The setup has been announced for the 2005 UNCAF Nations Cup, which begins on February 19 in Guatemala. The teams will be divided into two groups: Group A: Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize Group B: Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador The top two teams in each group will make the semifinals, and will also qualify for the 2005 Gold Cup. The game schedule is very tight. The entire tournament will be played from the 19th through the 27th, with group games taking place on the 19th, 21st, and 23rd, the semifinals on the 25th, and the final on the 27th. A team from Group A that makes the final will therefore have to play 5 games in 9 days. This isn't unusual for the tournament; in 2001 some teams had to play 6 games in 12 days. In 2003 it was a bit easier, with some teams having to play 5 games in 13 days. Group A has the two minnows, so Guatemala and Honduras are in the Gold Cup, and can at least coast through the group stage. The tournament comes between the first and second match days of the Hexagonal--will Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama play their best players or let the tournament slide? Cheche Hernandez of Panama has already announced that he'll try to bring his best team, although whether that will include the legionnaires is another matter. Guatemala has a fully home-based side, and as hosts will want to win; since they can use the subs against Nicaragua and Belize, I guess they'll play the first XI in the tougher games. Costa Rica will almost certainly leave the European legionnaires out. For the full story, see http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=2841
Here's a full article on it from today's La Nacion. It'll be a U-25 squad. For the Gold Cup it's likely to be a mixture of starters and prospects, without the European players.