Red Stripe Premier League runners-up Portmore United will host renowned Panamanian club CD Plaza Amador in the first leg of their Scotiabank CONCACAF League Round of 16 tie inside the National Stadium at 7:00 pm today.

Portmore will be looking to get the better of the Panamanian Apertura team in the home tie before flying to Panama for the return leg on August 9. Tickets for the game are $500 (Grandstand Only) and available at the gate on game day, from 4:00 pm.

The contest will see several national players from both countries squaring off in what is being built as a mini Jamaica versus Panama clash. Portmore arre bolstered in midfield and attack by Jamaica Gold Cup squad members Ricardo Morris, Michael Binns and captain Ewan Grandison. Meanwhile, the Panamanians will be looking to their own national players in Valentin Pimentel, goalkeeper Eric Hughes Guevara and former Panamanian international, veteran midfielder Aramis Haywood.

Speaking at the Portmore United Press Conference on Monday, striker Jeremie Lynch was confident ahead of the tie and insisted that the team has garnered enough experience to topple the Panamanians and move on to the next round. The winner of the CONCACAF League will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.

“I joined Portmore United in January and this moment was part of the reason I committed to the team. They told me about this competition and the opportunity of playing against some of the region’s best, and so far we have embraced the challenge. We started in Puerto Rico and we came out victorious, then on to Trinidad where we also came away with the win. So I think once we remain focused and play to the coach’s instructions we should come away the victors against a strong Panamanian team with current and former Panamanian national players,” said Lynch.

Portmore United will be coached by former national player and current coach of the Excelsior High School Manning Cup team, Shavar Thomas, who has been conditioning the team ahead of the tie. Thomas will be assisted by another former national representative and Portmore United stalwart, Kevin Deer.