Saprissa, Herediano swing into Central American Cup action

MIAMI, Florida – The first week of action in the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup wraps up with a Costa Rica-heavy slate of two games on Thursday.

1993, 1995 and 2005 Concacaf Champions Cup and 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf League winners Deportivo Saprissa begin their campaign in Group A against fellow Costa Rican side and 1994 Champions Cup winners Cartagines at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

There have been 74 previous league encounters between the two, with Saprissa holding a slight 29W-23D-22L edge, while in international competition Saprissa have three wins and three draws in six matches against Cartagines from 1974-78 during the Copa Fraternidad Centroamericana.

2022 Apertura and 2023 Clausura champions Saprissa are targeting a 37^th Champions Cup appearance and boast many familiar names like Mariano Torres, David Guzman and Javon East.

Cartagines last participated in the Champions Cup in 2013-14 and featured in the Concacaf League in 2022. Allen Guevara and Marcel Hernandez will be two of the Cartagines players to watch in the tournament.

Match Officials Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) vs CS Cartaginés (CRC)

REF:         MELVIN MATAMOROS (Honduras)

AR1:         ACZEL PEREZ (Guatemala)

AR2:         JUAN TIPAZ (Guatemala)

4TH:         JULIO LUNA (Guatemala)

Diriangen FC vs CS Herediano

Another Costa Rican club, Herediano, begin their Central American Cup campaign in Group C against Nicaragua’s Diriangen at the Estadio Cacique Diriangen in Diriamba, Nicaragua.

These two sides met 29 years ago in the 1994 Concacaf Champions Cup during which Herediano posted a 9-2 aggregate victory.

Diriangen played in the last two editions of the Scotiabank Concacaf League and will be aiming for a first Champions Cup berth since 1998. Leonel Buter and Luis Coronel are two of Diriangen’s many dangermen.

2018 Concacaf League winners Herediano are seeking a 16^th qualification for the Champions Cup, their last being in 2019.

With many veteran players in the mix, like MF Yeltsin Tejeda and attacker Elias Aguilar, Herediano will be undaunted by the bright lights of a new Concacaf tournament.

Match Officials Diriangén FC (NCA) vs CS Herediano (CRC)

REF:         NELSON SALGADO (Honduras)

AR1:         RONEY SALINAS (Honduras)

AR2:         JESUS TABORA (Honduras)

4TH:         SELVIN BROWN (Honduras)