The Dominican Republic had never qualified before for the Gold Cup, Concacaf’s continental championship, and certainly had never scored a goal. When the moment came, however, something seemingly straightforward took on a different tone.
As Peter Gonzalez took possession of a throw-in and wriggled past Mexico defenders to get into the box, an El Tri fan lofted the ball that had gone out of play back onto the field. Gonzalez scored a beauty — a goal that will always be replayed as the DR’s first at this level, but it was a quirky, controversial moment.
Mexico argued as the DR celebrated, with the goal standing despite the North Americans’ protests. It was all a bit Concacafy.
For all the words soccer has popularized, no terms are as unique as the ones that reference Concacaf — full name Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. The governing body has left the days of unscrupulous leaders behind and now is a somewhat buttoned-up entity setting about to grow the game of soccer in the area. Yet, one thing it can’t shake is its propensity to present moments unlike anything else.
And we’re all better for it.
Sure, it’s not always a positive when you “get Concacafed,” a phrase sometimes used when one of the region’s referees puts in a … less-than-consistent showing. Still, it’s not always bad. Sometimes things get Concacafy, and it’s a joy.
Sports these days are staid, and everything is Very Serious. For all the celebrating of achievements or nostalgic social media accounts, what comes through loudest in the modern game seems to be debating ring culture, worship of the individual and harrumphing about the proliferation of internet streaming plans. In Concacaf, there is still the joy of the weird, the wacky and the wavering. Are Random Acts of Concacaf-ness like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s old obscenity test? You just know it when you see it?
Sort of. The fact is that anything Concacafy could happen in any region in the world. It just … doesn’t — or it doesn’t in the types of moments you see things get Concacafy in this region.
“It’s a different football for us. Very physical,” said Hervé Renard, a Frenchman managing Gold Cup guest team Saudi Arabia but also with extensive experience in Africa. “To be honest, this is not our strong point, but we have to improve because when you go to the World Cup, sometimes you have these kind of games.”
Renard isn’t the only experienced manager to run into a shock upon competing in the region. The latest is Jamaica manager Steve McClaren, who took over the Reggae Boyz last year after a long career with mostly English club teams, the national team and as a Manchester United assistant.
He knew the region a bit after working with FIFA as its technical director, when he was called upon to analyze various nations’ setups and offer recommendations. Now, he’s in the thick of it, getting Jamaica to the final round of World Cup qualification, but suffering a setback in its opening match of the Gold Cup. While the manager still has a smile on his face, he has found a test in the region.
“There’s never an easy game in Concacaf,” McClaren said. “The [Central] American teams are really aggressive, very good technique. The Caribbean teams are very strong, powerful like ourselves.
“The football is totally different. We have to adapt to that. I’ve loved every game. It’s been a great challenge.”
Maybe it’s the nature of the area in question. While most of FIFA’s regions are clearly defined and mostly logical, following geographic and cultural boundaries, Concacaf is made up of three distinct subregions smashed together. What does Haiti have in common culturally with Nicaragua? What about Montserrat with El Salvador? Yet, those teams have met with reasonably large stakes on the line in the past four years.
The culture clashes can be something to behold, although sometimes Concacaf brotherhood builds a bridge a little too quickly — like in 2021, when Suriname vice president Ronnie Brunswijk suited up for the team he owns in the now-defunct Concacaf League tournament. (At age 60, he was not only literally the father of one of his teammates, but also old enough to be many players’ grandfather.) After the game, footage streamed from the Olimpia locker room showed him handing out cash in a generous, Concacafy moment that earned him a three-year ban for “serious breaches of integrity rules.”
Typically, the scenarios aren’t quite that outrageous, and things will get Concacafy with a physical tackle, like the flying entry that earned Jamaica midfielder Damion Lowe a yellow card in the 19th minute of Monday’s Gold Cup match against Guatemala.
Now and then, though, fans get the moments of whimsy that keep many coming back for more.
This summer, those who prefer things a little more straightforward, perhaps with a European sensibility, are able to enjoy FIFA’s new expanded Club World Cup. While there’s some potential for Concacafy moments there, especially given the presence of five Concacaf teams, it’s a much more rigid affair.
For the rest of us, the Gold Cup and should only get better. Embrace the “Conca-chaos.”
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