THE race for places in the round of 16 in the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup football competition is expected to rev up several notches today with 11 teams chasing eight available spots from four of the eight groups.

Eight of today’s nine games will provide qualifiers seeking to join the three teams that booked spots on Saturday, while Holmwood Technical and Belair High will meet in a rescheduled group five game that was not played on Saturday.

As a result of the rescheduled game, the final set of round-of-32 games that was originally set to end on Wednesday will now be extended to Thursday when two games are scheduled.

Today’s games are expected to be intense, with a number of teams still in contention to join Frome Technical, Happy Grove High and Glenmuir High who booked their places on Saturday after scoring consecutive wins.

Defending champion Clarendon College revived their chances of extending their title defence after a late come-from-behind 3-1 win over Paul Bogle High on Saturday — following their earlier loss to Glenmuir High — and a win over over Titchfield High at Wembley Centre of Excellence would be enough.

Paul Bogle High who are on three points — same as Clarendon College but with a slightly better goal difference — are not out of contention however as should they get a win over the already qualified Glenmuir High it could come down to goal difference to decide who advances.

One point separates the three contenders in group eight, which is led by McGrath High on goal difference over Garvey Maceo High, both on four points, just one more than Christiana High.

The easy math is that both McGrath High, who play Christiana High, and Garvey Maceo who play last-placed St Mary High, only need a point to take their places in the next round.

However Christiana High, who are coming off a 4-0 win over St Mary High, have their own fate in their hands and if they can produce a win today would eliminate McGrath High, the most prolific scoring team in the second round so far with 10 goals from two games.

The key group one game between leaders Kemps Hill High and second-placed Rusea’s High — separated by more goals, with both on four points and the same goal difference of one — could produce both qualifiers but only if third-placed Cornwall College, on two points, fail to beat out-of-contention Spot Valley High.

Kemps Hill will be ‘home’ at Foga Road for the first time in the round, after fruitful back-to-back trips to western Jamaica where they picked up four points from a 1-1 draw against Cornwall College and a hard-fought 2-1 win over Spot Valley, and only a draw would favour them advancing.

Cornwall College are well placed to get a place in the next round but must win today, after back-to-back draws, and could top the group on goal difference with a win of two clear goals or more and a draw between Kemps Hill and Rusea’s High, with all three teams ending on five points.

Spot Valley High, if they can muster any motivation after back-to-back losses, have a score to settle with Cornwall College who beat them twice last year when they were both in the first-round zone.

After scoring just four points all of last year Spot Valley High were much improved this year — topping Zone D while scoring 30 goals — and were unbeaten in 10 games until they were edged by Rusea’s High and just came up short against Kemps Hill, despite playing well enough to win both games.

Fireworks are expected in group three where a point separates the three contenders — St Elizabeth Technical and Manchester High, both on four points and one more than Manning’s School who are coming off a good 1-0 win over out-of-contention William Knibb Memorial on Saturday.

A point for the leaders STETHS — playing away to Manning’s School in Savanna-la-Mar, and Manchester High at home to William Knibb in Mandeville — would see both through.

Manning’s School, however, are expected to put up a fight, and with only one loss all season — at home against Manchester High to snap an eight-game winning run — their chances cannot be ruled out.