In the eyes of Hartford Athletic’s Nicolas Cardona, the challenge for Puerto Rico as a soccer nation hasn’t necessarily been the talent available, but the structure and organization that would allow it to thrive.

“Talent has never been a problem,” the center back said recently. “I think we have a lot of talent on the island, and these past few years have been very consistent with the camps, and with bringing in players that are at the top level. At first, it was hard because we didn’t know each other, but game by game I think we started knowing each other better, the new coaches that came in, [Head Coach] Dave [Sarachan] and his staff have all been doing a really good job with us.”

It’s a point that has merit. Five years ago in July 2016, Puerto Rico reached its high watermark in the FIFA Men’s Soccer rankings, sitting at No. 112 in the world, not far behind Canada and Haiti (tied for No. 100) and ahead of El Salvador (No. 125). What happened next was a gradual fall down the rankings as a lack of professional opportunities and organized games took a toll.

Nowadays, El Huracan Azul sits at No. 178 in those same rankings, but over the past year things have begun to look up. The side finished third in its group during the First Round of 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying, only two points back of group winner St. Kitts & Nevis, as it earned a draw with Trinidad & Tobago before defeating both the Bahamas and Guyana to close the five-team group stage. 

“We’ve done better every year,” said Cardona. “Obviously, the Nations League has helped because we have more games, more frequency. These past qualifiers, at the end we were disappointed because we knew we could have gone farther.”

The Nations League’s introduction by Concacaf has meant the same increase in opportunities for numerous countries, especially those in the Caribbean that would sometimes go six months between even exhibition games, let along official competition. For Sacramento Republic FC’s Rafael Diaz, who this year began competing for the Dominican Republic internationally, watching the side play in the Nations League two years ago showed the quality that was starting to develop in a baseball-dominated sporting landscape.

“That opportunity to expand it and really show there are other countries that are putting out good product, I think it really does help the game grow, especially among the smaller countries,” said Diaz, who has become the starter for the Dominican and helped his side finish second to El Salvador in its 2022 World Cup Qualifying group earlier this year. “This has opened more doors for players in the Dominican Republic and abroad. You’re now seeing a lot of Dominican players are actually coming into their own. You have [Edison] Azcona in Miami, we have now players in Europe, but we wouldn’t be able to see this if it wasn’t for the expansion and the opportunity.”

What Grenada and Paterson or first-time qualifier Suriname achieved in the inaugural Concacaf Nations League cycle in qualifying for the region’s biggest tournament is now the aim for players like Cardona and Puerto Rico. Having received the short straw alongside Anguilla by being drawn in a group with Guatemala – which was ranked eighth in Concacaf at the time of the start of CNL qualifying but placed in League C due to the suspension of its federation at that time – the goal for Cardona and his teammates is to not only gain promotion to League B in the next edition of the tournament but also use the next few years as a platform to reach the Gold Cup for the first time in the country’s history.

“I know we’re capable of doing it,” said Cardona. “We’ve had the consistency of the team the past few months that has been a key factor, so that’s the goal. To keep progressing, to qualify for the Gold Cup, and then who knows? We keep going.”

If that comes to pass, it could be Cardona wearing the captain’s armband as his country gets to take on some of the biggest nations in the region.

“That would really be a dream come true,” he said. “I remember going to the stadium and watching the national team when I was young, hoping I could be one day there. Now I’m the captain of the team and imagine if I would be able to qualify for the Gold Cup. It would be indescribable in words, but that’s why we’re working and that’s our goal.”