Central American qualification for CAC games

I love soccer tournaments because the passion that they bring from the fans. It is nice to track the tournament in group play and see how your nation stacks up against the other teams in the group. You always want your team to advance and see exciting soccer. Well the biggest tournament is coming up this summer in South Africa and Concacaf nations can see how their representatives stack up against the rest of the World. The Yanks and Mexico are traditional players in the world even but this year we will see how Honduras stacks up. We should all be pulling for out CONCACAF teams. While this tournament will catch the World attention another tournament will be going on with in CONCACAF. Puerto Rico will be hosting the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) games in Mayasa, Puerto Rico. The U-21 Nations teams will battle for this title.
There will be 4 teams from the Central American region and 4 Caribbean nations for a total of 8 nations. The groups should have 2 nations from each region to create interest. Puerto Rico automatically qualified since they are hosting.

The qualification for Central America (4 spots)
El Salvador played a home and away against Honduras. These two have a rich history against each other after the “Soccer War”. El Salvador really needed to win just so their country can have someone to cheer for during the World Cup games. El Salvador won 1:0 on Honduras soil then held them to a tie 0:0 at the famous Cascatalan stadium. El Salvador will advance to the CAC games in Puerto Rico. f
Belize played Nicaragua in a home and away. These 2 nations are clearly the bottom two teams in Central America. Pitting them against each other was a good idea. At least one will make the CAC tournament. Both nations need the exposure and experience of playing in big tournaments. Belize surprisingly won 1:0 in Belize. The return trip to Nicaragua new national stadium was another story. Nicaragua won 2:1. This score propelled Belize into the CAC tournament. Belize got through because they had more away goals.

Panama played Guatemala. Guatemala use to be the better nation however Panama has come a long way in 10 years and are now considered the superior nation to advance on both the national and youth levels. Guatemala missed the last Gold Cup and the new national team will have to develop in the youth ranks. This is a perfect time to regain the high stature they had in Central America. Panama held Guatemala scoreless in the first game 0::0 in Guatemala. Then Panama posted a 3:0 shutout of Guatemala in Panama. Panama continues to improve.
Costa Rica the heavy favorite will play Nicaragua for the last spot. The game will take place
April 11 and April 18th..

New Caribbean soccer league

1. Trinidad,
2. Jamaica,
3. St. Kitts,
4. Haiti,
5. Bermuda,
6. Antigua,
7. Guyana,
8. Dominica

These 8 nations will try to for a league. They are hopeing to create more exposure to their league amns to the sport. Travel will be expensive but cheers to them.

UNCAF Nations Cup 2011 Host to be Panama

After many reports that the UNCAF Nations cup would be held in Costa Rica we finally get notice fron UNCAF web site with new news. Panama will be hosting regional tournamnet. It also sounds like there will be a name change for this tournament. the new name indicated it will be Central American Cup.

I think this is great that Panama, the reigning Champions will be hosting over Costa Rica. Since 1991, Costa Rica has already hosted twice (1999, 1991). Guatemala, El Salvador have also hosted twice. Honduras has hosted the most at 3 while Panama 1 (2003) and Nicaragua (0) and Belize (0) have the least. UNCAF seems to be spreading the wealth around which is great for this tournament. No one nation has such a big advantage. (like USA and the gold Cup).

Panama has invested close to $19 million to refurbish their national stadium Estadio Rommell Fernandez. The nation is eager to show it off. Here are a few pictures of the new facility. Panam's has the 2nd best economy (after Costa Rica). Their futball program has increased every year and the results have shown on the national level.

Past host

1991 Costa Rica 1st

1993 Honduras 1st

1995 El Salvador 1st

1997 Guatemala 1st

1999 Costa Rica 2nd

2001 Honduras 2nd

2003 Panama 1St

2005 Guatemala 2nd

2007 El Salvador 2nd

2009 Honduras 3rd

2011 Panama 2nd

As you can see this is the second "go around" of hosting this tournament. Nicaragua just finished building a national stadium in Managua which is FIFA certified. They will soon be looking to host once their national team becomes competative enough to win the tournament.

http://fedefutguate.org/index.php?news=469

Green Soccer Bowl

There will be 4 national team playing in the Green Soccer Bowl. Puerto Rico, Kenya, Ghana and Malaysia.

The tourney will start May 20-21. Tickets will be $25.

The Silverdome (Pontiac, Michigan) will host the senior men’s national soccer teams from Malaysia, Kenya, Puerto Rico and Ghana in the inaugural Green Soccer Bowl in May. For Ghana, the May 20-21 tournament will serve as a tune-up for the following month’s World Cup.
Story via Freep Image via Flickr
“Here is the schedule:
Thursday, May 20
• Puerto Rico vs. Ghana: 6 p.m.
• Kenya vs. Malaysia: 8 p.m.
Friday, May 21
• Consolation game: 6 p.m.
• Championship: 8 p.m.
The tournament is the brainchild of Pius Oleh, a former Nigerian senior team member and president of the U.S. Presidents’ Day Celebration Soccer Invitational Tournament Foundation, the local sanctioning body of the event.
“We’re thrilled to draw international teams of this level in our first year,” Oleh said in a released statement. “Not only will this tournament put the international soccer spotlight on metro Detroit just prior to World Cup competition, but it will also be a means to our foundation’s long-term goal of supporting annual youth soccer activities both in the United States and Africa.”
Tickets are $25 apiece and will be available for purchase the first week in March through the Silverdome box office