The second round of CONCACAF qualifying resumes tomorrow with 11 games being played. Several teams need to pick up wins or else they will be mathematically eliminated from progressing. Here are the fixtures with the home team being listed first.
Group A
Dominican Republic v El Salvador
The Dominicans need to avoid a loss if they want to stay alive in the group. They have high hopes after a positive performance in El Salvador in matchday one, a 3-2 loss. A draw would be a great result for Dominican Republic.
The Salvadorians expect a victory from this game and need the three points to stay ahead of Suriname in the race for the top spot. El Salvador had trouble on the road with the Cayman Islands in the second matchday, and must come out stronger to open this game.
Prediction: Dominican Republic 1 El Salvador 2
Cayman Islands v Suriname
The Cayman Islands will also be eliminated if they fail to pick up any points. They will have confidence heading into this home contest after only falling 1-0 in the reverse fixture on a first half penalty. The bumpy pitch in the Caymans could play a factor in the match.
Suriname must win in order to stay within striking distance of El Salvador who currently occupies the top spot. They need to improve on their performances from the first two matches, a slim 1-0 win over the Cayman Islands, followed by a disappointing 0-0 draw in the Dominican Republic. They should have enough to win this match, however.
Prediction: Cayman Islands 0 Suriname 2
Group B
Barbados v Guyana
Barbados will be eliminated with a loss or a draw combined with a Trinidad and Tobago win. Unfortunately, they have not scored a goal in the competition so far, and have been punished for playing too high of a defensive line.
Guyana has a chance to put pressure on T&T with a win here, and cannot let this opportunity go to waste. Vurlon Mills was on target twice against Bermuda, and will be looking to add to his total. Expect another professional performance by Guyana where they keep a clean sheet and find the back of the net.
Prediction: Barbados 0 Guyana 1
Bermuda v Trinidad and Tobago
Bermuda was unlucky not to get a point in Trinidad last month and will be very confident of winning this game. A loss eliminates them from the competition and so does a draw combined with a Guyana victory.
The favorites in the group, T&T is wary of falling behind Guyana in the group and will be going all out for three points. Bermuda has proven a thorn in Trinidad's side before, and could trip them up once again.
Prediction: Bermuda 1 Trinidad and Tobago 1
Group C
Dominica v Panama
A loss here virtually eliminates Dominica. Through one game, the Caribbean side fell 2-0 to Nicaragua at home. Things get harder against Panama, where a draw would be a great result.
Panama stumbled at times but still defeated Nicaragua 2-1 in its only match so far. Victory in this fixture would see them solidify the top spot with a crucial contest with Nicaragua looming.
Prediction: Dominica 0 Panama 3
Group D
Saint Lucia v Canada
A loss eliminates Saint Lucia, and frankly there is little chance of any other result in this match. St. Lucia have scored three goals in two matches, but have conceded eight.
Canada has done its job up to this point, and while it is a potential tricky away fixture in the Caribbean, they should find no problems. A win combined with a draw in the other match could see Canada all but lock up the group.
Prediction: Saint Lucia 0 Canada 4
Puerto Rico v Saint Kitts and Nevis
A Puerto Rico loss combined with a Canada win sees them eliminated from the competition. They should play well at home against a side they can beat, but they have to be better defensively than they were versus Canada.
SKN needs a win in order to have any hope of overtaking Canada for first place. In the reverse fixture they were held by the Puerto Ricans in a scoreless draw. If they have the creative spark, they should have enough quality to take all three points.
Prediction: Puerto Rico 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2
Group E
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines v Guatemala
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will hope to repeat its home success it found against Grenada with a 2-1 win and avoid what happened when they traveled to Guatemala and fell 4-0. An improved defensive shift is a necessity if they desire a point.
Guatemala is in pole position to qualify out of group E. They go into this match expecting three points and although they will find it a little tougher than the reverse fixture, they should return home with the win.
Prediction: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 Guatemala 3
Belize v Grenada
A month ago Belize would have entered this game as a huge underdog. Fast forward to today and now they are the favorite. After shocking Grenada 3-0 in the reverse fixture, Belize is full of confidence and should win this match easily.
While Belize is soaring, Grenada is sinking. After entering this round as one of the top seeds, Grenada might be the worst team in the group. They desperately have to have three points in this match in order to climb back into contention, but it does not look rosy.
Prediction: Belize 2 Grenada 1
Group F
U.S. Virgin Islands v Haiti
The amateurs from the USVI must win or else they will be eliminated. The odds of them winning however, are astronomical. The side's best hope is to try and keep the scoreline close and not get blown out.
Haiti needs to win by as many goals as possible, since this group may come down to goal difference. They won by six goals in the reverse fixture, and will be looking for more in this match.
Prediction: U.S. Virgin Islands 0 Haiti 5
Curaçao v Antigua and Barbuda
Anything but a win and Curaçao is done. Curaçao has taken the lead in both its matches so far, but ended up getting blown out in each. Anitgua and Barbuda won 5-2 in the reverse fixture and Curaçao will hope for a better result this time out.
Antigua and Barbuda is slightly ahead of Haiti when it comes to goal differential and needs to try and maintain or improve on that. They scored eight goals in its last match against USVI and will be attempting to duplicate that tomorrow.
Prediction: Curaçao 1 Antigua and Barbuda 6
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