Central American Cup semifinals, Play-In round begin | OneFootball

MIAMI – The semifinals of the 2024 Central American Cup begin on Tuesday as the remaining four clubs continue their hopes to be crowned champions in December.

Antigua GFC and LD Alajuelense meet in the first leg of their series seeking to take an essential first step towards securing a spot in the final.

The Play-In round also begins on Tuesday, the four teams eliminated in the quarterfinals will contest the last two berths in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. FC Motagua and CD Águila will meet in the first leg of their series.

FC Motagua vs. CD Águila

FC Motagua hosts CD Águila at Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The match marks a first-ever meeting for the two clubs in an international tournament.

FC Motagua enters the match unbeaten in its past three matches after claiming three draws. The Honduran side will aim to improve on its participation in the 2023 edition and win in the Play-In round. Rubilio Castillo has been the team’s top scorer in the campaign with three goals.

CD Águila will look to continue its positive momentum in the competition. The Salvadorian side has won three of its last five games and collected four clean sheets in six games. Carlos Salazar, Blas Sosa, and Dionatan Machado are the team’s top scorers with two goals each in the 2024 Central American Cup.

Antigua GFC vs. LD Alajuelense

Antigua GFC hosts defending champions LD Alajuelense at Estadio Pensativo in Antigua, Guatemala. The match will present the first-ever encounter between the sides in their history.

Antigua will continue its impressive debut campaign by playing in the semifinals after knocking out Deportivo Saprissa in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 aggregate score, including an important away win in the second leg of the series.

The Guatemalan side remains unbeaten with three wins and three draws and has kept a clean sheet in three of its last five matches. Santiago Manuel Gómez, who scored a brace in a standout performance during the quarterfinals, leads the team in goals with four.

LD Alajuelense advanced to the semifinals with a 3-2 aggregate win over Comunicaciones FC. The tournament’s reigning champions remain unbeaten in its 16 matches played all-time, with 12 wins and four draws.

The Costa Rican side has fared well away from home, winning its past four away encounters. Diego Campos is the team’s leading scorer with six goals.