Real Hope, Moca begin clash for Caribbean Cup third place and CCC berth | OneFootball

MIAMI – Real Hope FA hosts Moca FC in the first leg of their third-place series in the 2024 Concacaf Caribbean Cup on Tuesday at Cibao FC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

Both teams compete for the last Caribbean berth in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. The series winner, on aggregate, will advance to next year’s tournament.

Real Hope went undefeated in the group stage with a 2-2-0 record. The Haitian side was exceptional in its final stretch, with two wins from three matches to claim second place in Group A.

Gooly Elien stood out with ten saves and two clean sheets in the group stage. The Real Hope goalkeeper had another five saves in the semifinal series, keeping his team within one goal in each leg, and extended his total to 15 in the current edition.

Angelo Exilus has been a critical man up front for Real Hope with five goals to his current tally. Exilus shined with consecutive multiple-goal games, scoring braces in the final match of the group stage and the first leg of the semifinals.

Moca FC returns to the third-place series for a second consecutive edition after winning 3-2 on aggregate against Harbour View in 2023, advancing to its first Concacaf Champions Cup.

The Dominican Republic club also went undefeated in the group stage, with a 3-1-0 record, to finish second in Group B. Moca played Cavalier FC to a scoreless draw in the first leg of the semifinals before falling 7-nil in the second leg.

Gustavo Ascona leads Moca on the scoresheet with three goals, including a converted penalty, in the group stage. Ascona was limited to one shot by Cavalier FC in the semifinals, as Moca was shut out offensively.

Goalkeeper Miguel Báez, who has two clean sheet performances, and midfielder Jesús Correa will be unavailable after acquiring red cards in their club’s semifinal second-leg encounter.

The two clubs will meet for the second leg the following Tuesday at Estadio Moca 85 in Moca, Dominican Republic. Away goals serve as the first tiebreaker in case of a draw on aggregate, placing an added priority for Real Hope to concede as least as possible in the first encounter.