MIAMI, CMC – All but two of the home teams, led by Guatemala, won their opening matches on Wednesday in the second round of the Concacaf qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Guatemalans trounced Dominica 6-0 in the most lopsided result, while Suriname, Nicaragua, and Curaçao all had 4-1 wins against St Vincent & the Grenadines, Montserrat, and Barbados, respectively, to earn three points and begin with a lead in their respective groups.
Antigua & Barbuda failed to build on a halftime lead and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Bermuda, and Trinidad & Tobago had to dig deep and fight back from a two-goal deficit at the interval to draw 2-2 with neighbors Grenada.
AT THE DOROTEO GUAMUCH FLORES STADIUM: A brace from Alejandro Galindo led the Guatemala assault on the Dominicans in their Group E match in Guatemala City.
The 32-year-old opened the scoring for the hosts in the third minute and earned his second-night goal in the 49th when he struck a rebound inside the box moments after goalkeeper Glenson Prince denied his long-distance attempt.
In between, Allen Yanes gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at halftime when he scored a header from inside the box, connecting on a perfectly placed ball by Oscar Santis in the 28th minute.
Rubio Méndez and José Martínez added headed goals in the 59th and 79th minutes, and José Morales completed the rout with a long-distance rocket in the 84th minute.
Guatemala travels to play the British Virgin Islands in their next match on Saturday in Road Town, while Dominica hosts Jamaica on Sunday on home soil in Roseau.
AT THE ERGILIO GATO STADIUM: A hat-trick from Rangelo Janga enabled Curaçao to punish Barbados in their Group C contest in Willemstad.
Janga opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a close-range shot to give the hosts a 1-0 lead at halftime, but he extended the lead with two strikes in the second half from inside the box in the 62nd minute and from the penalty spot in the 85th minute.
Niall Reid-Stephen got on the tins for the visitors in second-half stoppage time from the penalty spot. Still, Gervane Kastaneer struck on the breakaway only seconds afterward to restore the Curaçao advantage.
Curaçao will visit Aruba for their next match on Saturday in Oranjestad, while Barbados will host Haiti on Sunday in Bridgetown.
AT THE FRANKLIN ESSED STADIUM: Oalex Anderson, who plays for North Carolina FC in the United Soccer League Division 1 in the United States, put SVG in front in the 31st minute in their Group F match in Paramaribo after intercepting a loose ball in the box.
But two goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half—Sheraldo Becker scoring from the penalty spot in the 39th minute and Jeredy Hilterman heading home in the third minute of stoppage time—made the Vincentians woozy and put Suriname ahead 2-1 at halftime.
Justin Lonwijk extended the Surinamese lead in the 46th minute when he connected in front of goal with a pass from Gyrano Kerk on the right side, and Jaden Montnor put the match beyond SVG with a strike in the 70th minute.
Suriname will travel to face Anguilla on Saturday in The Valley, and SVG will remain in Suriname, where they will host El Salvador on Sunday.
AT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL STADIUM: Nicaragua had a fourth-minute headed goal from inside the box from Jaime Moreno cancelled out when England-based winger Brandon Barzey drew Montserrat level six minutes later in their Group D match in Managua.
Junior Arteaga put the host back in front in the 23rd minute off a free-kick attempt towards the near post for a halt-time lead of 2-1.
After the break, Jacob Montes extended the lead in the 70th minute with a swing of his left foot at the edge of the box, and Harold Medina, too, scored a left-footed strike from inside the box in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
Nicaragua will visit Belize for their next match on Saturday, and Montserrat will remain in Managua to face Panama on Sunday.
AT THE HASELY CRAWFORD STADIUM: A double strike from winger Myles Hippolyte, who plays English League 2 outfit AFC Wimbledon, failed to inspire Grenada, and T&T fought back to draw their Group B match in Port of Spain.
Hippolyte, as the Grenadians are known, opened the scoring for the Spice Boyz in the 24th minute, converting from the penalty spot following a handball in the box. Four minutes later, he extended their lead with a volley to capitalize on a clearance from Soca Warriors goalkeeper Denzil Smith.
Ryan Telfer struck from inside the box in the 43rd minute and sprung the hosts to life, and Reon Moore equalized in the 74th minute on a counterattack to enable the Warriors to breathe a massive sigh of relief.
T&T faces The Bahamas in their next match on Saturday in St Kitts, while Grenada hosts Costa Rica on Sunday.
AT THE ABFA TECHNICAL CENTRE: Raheem Deterville hit from inside the penalty arc in the 26th minute for Antigua & Barbuda, but Sachiel Ming broke the home team’s hearts with a strike in the final minute for the Bermudians in St John’s.
The Antiguans travel to play the Cayman Islands on Saturday in George Town, and Bermuda host Honduras on Sunday.
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