December 2019 Concacaf Power Rankings

Differing slightly from my usual format of #ConcacafRank, this time around I'm just doing my own power rankings on what I've seen. And I have seen a lot of Concacaf football the past few months. I watched every single match of Nations League C, the majority of League A, and select League B matches. Add on top of that an entire Gold Cup over the summer.

It's a rare opportunity; we've had a lot of Concacaf on Concacaf crime in a small time frame and it finally gives us a good chance to evaluate the confederation as a whole. As a general rule I'm counting the Nations League and Gold Cup as the most important games; Nations League qualifiers (cause they were a while ago) and friendlies are valued a little less in my mind.

#1 Mexico

Gold Cup Champions, Nations League 1 seed, really no argument or debating here.

#2 Costa Rica

I barely edge them over the US on the basis of a great performance against Mexico at the Gold Cup and a big road win at Curaçao.

#3 USA

Their talent keeps them in the top 3 but coaching and complete inability to get results on the road leaves them vulnerable to dropping several spots in the near future.

#4 Jamaica

 Jamaica's Nations League results were dominant, and they had a great Gold Cup. The friendly win over the US is not forgotten, either.

#5 Honduras

Honduras are really bouncing back lately, and are almost untouchable at home right now. Gonna be a serious pain for everyone else in the Hex.

#6 Curaçao

Had a stellar Gold Cup where they outplayed the US for 80 minutes (I was there!) and their Nations League results were impressive as well. They also beat a very good Vietnam team on penalties in June in the King's Cup.

#7 Haiti

Haiti have lost a step since their fantastic Gold Cup campaign, but you can't ignore that just a few months ago they beat Costa Rica and Canada back to back before taking Mexico to the edge and losing on a questionable penalty.

#8 Panama

Panama haven't been the same since their old guard departed after the World Cup. They barely stayed afloat in Nations League A and didn't impress at the Gold Cup.

#9 Canada

The team on the rise in the region; their momentum was stopped by Haiti over the summer but the big win over the US showed they're for real. In the mix for a Hex place, but do they want it? I think they might be better off playing through the tournament.

#10 El Salvador

Choked away a Gold Cup knockout spot but were good enough to get there, and then had a fine Nations League campaign including two wins over arch-nemesis Montserrat.

#11 Martinique

Martinique's ceiling is so high; you saw them go toe to toe with Mexico over the summer. A disappointing League A performance but they did enough to stay afloat.

#12 Bermuda

Bermuda showed promise at the Gold Cup, and really took off in their Nations League group, winning at Panama and nearly stealing a historic point in Mexico that would've kept them above relegation.

#13 Guatemala

Down in League C after their suspension, it's hard to judge them against the competition they've faced but 25 goals in four matches along with zero against is pretty good, no?

#14 Trinidad and Tobago

A program in complete shambles right now. They haven't won any official games since September of 2018.

#15 Suriname

Gleofilo Vlitjer. A god among men.

#16 Guadeloupe

Like Guatemala, they didn't face the steepest competition in League C, but they brought an absurd amount of talent over from France and look ready to return to their 2007/2009 heights.

#17 Grenada

Jamal Charles carried Grenada straight into the Gold Cup after a nearly flawless League B run; a really fun team to watch.

#18 Cuba

The unfortunate wave of defections means Cuba is not the same team they once were, but the talent that's still there is League B level.

#19 Guyana

Guyana score a lot of goals and have a very good home record; after a not so great 2019 Gold Cup they're in the playoffs for 2021 hoping to get another chance.

#20 Montserrat

We all want them to succeed, and they're now two series wins away from the Gold Cup. Can they do it? Maybe, but they need a friendly draw to help them out.

#21 French Guiana

Looked good to qualify for the Gold Cup at first glance, before running into the freight train that was Grenada. They'll be a threat in the playoffs.

#22 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Choked away a Gold Cup berth in their final Nations League game. A good side on their best day, but too inconsistent for my tastes.

#23 Dominican Republic

Haiti are the new darlings of the region, and the DR are the new Haiti. If you love grinding out 1-1 draws these are your guys, but they're damn good at it.

#24 Antigua and Barbuda

Another team with a ridiculous ceiling but is too inconsistent. Beat Guyana and even Curaçao, but struggled with a weak Aruba both times and got smoked by Jamaica twice. 

#25 Belize

Deon McCaulay the perennial Belize goalscorer is still active and still scoring, but the rest of his team his regressed.

#26 Nicaragua 

Same story with Nicaragua. Haven't done anything lately besides scrape out wins over Dominica, and they aren't trending upwards either.


#27 Barbados

Looked really good for the most part in League C, and have legitimately one of the best home records in the entire region. They've punched WAY above their weight at home lately, rarely ever conceding and even drawing Bermuda last March.

#28 St. Kitts and Nevis

A disappointing Nations League for the Sugar Boyz, who once looked destined to make the Gold Cup. They'll start the rebuild in League C next cycle.

#29 The Bahamas

The Bahamas had very little trouble in their group, even against a decent Bonaire side, and new coach Nesley Jean seems to have them playing at their peak.

#30 Saint Lucia

Relegation from a deep League B group was sort of expected, and they stayed alive til the final matchday. I think they'll bounce right back up next cycle.

#31 Cayman Islands

The best League C runner-ups by far. They nearly earned promotion over heavy favorites Barbados and showed out, particularly at home.

#32 Dominica

A dull campaign, but not a surprising one. And they did get to spoil Saint Vincent on the final day.

#33 Aruba

Aruba looked lost out there and lost all six Nations League games. Four or so years ago they looked to be on the up; now they'll need to start all over again in League C.

#34 Saint Martin

The most improved from the qualifiers to the real thing, for sure. Saint Martin picked up 3 wins including over Barbados and the Cayman Islands just one year after going 0-0-4 in qualifying with a horrendous goal differential.

#35 Bonaire

Bonaire had a tough time getting their actual full strength lineup out on the field, and if they could do that next cycle promotion may be on the cards.

#36 Puerto Rico

Had a long winless streak which they finally broke against Anguilla (twice), and the results against Guatemala were littered with penalties that maybe shouldn't have been. Still a long way to go, but things are improving.

#37 Turks and Caicos Islands

When Billy Forbes plays, they're pretty dangerous going forward but have a swiss cheese defense. When Billy Forbes doesn't play? Bad things happen.

#38 US Virgin Islands 

The USVI went 1-5 in their six group matches but almost all of them were competitive and the team really just needed one person to step up and score goals.


#39 Sint Maarten

Gerwin Lake is ridiculous. Like he is so far ahead of the typical League C player its comical. But one man isn't enough to save Sint Maarten completely.


#40 Anguilla 

After the great showing against Puerto Rico at home (3-2 defeat) and an away draw to The Bahamas in CNLQ, Anguilla have earned their way out of the cellar.


#41 British Virgin Islands 

A ridiculously young team, but also one that dropped all four League C games despite holding the lead in two of them. The defense needs work and endurance was a problem throughout the group stage, but this team is by no means a lost cause. 

Motagua vs Saprissa: 2019 Concacaf League Finals Preview

The 2019 Concacaf League final is set, and Motagua (Honduras) and Saprissa (Costa Rica) will meet over two legs to determine the champion of Concacaf's second tier continental tournament. Both clubs have already qualified to the 2020 Champions League, but the series still has plenty of juice; it is a final after all.

Motagua come in as the higher seed and will travel to San José for the first leg on November 7th, then return home for the second match on the 26th. This is the third edition of the Concacaf League, and the third straight final to feature a Honduran team vs a Costa Rican team. Olimpia (HON) defeated Santos de Guapiles (CRC) in the inaugural tournament, while Herediano (CRC) beat Motagua last year for the crown.

Road to the Finals

MOTAGUA entered during the Round of 16 and have remained unbeaten throughout:

2-1 W at Managua
1-1 D vs Managua

2-0 W at Waterhouse
0-0 D vs Waterhouse

1-1 D at Alianza
3-0 W vs Alianza

As you can see, three huge road results have carried Las Aguilas thus far, and they've mostly treaded water at home. Worth noting however, their previous two home matches were played out of town behind closed doors due to the violence at a domestic match two months ago, but the final will be at home in front of a full crowd.

SAPRISSA have had a more conventional run. They had to enter in the preliminary round and played one extra series as a result:

3-1 W at Belmopan Bandits
3-1 W vs Belmopan Bandits

2-0 W vs Aguilá
1-0 L at Aguilá

3-2 W vs CAI
1-0 W at CAI

2-0 L at Olimpia
4-1 W vs Olimpia

Four big wins at home, as you would expect from a team that plays in one of the most feared fortresses in the Americas. They also beat Mexican champion Tigres in the Monster's Cave back in February during the CCL.

Key Players

Saprissa possess the two top scorers in the competition; Johan Venegas with 6 and the youngster Manfred Ugalde with 4. Very different players, but both are a joy to watch. Ugalde is just 17 years old and has a very long future ahead of him for La Sele, while Venegas has matured into a clinical goalscorer that Saprissa can rely on after his stint in MLS.

Midfielder Marvin Angulo has been putting in work in Concacaf play for some time now, and it showed once again when the veteran had two massive goals (and good ones, at that) in the epic comeback against Olimpia in the semifinal.

Motagua have spread the wealth much more in this tournament; defender Juan Montes leads the team with 2. Six other players have contributed once, and they scored once via an own goal.  Even in their domestic league, it's true that they lack a player who scores at the rate of Venegas, but Roberto Moreira is still a capable striker to say the least.

In the midfield Erick Andino is not all that different from Angulo. He's been bossing the midfield for a long time, scores a decent amount of goals, and brings a veteran presence that pays dividends in big games.

History

As two giants of Central America, this isn't the first time these two have met in a competitive series. The most notable clash was the 2007 UNCAF Interclub Cup final, where Motagua emerged victorious 2-1 on aggregate after Jocimar Nascimento's dramatic home winner.

But aside from the famous defeat, El Monstruo Morado has had the upper hand. Saprissa defeated Las Aguilas 2-1 in the group stage of the 2001 edition of the same tournament, and 2-0 in the 1999 group stage. The two sides also drew in the 1997 and 1998 group stages.

In Concacaf play, the two sides haven't met since 1995, when Saprissa won a two legged series 4-0 in the first round of the Concacaf Champions' Cup. Saprissa also won 5-0 on aggregate way back in the first round of the 1971 Champion's Cup, and 5-1 in 1969.

Concacaf League Week 8 Wrap-Up

Wow, what a way to end the semifinals. It'll be Saprissa vs Motagua in the final, but we'll save that discussion for another time. These highlights are serious business.

Motagua 3-0 Alianza (4-1 aggregate)

Alianza knew they were in dire straits after a poor home showing, and Motagua was able to handle business here. A great tournament from the Salvadorans though, who now can focus on the domestic league where they're holding down first place and have a long playoff campaign ahead of them.

Saprissa 4-1 Olimpia (4-3 aggregate)

This was the best game in Concacaf League history. Saprissa needing to turn around a 2-0 deficit at home against the 2017 Champions, and when Olimpia stole an away goal in the 61st minute it felt like the series was over right there. But Marvin Angulo led a dramatic charge, scoring two of El Monstruo's three goals over the final 20 minutes + stoppage time to steal a famous win on Halloween night. David Ramirez's final goal is simply heart-stopping.