By Dylan Butler

Pumas has clinched a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. Everything else is up for grabs in Group D.

The other three teams are still alive for the final spot in the knockout stage, which will make for a more than a few frayed nerves and scoreboard watching.

Comunicaciones and Real Espana are level with six points apiece after five matches, two points ahead of W Connection.

W Connection hosts Real Espana on Wednesday at Manny Ramjohn Stadium and the Savonetta Boys will need a victory just to have a chance to advance. W Connection moved atop the TT Pro League Big Six standings after two matches following a 2-0 win against Defence Force at Ato Boldon Stadium.

Mexican Jose Carlos Diaz scored his first goal for W Connection, an insurance goal in the 40th minute, 20 minutes after Eder Gilmar Aras put his team ahead.

Diaz, who joined W Connection three weeks ago as a free agent, previously played alongside W Connection goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams at Ferencvarosi TC in the eastern division of the Hungarian National Championship II. Williams recommended the Mexican striker to coach Stuart Charles Fevrier.

Led by Honduran World Cup hero Carlos Pavon, Real Espana is third in the Honduran Apertura, five points behind Olimpia. Real Espana fell to Olimpia 2-0 on October 7 in Tegucigalpa as Rigoberto Padilla struck for both goals in the final nine minutes.

On Thursday, Comunicaciones hosts Pumas in the final Group D match. After suffering a 2-1 loss to Heredia on Wednesday, Los Cremas' third straight loss in the Guatemalan Apertura, Comunicaciones bounced back with a 1-1 draw against Municipal Sunday.

Pumas failed to follow up on a 2-0 win against Chiapas and fell to San Luis 1-0 on Saturday in the Mexican Apertura. Braulio Luna scored the game's lone goal in the 64th minute, capitalizing on a defensive breakdown deep in Pumas defensive third.

Pumas remained last in Group 3 of the Apertura with eight points from 12 matches, but have joined fellow Mexican squads Cruz Azul and Pachuca in the knockout stage.

The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals. The knockout stage draw will take place on November 17 at CONCACAF headquarters in New York.