FRISCO, Texas -- Both semifinal matches of the 2018 Concacaf Women's Championship have similar themes.
At one end of the Toyota Stadium pitch, there will stand a highly ranked team.
At the other end will be two young upstarts, trying to make women's soccer history.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, Canada, ranked fifth in the latest FIFA women's rankings, will battle No. 66 Panama for a spot at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
In the second encounter, the top-ranked and defending champion United States, will meet No. 64 Jamaica for a berth.
The Reggae Girlz are trying to become the first Caribbean side to qualify for the Women's World Cup.
"We're going to give it the effort that we've been giving," Jamaica coach Huh Menzies remarked. "We know that they're a high-profile team. Some of our players grew up watching those kids. So, it's going to be a treat for them, playing against them. Hopefully we'll go out there and prove we're capable of being on the same stage as they are."
Los Canaleros are trying to duplicate the Panama men's achievement of reaching the World Cup for the first time at Russia 2018. They also are vying to become the second Central American team to participate in the Women's World Cup, following in the footsteps of Costa Rica (2015).
"Qualifying for the semifinals is an achievement," Panama coach Victor Suarez commented. "We're taking it the best way. We've shown there's talent. We need to continue like this. Now we're looking for the ticket to the World Cup. Our objective is still alive for this group to grow and keep it alive."
The semifinal winners will tussle for the Concacaf crown Wednesday while the losers will play in the third-place match with that winner qualifying. That loser will have one more opportunity to clinch a berth, meeting Argentina in a home-and-home intercontinental playoff.
