desperately sought a response and almost got one in the 75th, but Alondra Gonzalez’s shot was deflected wide.

The Las Ticas eventually pulled one back courtesy of Ocampo's firmly struck right-footer from a distance. But too little too late was the cry, as Haiti held firm defensively to pocket the three points.

With the win, Haiti sits second behind hosts Mexico on goal difference, after the latter blanked El Salvador 3-0 in their encounter.

Abril Fragoso (7th and 61st) and Dana Sandoval (57th) got the job done for the El Tricolor.

Mexico hit the ground running and opened the scoring in the seventh minute through Fragoso's sensational left-footed strike.

El Salvador had their moments in an attempt to pull level, but instead, the Mexicans doubled their lead when Sandoval fired home from just outside the area.

Fragoso then completed her brace a minute past the hour mark via from the penalty spot.

Meanwhile, United States and Canada are scheduled to face Panama and Puerto Rico in Group B action on Friday.

After Group Stage round-robin play, between February 1-6, the two group winners and runners-up will advance to the Knockout Stage. The Knockout Stage will begin with the Semi-finals on February 9, followed by the third-place match and final on Sunday, February 11.

The two finalists and third-placed team will join host Dominican Republic as Concacaf's representatives at the 16-team Under-17 Women's World Cup later this year. This will be the first time Dominican Republic hosts a FIFA World Cup, and their first participation at this age level.

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani believes next year's Copa America will serve as perfect preparation for the 2026 World Cup.

Joining the 10 South American teams in the 2024 Copa America, which will be held in the United States, will be six teams from CONCACAF.

The USA, Mexico, Jamaica and Panama are already assured of their places in the tournament, with Costa Rica or Honduras and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago to take the remaining two spots.

With the expanded, 48-team World Cup in 2026 also taking place in North America, CONCACAF president Montagliani hopes the Copa America presents the perfect opportunity for the federation's teams to prepare.

"It's evidence of when leadership and two very important confederations come together and put football first. The game is going to win here because you're going to have a great tournament next year," Montagliani told Concacaf.com.

"I think we realised early on that we needed to make sure that we made our own competitions better, like our Nations League, our Gold Cup.

"This was an opportunity, after speaking with my counterpart, Alejandro Dominguez, to come together and partner with them, not just on the men's side like we have now with Copa America, but also on the women's side with a Women's Gold Cup.

"This fits in well with our strategy to increase not only the quantity of competitions, but also the quality of competitions, and this will help our teams prepare for the World Cup in our backyard.

"FIFA is also going to have the Club World Cup here in 2025 and I think from a fan's perspective, I'm not sure we've ever had this, so it's a great time to be involved in the game, at whatever level you are.

"I think it's a bit of a coming out party for our region. Obviously, we've struggled in the past at many levels, but I think, as I said a long time ago, for the work we've done in the last six years, we deserve the right to think long-term.

"We also now deserve the right to enjoy the present and all the football that is coming our way."

Reigning Copa and world champions Argentina were placed in Group A in Thursday's draw, alongside Peru, Chile and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago. The USA will face Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia in Group C, while Brazil will go up against Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica or Honduras in Group D.

Two CONCACAF teams should also fancy their chances of progressing from Group B, with Mexico and Jamaica – who count the likes of Leon Bailey, Michail Antonio and Demarai Gray in their squad – going up against Venezuela and Ecuador.

The draw opened up as such that another Argentina-Brazil final could be on the cards.

Despite failing to secure a spot in neither the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup group stage nor preliminary round, Jamaica's Reggae Girlz made somewhat of a mark in the final window of League A of the qualifying campaign, as Malikae Dayes and Davia Richards etched their names in the Best XI squad from the just-concluded window.

The two were just a few of the standout players for interim Head coach Xavier Gilbert in the failed campaign where they lost 1-2 and then drew 1-1 with Panama, and also registered 2-2 and 1-1 stalemates against Guatemala.

Dayes, 24, vein of form will boost her prospects at Danish club AaB Fodbold, while 19-year-old Richards will continue to hone her craft at Hill College, where she netted 23 goals, complemented by 12 assists, in the season. It is interesting to note that Richards placed her versatility on display by filling the left full-back position at times.

Here are the 11 players that stood out the most at their respective positions on the road to the inaugural Women's Gold Cup.

Goalkeeper

Alexia Estrada, Guatemala

Guatemala advanced to the Gold Cup Prelims with Estrada making five saves and four clearances in the 1-1 draw with Jamaica.

Defenders

Maria Elizondo, Costa Rica

Elizondo went the distance in both Costa Rica matches, making four clearances and helped keep a clean sheet against Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Davia Richards, Jamaica

Richards was tireless for the Reggae Girlz with a goal from four shots, while making a clearance in the back.

Araceli Torres, Mexico

Torres was very solid for Mexico in making a clearance in 95 minutes of action, helping her side qualify for the Women's Gold Cup group stage.

Cristina Ferral, Mexico

Ferral’s sensational strike earned Mexico a 1-0 win at Trinidad and Tobago, giving El Tricolor a perfect RTWGC campaign.

Midfielders

Gloriana Villalobos, Costa Rica

Villalobos had a goal in each game for Costa Rica, totaling six shots. Her biggest contribution was her playmaking, as she chipped in with four assists. 

Alexa Herrera, Costa Rica

Herrera scored a goal that will forever live in Costa Rican football lore, as she found the back of the net on the last kick of the game versus Haiti in the 2-1 win. She finished the window with three goals.

Malikae Dayes, Jamaica

Dayes was a workhorse in midfield for Jamaica in their two matches and had six clearances in the 1-1 draws with Panama and Guatemala.

Forwards 

Maria Paula Salas, Costa Rica

Salas set a Costa Rican Women’s National Team record with a seven-goal performance in the 19-0 victory over St Kitts and Nevis.

Kiana Palacios, Mexico

Palacios came off the bench and scored two goals to help Mexico secure a 3-0 win at Puerto Rico, qualifying her side for the Gold Cup group stage. 

Melissa Herrera, Costa Rica

No player created more scoring chances than Herrera, whose five assists led all players in all leagues during the window. She also had a goal.

The November-December window of the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers concluded recently, with the field for next year's inaugural Concacaf Women's Gold Cup completed.

During the window, eight teams qualified for the tournament, with Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica securing spots in the group stage, while Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Haiti, Guyana and Dominican Republic progressed to the Prelims. 

Here is the full list of teams currently qualified for the 2024 Women's Gold Cup.

Group Stage

United States -The four-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winners clinched their place in the Gold Cup when they defeated Canada 1-0 in the final of the 2022 Concacaf Women's Championship.

Canada -The 2020 Olympic Gold Medal winners punched their Gold Cup ticket after defeating Jamaica 4-1 on aggregate in the Concacaf Olympic Playoff.

Mexico -Mexico qualified to for the group stage as winners of Group A of League A in the qualifiers.

Panama -Panama qualified to the group stage as winners of Group B of League A.

Costa Rica -Costa Rica qualified to the group stage as winners of Group C of League A.

Brazil -Brazil are one of the four invited teams to the 2024 W Gold Cup. Brazil were winners of the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina.

Colombia -Colombia another invitee were runners-up of the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina.

Argentina -Argentina another invitee was the third-place finisher at the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina.

Paraguay -Paraguay, by virtue of their fourth-place finish at the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina, were also invited to the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Prelims

Puerto Rico-Puerto Rico were runners-up in Group A of League A.

Guatemala -Guatemala bettered Jamaica to place second behind Panama in Group B of League A.

Haiti -Haiti placed second in Group C of League A.

Guyana -Guyana finished tops in Group A of League B.

El Salvador -El Salvador topped Group B of League B.

Dominican Republic -Dominican Republic topped Group C of League B.

Maria Paula Salas scored seven goals, as Costa Rica mauled St Kitts and Nevis 19-0 to secure top spot in Group C of League A of the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers at the SKNFA Technical Centre in Basseterre, on Monday night.

By virtue of topping the group, Costa Rica advanced to next year's Concacaf Women's Gold Cup group stage, while runners-up Haiti will progress to the Preliminary stage of the tournament.

The Ticas wasted no time to get going and held a 3-0 lead after five minutes with a pair of Salas goals in the second and fifth minutes, sandwiching an Alexa Herrera third-minute goal.

Salas then notched her hat-trick in the ninth, and a minute later, it was 5-0, as she added a bouncing a header.

Gloriana Villalobos extended the lead in the 19th, followed by the fifth goal for Salas in the 23rd, and then Fabiola Villalobos scoring in the 25th, on a powerful right-footed shot to make it 8-0.

There was another spurt of goals from Costa Rica shortly before halftime, beginning with Herrera in the 43rd, Sheika Scott in the 44th, Raquel Rodriguez in the 45+3 from the penalty spot, and a sixth goal from Salas in the 45+5 with a shot from close-range, to put Costa Rica 12-0 up at the break.

Though the game was already done and dusted, Costa Rica kept the pressure on and added another in the 49th through Salas.

Melissa Herrera added her name to the score sheet with a 59th-minute header, before Alexandra Pinell squeezed in a shot in the 64th.

A right-footed volley off a corner kick from Mariela Campos in the 68th, stretched the lead, and the night was then capped by Tanisha Fonseca nodding home a header in the 89th, Emilie Valenciano slotting one home in the 90+2, and Fonseca tacking on another in the 90+3 to complete the 19-0 scoreline.