MIAMI – This Wednesday the First Round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 kicks off with 29 teams in search of a first-place finish in their respective group and a berth in the Second Round.

Many of the young talents that shined during the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League will be back in action in Concacaf WCQ.

Here are some of the players to watch:

Group A: Roberto Dominguez, El Salvador

The 23-year-old DF already has nearly 200 league matches under his belt and 35 appearances with El Salvador’s Senior National Team. The center back was an anchor in the back line of Salvadoran club Santa Tecla for many seasons, helping the Central American club qualify for two editions of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League and two editions of the Scotiabank Concacaf League, playing nine Concacaf club matches in total. 

In the CNL, Dominguez was one of the first names on the team-sheet, playing every single minute of both CNL Qualifying (4 matches) and El Salvador’s CNL campaign in League B (6 matches). Dominguez even displayed his attacking ability, scoring in El Salvador’s 2-0 win at Montserrat.

Group B: Gleofilo Vlijter, Suriname

Vlijter is one of the most exciting attacking prospects in the Concacaf region today. The 21-year-old FW currently plies his trade with Beitar Jerusalem in Israel, but has made his name in the international arena with Suriname. Simply put, Vlijter was spectacular during the CNL, pouring in 10 goals in six matches to lead all players in all Leagues. Vlijter scored four goals in Suriname’s 6-0 win over Nicaragua and bagged braces in both wins over Dominica (4-0, 2-1) and in the 2-2 draw with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Suriname enter Concacaf WCQ with a squad full of players from European leagues, with Vlijter serving as one of the headliners.

Group C: Tyler Forbes, British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands are one of the teams that have benefitted tremendously from the CNL and one of the players to emerge from that process is 18-year-old FW Tyler Forbes. At the age of 17, Forbes became one of the youngest players ever at the international level to record a brace in an official match when he scored twice in BVI’s 4-2 loss to Bonaire to open their group in League C. Forbes would finish the CNL with three goals to lead his team and tied for fifth for the most goals scored in League C. Now Forbes and BVI will look for more success in Group C of Concacaf WCQ.

Group D: Ronaldo Vasquez, Dominican Republic

Football continues to make great strides in the Dominican Republic and part of that growth has been the rise of players like Vasquez. The 21-year-old MF was a member of the Atletico Pantoja team that reached the 2019 SCCL, in which Vasquez featured in both games for the club. Vasquez was also a key member of the Dominican Republic team that finished third in its group during the CNL, starting five of the Dominican Republic’s six matches after having played in two matches during CNL Qualifying. 

Group E: Krisean Lopez, Belize

For years, Deon McCaulay has been the man to lead Belize forward in the international arena, but now that task is starting to fall to Lopez. The 22-year-old FW delivered clutch performances in both CNL Qualifying and in League B of the CNL. In CNL Qualifying, Lopez played in all four matches and tallied a pair of goals in a 4-0 win over the Bahamas before appearing in four of Belize’s matches in League B in which the Central Americans finished third in their group. That Senior National Team confidence should help Lopez propel himself to another level in Concacaf WCQ.

Group F: Giovanni Padron, Puerto Rico

Padron is part of a young crop of Puerto Rico players hoping to lift the country’s football to unprecedented heights. The Boricuas finished second in their CNL group in League C thanks in part to the steady play of the 22-year-old DF, who started three of Puerto Rico’s four matches, including the team’s clean sheet 5-0 win over Anguilla at home and the 3-2 win at Anguilla. Padron’s lone international goal came in the latter win versus Anguilla and now in Concacaf WCQ, Padron and his Puerto Rico teammates will have a new opportunity to put football back in the spotlight in their country.