Nations Cup is a biennial football tournament, held for the CONCACAF national teams of Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama).The tournament started in 1991 and it doubles as a qualifying event for the Gold cup. The Nations Cup is rotated amoungst the 7 nations so no one nation has an advantage. It also creates interest around the area. The host nation is always placed in the easiest group. The thinking here is the desire to have the host nation advance to keep the interest of the host nations fans. Last year El Salvador hosted and were placed with Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala. The power teams of Central America (Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras) had to fight for 2 spots to advance. This tournament always creates an odd group of 3 teams in the preliminary group stage. I think it is time to add a team that would complete the odd group. The problem is who do you add. You do not want a team like Brazil that would dominate the tournament at one end and you do not want a team that would be cannon fodder either. You want a team that is equally as good as the top Central American powers. A team that would create interest and enhance the tournament. A team that could become a rival to some of the Central America nations. They do not have to look any further than the Caribbean nations. The top teams in the Caribbean can compete with the top teams in Central America. The Caribbean Cup crowns the Caribbean Champion bi-annually and UNCAF could have the Caribbean Champion play in the UNCAF Cup. Haiti was the Caribbean Champion in 2005 and they could fit the bill. The action would create 2 groups for 4 nations. You would not have the odd group of 3 nations. The Caribbean Champion would not dominate the tourney but they certanly could compete for the Title as well. This would also create bragging rights between the two CONCACAF regions. Each region believe they have better teams that the other. This action would enhance the tournament with the Caribbean Champion. It would also create interest and more exposure in both Central America and the Caribbean.
They really should add one more team, because it seems to alter the qualification, because one group has 4 countries the other has 3. I think a team like Suriname should be in the tournament....or a carribean team.
yeah that would be cool...very good idea... i would like to have mexico playing the UNCAF, but they wouldnt like the idea, so a caribbean team would be nice too
The guest team most likely would be a fresh new team each tournament. The team would also be getting lots of press since it is the Caribbean Champion. This also would give the tournament a more wide open feel to it. Previous editions had a few top teams. Now with the emergence of El Salvador and the Caribbean Champ will give the Nations Cup 6 legitimate teams to win the Title. Belize showed they can compete with Mexico in the WCQ in America but they still have a way to go.
ummm the problem is they have Digicel cup thing...and thats their version of UNCAF, cuz I think the Top 4 teams that make it to the semifinals of the digicel cup go to the Gold Cup and UNCAF is for the gold cup, so its makes no sense cuz they want a ticket to the gold cup.
The Caribbean champions would already be qualified for the Gold Cup, so it will provide meaningful games for all teams involved. It makes perfect sense.
i say just send some african team or Bolivia to it...i got it, send one of those autonomous countries to participate.
yes i agree with everyone's need to boost the uncaf tournament somehow bcause no one really care's about it....yea maybe the third place or fouth place of the digicel cup can play for a spot in the gold cup while playing agaisnt the centroamerica countries.
The four Caribbean Championships semifinalists qualify for the Gold Cup. Thus, you'd need the two 3rd placed teams to play-off for a spot in the UNCAF Nations Cup. Two years ago it would have been Guyana vs. Martinique. Now you could have Guadeloupe vs. Martinique (looking at the Caribbean ELO Ratings). However, I don't think UNCAF are likely to risk losing a GC spot to CFU. Imagine El Salvador missing out on the GC after a 5th place play-off against Guadeloupe. I think if UNCAF will invite a team it won't give them the opportunity to qualify for the GC at the expense of an UNCAF team.
Panamá declina la sede de la Copa de Naciones 2009 11/1/2008 Mediante carta oficializada el día de hoy a la UNCAF, la FEDERACION PANAMEÑA DE FUTBOL ha confirmado la decisión de declinar la sede para la organización de la COPA DE NACIONES DE UNCAF 2009, prevista para celebrarse en el mes de enero del próximo año. Esta decisión obedece a que, siendo el escenario del Estadio Rommel Fernández, el cual inicialmente había sido considerado para el evento, se encuentra en trabajos de remodelación total, y no estará listo para el mes de enero del 2009, tampoco la alternativa para el uso del Estadio Nacional Rod Carew será posible luego de haber agotado sin éxito una reunión entre las autoridades de la FEPAFUT, UNCAF, y la empresa TRAFFIC con miembros del Patronato del Estadio, en un último esfuerzo para obtener la disponibilidad de dicho estadio, debido a que el Patronato del Estadio Nacional en la actualidad mantiene diferentes Contratos de Patrocinio, en algunos casos de carácter exclusivo, los cuales no les permiten cumplir con los requisitos del cuadernillo técnico de la UNCAF en materia comercial, y en virtud de que la principal empresa tenedora de dichos derechos no ha liberado o autorizado al Patronato para a su vez pueda arrendar el estadio en las condiciones comerciales exigidas. Ante estas circunstancias, y entendiendo que no se pueden extender más los plazos para alcanzar una negociación, la FEPAFUT se ha visto en la penosa necesidad de declinar la sede de la COPA DE NACIONES DE UNCAF 2009, por los compromisos contractuales del Estadio Rod Carew que hasta el momento no han podido ser liberados para el desarrollo del torneo en Panamá. OFICINA DE INFORMACION FEPAFUT http://www.fepafut.com/noticiasdetail.asp?id=1361
Is this tournament still going on? How about inviting a non FIFA teams, like Guadalupe or Surinam? They would love more international games.
Yes. I could see the CFU Champion who would already be qualified for the Gold Cup competing in the Nations Cup considering that UNCAF has their tournament after CFU. With two groups of four in the Nations Cup the top three in each group would qualify for the Gold Cup if that was five UNCAF countries and the CFU champion. If the CFU champion finished last in their group the two third place finishers would play each other for UNCAF's fifth Gold Cup spot like in the current format. Edit: Contrary to what ceezmad said, Suriname is a member of FIFA.
OK! I was thinking about the french or is it the dutch country in south America, they are like Guadalupe, members of CONCACAF but not members of FIFA. I guess that Suriname is the independent former British colony.
Suriname was a Dutch colony and a member of the FIFA Guyana was a British colony and,also a member of the FIFA France Guyana is stil a French Department.
I just restarted another thread about bringing Canada on board in the Nations cup. I could see other Carribean nations such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba being a part of the tournament as well. They all speak Spanish and have far more in common culturally with the Central American countries than with their Carribean neighbors. Now would the dictator warner allow it. Probably not.
You're not the first person to write Guadalupe - It's Guadeloupe (it's French not Spanish). Guadalupe is an island off the West coast of Mexico with about 15 inhabitants.