Who Will Rule Central
America?
The prestigious Central
American (UNCAF) title
will be contested in
Tegicugalpa, Honduras
beginning this Thursday
22 January. Of the seven
participating nations in
the biannual event,
Costa Rica and Honduras
must be considered
hottest favourites to
challenge for the
laurels.
The seven-team
tournament will feature
Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Honduras, Guatemala,
Panama and the lesser
known teams of Belize
and Nicaragua, who might
struggle to make a mark
among the sub-region's
elite.
The top-three finishers
will qualify for
CONCACAF's biggest
tournament - the Gold
Cup - to be staged later
this year in venue yet
to be decided.
Costa Rica are
reigning and six time
champions, and their
coach - Rodrigo Kenton -
is hoping for the best.
"This is a great
competition to evaluate
players and test
ourselves in hot
battle," said the former
Deportivo Saprissa man.
Hosts Honduras
may well have the hot
hand, playing in front
of their own crowds on
familiar fields. Coach
Reinaldo Rueda will have
to rely mainly - like
his Costa Rican
counterpart - on a
domestic-based squad.
El Salvador will
be looking to make a
mark and win their first
UNCAF title after having
finished third on four
occasions. Still alive
in qualifying for the
2010 FIFA World Cup
South Africa™ (along
with Costa Rica and
Honduras), the
tight-knit squad may
well have their best
chance to top the
CONCACAF sub-region
under inspirational
Mexican boss Carlos de
los Cobos.
Guatemala - who
went crashing out of
qualifying for the South
African finals - will be
hoping to add to the
lone title they won in
2001. Panama, who
also went out
surprisingly early in
qualifying for the 2010
world showpiece, will be
hoping to right the ship
in Tegucigalpa. |
