The third round of Concacaf qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26™ kicked off during the September window and it did not disappoint. A wildly entertaining slate of 12 matches produced some eye-catching results thanks to the performances of some of the region’s best players.
A mix of new and old faces were among the stars of the most-recent fixtures, however these five players were the ones that delivered for their sides in a big way.
Sheraldo Becker, Suriname
While Becker did not get on the scoresheet or have an assist in Suriname’s two matches, he was still their most dangerous player going forward. He played the final 27 minutes of the opening 0-0 draw with Panama, helping them secure a point at home. But it was in the 2-1 win at El Salvador that Becker made his presence particularly felt.
The Osasuna man tormented the Salvadoran defence on the right wing, using his pace to create space and then was inch-perfect on his crossing. He drew the most fouls out of anyone on the Suriname team with three and completed 85 per cent of his passes. Suriname were arguably the story of the window, and Becker’s importance will only grow when the calendar turns to October.
Duckens Nazon, Haiti
What more can be said about the talismanic Nazon? The 31-year-old striker has a knack for scoring in bunches and Costa Rica found that out in a big way. With his side staring at a 2-0 deficit in the second half, Nazon tallied three straight goals before Les Grenadiers ended up settling for a 3-3 draw against the Ticos.
The second goal was his best of the night and quite possibly the most stellar of his storied international career. A ball was headed back in front of the Costa Rica goal and amid a sea of defenders, Nazon unleashed an overhead kick that sent shockwaves all the way back to Port-au-Prince. Nazon now has an outstanding 43 international goals to his name and Haiti are unbeaten after two matches with a pair of draws.
Tahith Chong, Curaçao
Landing the services of Chong was a massive coup for Curaçao head coach Dick Advocaat, and he showed just why in the team’s 3-2 victory against Bermuda to complete a four-point window for the Caribbean side. Chong had a hand in all three goals, scoring the first two before supplying a sumptuous assist on the third.
Curaçao raced out to a two-goal lead, with Chong scoring in his first home start with a clinical left-footed finish inside the area. The second came on a wicked cut-back to his left to send a Bermuda defender flying, allowing Chong the time to tuck away a left-footer. Bermuda rallied to even the score at 2-2, only for Chong to take control again, this time crafting a surgical pass into Tyrese Noslin for the winner. The former Manchester United man appears poised to lead the Blue Wave forward.
Manfred Ugalde, Costa Rica
It was a very interesting night for Costa Rica, who looked set to secure their first victory of the third round after playing to a 1-1 draw against Nicaragua in their opener, only to end up splitting the points with Haiti in a wild second half. The Ticos will feel frustrated after letting leads slip in both games, but they can take heart from the performances of Ugalde.
The 23-year-old created a scoring chance and registered two shots against Nicaragua, before supplying two assists versus Haiti. The first was a perfectly weighted pass for Kenneth Vargas to latch onto and finish, while the second came in second-half stoppage time and his team down 3-2. Ugalde lofted a cross into the box that Juan Pablo Vargas stabbed home for the dramatic equaliser. Costa Rica are hungry to reach a fourth successive World Cup, and there’s no question Ugalde will play a major role in that pursuit.
Romell Quioto, Honduras
Honduras are looking to return to the global showpiece for the first time since Brazil 2014 and at the close of the window they are in good shape in Group C, sitting top with four points. The 0-0 draw with Haiti to open and the 2-0 home win against Nicaragua were struggles, but taking the team by the scruff of the neck and pulling them forward was Quioto.
The 34-year-old came within an eyelash of scoring against Haiti with a volley that left the crossbar quivering, but against Nicaragua he was on target with a right-footed volley at the far post in the early stages of the second half to break the deadlock with the Pinoleros. Quioto was part of the Honduras team that fell just shy of reaching Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, so the motivation is there to get to his first World Cup.
