Caribbean Cup champions Robinhood of Suriname joined Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup winners Columbus Crew as the biggest movers in the latest edition of the Concacaf Club Rankings (CCR).

The Confederation launched a revamped rankings system earlier this year, with clubs gaining points for results in official domestic league matches, regional cup matches, and Concacaf Champions Cup play. The CCR was also used to determine draw seedings and pots for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Club America retain top spot

Mexican giants and seven-time Champions Cup winners, Club America remain atop the rankings for the second straight month. Club America marched their way to the final of the 2023 Liga MX Apertura, eliminating 2023 Champions Cup winners Club Leon and Atletico San Luis along the way with respective 4-2 and 5-2 aggregate victories. Club America will face Tigres in the final.                                                                                                                       

MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew vault into Top 10

For the first time, Columbus Crew are in the top 10, thanks to their 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC in the 2023 MLS Cup final. The victory also earned Columbus Crew their third MLS crown, as they moved into ninth position in the Rankings.

The top four remained the same, with Club America, Monterrey, Tigres and Club Leon. Philadelphia Union and Toluca swapped places, as the former inched up to fifth, while Toluca were relegated to sixth.

There was also a change in places between Pachuca and Chivas. Pachuca moved to seventh and Chivas in eighth. MLS Cup runners-up LAFC rounded out the top 10.

Eight of the top 10 clubs will contest the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup - Club America, Monterrey, Tigres, Philadelphia Union, Toluca, Pachuca, Chivas and Columbus Crew.

Saprissa surge past Alajuelense in Central American Top 10

There was a shake-up in the Central American top 10. Honduran giants Olimpia maintained their spot as the top Central American side at 39th overall, ahead of Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, who surged to 44th overall, and Alajuelense, who fell to third in Central America and 46th overall. Saprissa did so on the strength of reaching the Costa Rican final, while Alajuelense were eliminated in the semi-finals by Herediano.

Herediano (49th) and Comunicaciones of Guatemala (52nd) remained fourth and fifth in the region, while newly-minted Panamanian champions CAI (53rd) reclaimed sixth spot in front of seventh-place Municipal of Guatemala (56th). Rounding out the Central American Top 10 was Motagua of Honduras (57th), Guatemala’s Antigua GFC (58th) and Tauro of Panama (59th).

Robinhood keep climbing in Caribbean

Recently crowned Concacaf Caribbean Cup champions Robinhood of Suriname made another big move in the Caribbean top 10, after they picked up another eight points to go from sixth to fourth in the region and 100th overall.

Haiti’s Violette (68th) kept their lead as the top Caribbean club, with no change in the second and third Caribbean spots held by Cibao FC of the Dominican Republic (92nd) and Jamaican side Mount Pleasant (99th). Following Robinhood is Haitian club Arcahaie in fifth (106th), while Caribbean Cup finalists Cavalier of Jamaica are sixth (108th), one spot ahead of Caribbean Cup third-place series winners Moca FC (109th) of the Dominican Republic. The rest of the Caribbean top 10 is rounded out by Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force (110th), ASC of Haiti (113th) and Jamaican club Arnett Gardens (114th).

Robinhood register biggest upset win

Robinhood’s 3-0 aggregate victory over Cavalier in the final of the 2023 Caribbean Cup, also went down as the biggest upset win over the course of last month. Heading into the final, Robinhood were 110th, overall while Cavalier were 100th, but now Robinhood have moved past Cavalier with their victory, as the Jamaican club slipped eight places.

Despite falling three places to number 40 in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, Jamaica's Reggae Girlz held firm as the fourth-ranked team in Concacaf heading into the new year.

The Jamaicans, who drew three and lost one of their last four matches in Women's Gold Cup qualifiers between the last two windows, remain behind second-ranked United States, 10th-ranked Canada, and Mexico, who inched one spot up to 35th in the rankings released on Friday. 

Meanwhile, Haiti, who have attained their highest ever placing at 51st, along with Trinidad and Tobago (78th) and Guyana at 87th, are the next best Caribbean teams on the FIFA rankings list.

At the other end of the rankings, World Champions Spain took pole position for the first time, overtaking United States. Spain is only the fourth team to reach the summit of the rankings after the United States, Germany and Sweden.

France moved two spots up to third, as England held firm in fourth, while Sweden slipped four places into fifth. Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea DPR, and Canada (10th) complete the top 10 in that order, which no longer features Brazil, who slipped two places to 11th.

Hasely Crawford is very upset over a series of snubs at the facility named in his honour.

In an interview with the T&T Daily Express, the 1976 Olympic Games men’s 100 metres champion explained that there are six seats assigned to him at the Hasely Crawford Stadium for any event at the venue, as well as six parking passes. Additionally, two permanent parking spots have been set aside.

Unfortunately, those entitlements have led to numerous embarrassing incidents, the first of which was in 2001, when Trinidad and Tobago hosted the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

“They wouldn’t give me a ticket for the final. There were instructions, ‘Don’t give Hasely Crawford any ticket’. But I got in,” Crawford shared.

T&T’s first-ever Olympic champion said he also had major issues in August this year at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG).

“The opening of Commonwealth was bad. For two days I had problems getting in until Ephraim Serrette brought me an accreditation. On the day of the opening ceremony, a Minister was parked in one of my spots … did move eventually but stayed for a while.”

In another recent incident, Crawford was alarmed by the disrespectful response he got from a group of students at the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) opening when he spoke to them about standing in the aisles. He said he alerted a police officer and the SSFL president, and also went to the students’ school to report the incident.

Crawford explained too that he had been offered tickets to attend SSFL games during the 2023 season.

“One time, the SSFL president gave me a ticket. I told him ‘You’re not doing me no favours, I’m entitled to six tickets.’ Another time, he gave me two tickets. I didn’t take them. The promoters are the ones who are responsible for giving me the six tickets for their events," he argued.

“The TTFA (Trinidad and Tobago Football Association) would give me tickets for their games, but I would often get them on the day, and that would create problems for my guests. One day I had a guest coming. I spoke to the guard to tell him my guest was coming in a brown car. They put someone else in the parking spot and told me a TTFA man said to put him there," Crawford added.

Crawford’s family has also faced embarrassment at the stadium.

“One year they had Soca Monarch. My wife and Kent Bernard’s wife went. They told them ‘No, no, no, this is VVIP, for the Prime Minister and a guest’. But that is where I’m supposed to go. My wife can’t take embarrassment, so she took off," he recalled. 

In order to avoid any further indignities, Crawford has opted to stay away from the Port of Spain facility, as he brought his concerns to the attention of the authorities, but to no avail.

“I decided I’m not going anything in the stadium," Crawford said, adding that there have been times when he felt he should ask for his name to be removed from the stadium, but knows this is not the way to go.

“I cannot do it because I cannot spit in the face of Trinidad and Tobago. They gave me that. Allyuh gave me that. But I hate going through this embarrassment,” Crawford told the Express.

Angus Eve received a contract extension to lead Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors into their crucial Concacaf Nations League playoff against Canada, as they hunt a spot in next year’s prestigious CONMEBOL Copa America tournament.

Should the Soca Warriors succeed in bettering their North American opponents in March, the possibility exists that Eve might not be the one to lead them beyond that, as he is not expected to receive a new contract before the Normalisation Committee’s term ends, also in March.

This was confirmed by the Normalisation Committee’s chairman Robert Hadad, on Saturday.

Eve, who recently blasted the twin island republic’s football fraternity for its lack of support, got his desire where signing a new contract is concerned, but Hadad ruled out another extension by the Normalisation Committee, whose own tenure will also end in March.

“His contract ends in March when our term ends, so in principle we agreed that we wanted the coach to run the same timelines as the Normalisation Committee,” Hadad said on the ISports radio programme on Saturday.

“Subsequent to that, the new in-coming president and the new in-coming ex-co (executive committee) can decide who they want to be their coach. Angus would have every opportunity with them to prove himself before (the end of his tenure) and hopefully, they would continue, and they would make that decision. But in principle, we did say all along that we do not think that we should be hiring a coach or anybody for that matter to exist beyond our term,” he added.

Hadad was also reluctant to have the Normalisation Committee extend itself more than necessary before its tenure ended.

“The Normalisation Committee has been making a lot of decisions without a technical committee in place and we believe that we need to give the new, in-coming executive committee the opportunity to set the football and Trinidad and Tobago Football Association up the way they want it,” he said, as he threw his support behind Eve.

“Angus though I would say is exceptional. He’s done a fantastic job, Angus and his entire team. I would expect him to be very professional because it is in his interest, if his desire is to continue coaching Trinidad and Tobago, to perform in that game on the 23rd,” Hadad noted.

Eve guided the Soca Warriors through a spirited Concacaf Nations League campaign, as they topped their group in League A action, and progressed to the quarterfinals where, despite losing on aggregate, they inflicted a famous second-leg defeat on United States.

Hadad pointed out that the Normalisation Committee always had confidence in Eve’s leadership.

“We were very optimistic that we would perform well all along. Angus took us to where we are today, and we had faith in Angus all the way through. We understood what his development plans were; he was very candid with us, he explained to us what he was doing and when something didn’t go right, he would not be running and hiding, he would be discussing the matter with us,” Hadad shared.

“We thought him (to be) the best option to get us to where we are today. Now that he has gotten us here, yes, it is a little uncomfortable that his term ends in March and he has this very big game, but we believe if he gets us into that game against Argentina (opening Copa America match) and we manage to defeat Canada, we think that the new executive committee would consider him,” he opined.

Despite a failed Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifying campaign, Trinidad and Tobago senior women’s Head coach Richard Hood took heart from the effort of his team, as he forecast that much more can be achieved, provided there is continuity going forward.

Hood’s sentiments followed a spirited performance by his team in limiting regional powerhouse Mexico to one goal, on their home leg at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo. This was particularly pleasing because Trinidad and Tobago were hammered 6-0 when they first visited the Mexicans.

So, while the twin island republic didn’t secure a spot in next year’s Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup group stage or preliminary round, Hood felt their objective, which was continued improvement, was met for the parts.

Trinidad and Tobago finished at the bottom of the three-team League A group with a solitary point, as Mexico (12 points) and Puerto Rico (four points) progressed to the inaugural Gold Cup.

"I was satisfied with the efforts from the team and satisfied with the organisation. I am not so much satisfied with the offensive part, as I thought we struggled to keep the ball," Hood said.

"I am happy with the performance and the effort from the younger girls. I thought the real purpose for me in this game was to keep demonstrating the improvements (we have made), and I think we did that,” he added.



The tactician singled out 23-year-old goalkeeper Simone Eligon for some praise, as she was impressive throughout the campaign, and was even named to the Concacaf League A Best XI for the October window.

"Simone has been magnificent. She has come up big for us in each of the (three) games she has played. She was a little nervous in her first game against Puerto Rico but that is understandable. International football is a completely different kettle of fish. Our understanding of the tactical requirements of the game — offensively and defensively — was good,” Hood noted.

Still, Hood pointed out that there is much more work to do if the Women Warriors are to be more competitive in the future, which is why he stressed the need for continued development of the programme.

"We were not great offensively, but it is a work in progress. It is something we have to keep continuously working on with the girls. It is important for us to maintain continuity where the local girls are concerned and we have to monitor those who are abroad as well,” Hood reasoned.

"Minister Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis indicated the ministry is very much willing to back the women's programme to the same level of monetary (contributions) from Concacaf. She asked us to make proposals and we are going to do that. It is critical for the women's programme. We must never get back to the level where we met the programme when we started in July this year,” he noted.

 

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.

In an intriguing draw held on Thursday night, Jamaica's national football team, the Reggae Boyz, discovered their fate in the upcoming 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America. Placed in Group B, they are poised to face formidable opponents such as Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela in the tournament set to begin in June 2024.

This marks Jamaica's third venture into the prestigious Copa America, following their spirited appearances in 2015 and 2016. In the Group Stage of 2015, the Reggae Boyz shared the field with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, while in 2016, they navigated a challenging path against Venezuela, Mexico, and Uruguay.

Expressing his contentment with the draw, head coach Heimir Halgrimsson acknowledged the tough opponents but remained optimistic about his team's chances. "It is a fairly good draw. All teams are higher than us on the FIFA ranking, but still, it’s teams that we have a good chance of winning, so I am not so unhappy with the draw," stated the coach. He emphasized the difficulty of the upcoming matches while also highlighting the challenge posed by the match venues, situated in Las Vegas, Houston, and Boston, where the summer heat may prove disadvantageous for training.

Jamaica will open their campaign against Mexico on June 22, Ecuador on June 26 before completing their Group Stage matches against Venezuela on June 30.

In other group pairings, the United States finds itself in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. Group D is set to witness a showdown between Costa Rica or Honduras against heavyweights Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. Group A promises a tough challenge for Trinidad and Tobago or Canada, who will face off against World Cup champions Argentina, Peru, and Chile.

 

Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s Head coach Angus Eve pulled no punches, as he opened up about the lack of support received during his tenure.

Eve’s revelation came during a recent interview on the I95 sports radio programme, where he also disclosed that he was without a contract and was yet to have discussions with the Normalisation Committee (NC) regarding an extension, at that point.

“They (NC) are a little bit finicky to do something about it (the contract) because, the football fraternity, I don’t know if they want me to sign a new contract. I have not heard from any of them since I have been doing this job,” Eve said, referring to the lukewarm response from the TTFA Zones.

The tactician, who led the Soca Warriors to a fairly successful Concacaf Nations League campaign, where they got to the quarterfinal and registered an historic win over United States but lost the two-leg tie on aggregate. Still, they have a second shot at Copa America qualification via a playoff fixture against Canada scheduled for March 23.

“But they are a little bit hesitant to do anything because they are studying what the members will think. So, the members have not really shown me any support. Except the president of the South Zone Dennis Latiff and Ross Russell (North Zone president) who is my friend, no other president has reached out to me or spoken to us,” Eve disclosed.

Eve believes it would be prudent if he signed a contract before the Canada game, having achieved objectives, which also included Gold Cup qualification.

“We have never been in this place before. We have never reached out of the group stage and into the knockout stage and try to reach in the quarterfinals and semi-finals of the Nations League before. So, I think we have achieved all of our targets, all of our objectives that have been placed in front of us,” he said.

 “Win, lose or draw. I could possibly not be the coach (after March). Through the whole tenure it has been like that. I think there is a distinct lack of support. A lot of the things you read on social media is like if people don’t want me in the job, so I tend to want to focus on the guys,” Eve noted.

The outspoken coach also alluded to the challenges faced with getting the twin island republic back to this point of competitiveness.

“It has been a re-building process, and it has gone pretty much better than we expected. Nobody expected us the way we got into the A, nobody felt that we belonged, and we were under pressure from the first match,” Eve shared.

“Also, there was some other stuff happening behind the scenes with some of the older players and it probably took a little of the focus away from the homing in on the games. We were fighting against a lot of stuff, and I think that the staff and the Normalisation Committee pulled together, the people who support us.

“We insulated ourselves and I think you saw the fruit of that re-building where we won three of the four games and that was fantastic,” he ended.

Trinidad and Tobago missed out on a spot in next year's Concacaf Women's Gold preliminary stage, as they went down 0-1 to Mexico in their final Group A fixture in League A of the Gold Cup qualifiers at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Tuesday night.

Needing a win to secure second position in the group, the Soca Ladies fought gallantly, but couldn't take what would have been a famous three points off the Mexicans, who had the all-important strike through Cristina Ferral.

With the win, Mexico topped the group with maximum 12 points from four games and join Costa Rica, Panama, United States and Canada, among others in the Group stages of the inaugural Women's Gold Cup. Puerto Rico, with four points, secured a berth in the preliminary stage, while Trinidad and Tobago end with a solitary point in the three-team group.

Despite an expected dominant first half display, Mexico had to wait until the latter stages of the half to break the deadlock, and they did so in style. 

Ferral collected a ball out outside the area and smashed a right-footed strike into the top right corner in the 40th minute.

The visitors tried desperately to add to their lead in the second stanza but found Trinidad and Tobago's defenders and goalkeeper Simone Eligon in a defiant mode.

In fact, Eligon produced a diving save to deny Jacqueline Ovalle's 63rd-minute effort, and she again came up big with another series of saves in the final quarter-hour to keep her side in it.

But her efforts were in vain as the twin island failed to get on target, and, as such, Mexico snared all three points.

Dominica has made an about turn on its plans to hosts matches in next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup being staged in the Caribbean and USA, citing an inability to get infrastructure in place for the competition dates in June.

The Dominica Government, through its Sports Ministry, on Thursday pointed out that it is “in the best interest of all” that it withdraws as one of the hosts of the global event set for June 4-30.

“The implementation timelines submitted by the various contractors revealed that it would not be possible to complete these works within the stipulated timeframe before the commencement of the tournament,” A press release from Dominica’s Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development Administration explained.

“As a result, a decision was taken not to host any of the matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, as it would not be prudent for the Government of Dominica to commit to hosting these games," it added.

In September of this year, Dominica was listed among seven venues in the Caribbean selected to host matches. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, are the others. Dominica’s Windsor Park Sports Stadium (WPSS) was shortlisted for one group stage match and two games in the Super 8 stage of the tournament, subject to the attainment of various obligations as set out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

“Several tangible actions were taken both at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium and at the Benjamin’s Park including the commencement of upgrading and enhancement of the practice and match venues, various assessments and the creation of additional pitches where necessary,” the release stated.

In light of Dominica’s sterling reputation in hosting international cricket, this decision is considered to be in the best interest of all. The Government of Dominica thanks Cricket West Indies (CWI) for its partnership over the years and looks forward to continued collaboration in the future. The Government of Dominica extends best wishes to the organisers for a successful tournament in June 2024,” the Ministry’s release concluded.

To say that 2023 was an outstanding year for rising Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Denzil Smith would be an understatement.

Smith, who earned his first senior cap in March, has been a staple and standout performer for the Soca Warriors since, and by all indications, has no intentions of relinquishing his spot. In fact, the 24-year-old has boldly staked his claim as frontrunner to become the twin island republic’s next number one shot stopper.

“I always wanted this chance (to play for the senior team) and I waited for it for a long time. It’s a great feeling going out there to play against a big team and country. I feel great, to be honest,” Smith said, adding that his career path was inspired by the likes of now-retired Marvin Phillip and still in-action Andre Foncette and Canadian-based Nicklas Frenderup.

“Being around the national team for a while, I can say that these guys taught me a lot and I’m thankful for that,” he noted.

After two heroic performances between the sticks in Trinidad and Tobago’s 0-3 loss and 2-1 win against United States in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, Smith has grown even more in confidence.

Though Trinidad and Tobago failed to make the Nations League semi-finals and qualify automatically for next year’s CONMEBOL Copa America, the Angus Eve-coached team still have a second shot at qualification for the prestigious South American tournament.

To do so, they will have to get by the other North American powerhouse Canada, in a single-match playoff scheduled for March, and Smith is cautiously optimistic about assisting his team towards the feat.

“What really motivated me during the Nations League was that chance to play in Copa America. I really want to play there and I know my teammates also want to play there, so that was our main driving force over the past few games,” Smith shared.

Until the opportunity comes to possibly deny Canada, Smith is looking ahead to the upcoming TTFL season to not only put his club Point Fortin in a position to challenge for the title, but also to improve his craft.

“I want to keep as much clean sheets as I can and help the (Point Fortin) boys to come and join me in the national team. I also want to help this side to qualify for the Concacaf tournaments. It will do wonders for the club,” Smith reasoned.

“My family is always behind me no matter what. My brother passed away a few years ago and everything I’m doing is for him. I really want T&T to qualify for the Copa American and, honestly, I want to get a big contract outside (of T&T),” he ended.

Trinidad and Tobago senior men's Head coach Angus Eve says the momentum from their recent Concacaf Nations League win over United States will serve his team well in their buildup for the Copa America playoff encounter against Canada next March.

Despite losing the overall quarterfinal tie against United States 4-2 on aggregate, Eve and his Soca Warriors took heart from the fact that they topped their more fancied rival 2-1 in the second leg at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo on Monday.

While United States secured a spot in the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals and Copa America, along with Jamaica, Mexico and Panama, Trinidad and Tobago are set to face Canada, with Honduras to oppose Costa Rica, to decide the final two Concacaf representatives to contest the prestigious Copa America.

Though the upcoming contest against Canada is one which they will again be the proverbial underdogs, Eve and his players eagerly await the challenge that lies ahead, especially after the confidence boosting win.

"This (result) goes a long way in building team confidence. Every time the guys play, they get a little more confidence. When they play a game like this against an opposition like that – and come out with that type of performance and come out with that type of result – it only augurs well for them to believe in themselves more,” Eve said.

Eve also commended captain Aubrey David, who took over the team captaincy after Kevin Molino retired, for his leadership on and off the field.

"This is a fantastic result for us for where we are in our development,” the tactician noted.

David, 33, also expressed delight in the team’s progression.

"I think it is a step in the positive direction for us to get the win. This is the last FIFA window for the year, so I think we have ended the year on a good note, and the players have a lot of belief amongst themselves that we can play against the likes of the US and these teams,” said David.

"This was our goal when the year started. We wanted to get back into (Concacaf Nations) League A and try to stake a claim and put T&T football back where it was.

"It is a bittersweet feeling. It is amazing to get a victory against the US at home, but we did not get to qualify for the Copa America tournament this time around. We have another game in March, and we have to go with everything we have. I think we can do the job in March,” he added.

Meanwhile, defender Alvin Jones, who was named in the window’s League A Best XI, stole the show against United States with a rasping right-footed free kick in the second half.

"Scoring the winner against the US at home is a big thing for me and this month is a very emotional month for all of us as a country," said Jones, referring to the 34th anniversary of the 1989 World Cup qualifier between the Strike Squad and the United States.

"We have a lot of young talent coming up, and it is just about coaching them and nurturing them. This win can build our confidence going forward to the next round to try and qualify for Copa 2024,” Jones reasoned.

The November window of League A of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League is now complete and even though many players delivered top performances over the course of the matches, only these 11 players stood out the most at their respective positions.

Goalkeeper

Andre Blake, Jamaica

Blake was superb in both legs against Canada, making four clearances and eight saves, including two reaction stops from point-blank range early in the first half in the second leg.

Defenders 

Alvin Jones, Trinidad and Tobago

Jones has a habit of being a thorn in the side of United States, and he did it again in the 2-1 second leg win for the Soca Warriors with a sensational free kick goal and an assist. He also had four steals and 10 clearances in the two games.

Antonee Robinson, United States

Robinson played a big role in United States success with a goal and an assist in the 3-0 first leg win, and then the lone United States goal in the second leg. He also had four steals.

Michael Murillo, Panama

Murillo was the one to get things rolling for Panama, scoring their opening goal in the first leg. He finished the two-legged series with two steals and a clearance.

Midfielders

Edson Alvarez, Mexico

Alvarez scored a goal that Mexico fans will never forget, finding the back of the net in the final seconds of the second leg to bring Mexico level with Honduras 2-2 on aggregate. He also made two clearances and had a steal.

Adalberto Carrasquilla, Panama

Carrasquilla was masterful yet again for Panama in the midfield with a pair of assists while completing almost 90 percent of his passes.

Luis Chavez, Mexico

Chavez has become Mexico’s free-kick specialist and he scored again from a dead ball in what was Mexico’s first goal in their series with Honduras. He completed an astounding 91 percent of his passes.

Gio Reyna, United States

Reyna scored one of the three U.S. goals in the first leg against Trinidad and Tobago and then also had a steal in 140 minutes of action.

Forwards 

Luis Palma, Honduras

Palma set the table for the opening goal for Honduras in their 2-0 first leg win versus Mexico and also collected two steals in addition to his assist.

Jose Fajardo, Panama

Fajardo scored in each game for Panama against Costa Rica, giving him goals in three straight games against the Ticos.

Shamar Nicholson, Jamaica

Nicholson scored three of Jamaica’s four goals against Canada and completed more than 95 percent of his passes. He now has a whopping nine career CNL goals.

United States are through to the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals, despite a 1-2 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in their League A second leg quarterfinals encounter at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, on Monday night.

While the result will serve Trinidad and Tobago well going forward, it is United States that have much to celebrate as the 4-2 aggregate scoreline, also secured their spot in next year's CONMEBOL Copa America.

Trinidad and Tobago will next contest the Concacaf Nations League Play-In. The winner of each Play-In, will also qualify for the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024.

Fresh off his one goal, one assist performance in the first leg, Antonee Robinson was back on the scoresheet and gave the United States an 25th-minute lead, when he got on the end of a Sergino Dest cross and headed into net.

However, United States were later reduced to 10 men when Dest picked up a pair of yellow cards in less than a minute in the 39th and was given marching orders.

With the numerical advantage in their favour, Trinidad and Tobago certainly made it count, as Reon Moore outmuscled off a defender in the 18-yard box and fired home to put the Soca Warriors back on level terms in the 43rd minute.

The momentum was squarely with Trinidad and Tobago and the home side took a 2-1 lead in the 57th courtesy of screamer from Alvin Jones on a free kick that gave United States goalkeeper Matt Turner no chance at a save.

Trinidad and Tobago remained on the front foot and continued to create chances, but United States were resolute in defence and kept the hosts at bay.

PANAMA vs COSTA RICA

Panama also punched their ticket for the semi-finals and Copa America following a 3-1 triumph over Costa Rica in their second leg League A quarterfinals at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City.

With the result, Panama topped the two-legged series 6-1 on aggregate.

Costa Rica, like Trinidad and Tobago, will contest the Play-In for another shot at CONMEBOL Copa America qualification.

Despite entering the encounter with a handsome three-goal lead, Panama were in no mood to relent as they took the lead in the 20th minute when Jose Fajardo fired home, after Michael Murillo's effort was initially blocked by Costa Rica's goalkeeper Kevin Chamorro. That took Fajardo's tally to three straight in CNL matches against the Ticos.

It was all Panama from there, and Jose Rodriguez gave the home fans another reason to cheer mere minutes later. He finished off a stinging a left-footed effort from la distance in the 24th.

The host added a third before halftime when Edgar Barcenas converted a 43rd-minute penalty, after Rodriguez was fouled just inside the area.

Costa Rica tried to make some inroads in the second half and pulled one back in the 52nd. Joel Campbell's free kick was expertly headed in by Francisco Calvo.

But there was nothing more in it for Costa Rica, as Panama's wide margin allowed for free and patient football to see off things.

United States and Panama both placed a foot in the Concacaf Nations League semi-final and, by extension, next year's Copa America, after they registered identical 3-0 victories in the first legs of their respective League A quarterfinals on Thursday.

United States vs. Trinidad and Tobago

A late surge earned the United States victory over Trinidad and Tobago at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Antonee Robinson had a goal and an assist, as the United States scored three goals in the final 10 minutes of regular time to secure a healthy cushion going into Monday’s return leg.

As expected, United States dominated proceedings from the start, but they posed little threat in front of goal against a well-organised Trinidad and Tobago defence.

A second yellow card to Noah Powder in the 37th, saw the Soca Warriors down to 10 men with more than a half to play, and that prompted their host to commit numbers forward even more in search of the opening goal.

Trinidad and Tobago were stout-hearted and defiant at the back, especially goalkeeper Denzil Smith, whose confidence grew by saving a Yunus Musah attempt from distance and then a Sergino Dest shot.

However, their resistance was inevitably broken in the 81st, when Robinson’s cross from the left wing was flicked in by Ricardo Pepi to make it 1-0 to the home side.

While the goal inspired United States to push for more, it broke the hearts of the Trinidadians, and they imploded defensively as a result. Minutes after supplying the assist on the go-ahead goal, Robinson added a goal himself with a powerful left-footed finish in the 86th.

United States were keen to tack on one more before the final whistle and they did it in the 89th when Gio Reyna gathered a pass Folarin Balogun and fired into net to complete the 3-0 scoreline.

 

Costa Rica vs. Panama

Panama for the second straight time outclassed Costa Rica in a Nations League fixture at the Estadio Saprissa in San Jose.

After defeating the Ticos 1-0 in Costa Rica in the 2022-23 Nations League group stage, the Canaleros achieved the same feat, this time by a wider scoreline.

It was a dream start for Panama, as a picture-perfect fourth-minute free kick Michael Murillo went blazing into the top right corner of the net.

Panama remained on the front foot, and they doubled their advantage in the 29th when a miscued clearance from Costa Rica's defence allowed Jose Fajardo to swoop in and finish a right-footed effort.

Costa Rica sought a response and Jimmy Marin went close to pulling a goal back with a 33rd-minute shot that grazed the post.

Costa Rica mounted pressure to start the second half, but it allowed Panama to counterattack with space, and the visitors made the most of a break in the 60th. That play ended with Adalberto Carrasquilla sliding a pass into Cecilio Waterman, whose finish made it 3-0.

With the three-goal cushion, Panama played to their liking, but also kept the Costa Rican attack at bay, as they saw out the remainder of the contest for the win.

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