For the fourth edition of the UNCAF nations Cup, the UNCAF (Central American football Union) means the Guatemala to organize the competition, all games being played at the Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores in Guatemala City, capital of the Guatemala.
Six national teams participating in the competition, divided into two groups, the top two teams from each group being qualified for the second round in a single group. The top three teams in the tournament qualify for the Gold Cup 1998.
On 16 april 1997, the fourth UNCAF nations Cup starts.
In the group A, Costa Rica and the Guatemala are favorites.
La Bicolor, unfortunate finalist of the last edition, wants to take its revenge, and began competing against Costa Rica, winner of the first edition of the UNCAF nations Cup, and great underdogs of the tournament. 7 minute game and Juan Carlos Plata, scorer of the Club Municipal, delivers local supporters. The Guatemala ideally starts his competition. But Costa Ricans want to win the tournament, and just before the halftime, Allan Oviedo evens (43') and ice the enthusiasm of an entire people. The score will not move, and the two favorites of the group leave on the score of 1-1.
2 days later, the Nicaragua begins its tournament against Los Ticos and the men of Horacio Cordero leave no chance for Los Pinoleros. Costa Rica win 5-1, Oscar Ramírez scoring a hat-trick in the match. The Nicaragua saves the honour at the 55' through David Taylor, but must already focus before facing two days later the host of the competition, the Guatemala country.
And on this April 20th, the Nicaraguans undergo a new defeat 6-1 in front of Guatemalans, Juan Carlos Plata signing one doubled during this match.
A tie, the Guatemala finished first of the group to the difference of goals before Costa Rica. The Nicaragua left the UNCAF nations Cup with 2 goals scored and 11 goals conceded in two games!
In Group B, the Honduras, double winner of the UNCAF Cup and titleholder, faces the Salvador and Panama, Panamanians have eliminated Belize in the preliminary round.
And as soon as the first match, La H strikes a blow by inflicting a humiliating 5-0 in Panama, Wilmer Velasquez scoring 4 goals in this match. Two days later, the scorer of the Club Deportivo Olimpia scored two additional goals, and the Honduras dominates the Salvador 3-0, easily finishing first in the group.
The last place for the second round is played between the Salvador and the Panama, and La Selecta logically wins the game with a score of 2-0, Elias Montes (63') and Waldir Guerra (77') giving the second place of the group and therefore the qualification to the selection of the Salvador.
On 13 april, the second round of the UNCAF nations Cup starts.
In the game of the former winners, Costa Rica gives a lesson to Honduras, Rolando Fonseca scoring a hat-trick in a match that ends with a score of 4-0. Los Ticos lead quickly to score in 3 minutes (5' and 8'), and then complete the Hondurans hopes just before the halftime (44'), before definitively taking their revenge about the 1993 final at the 71'. Hard blow for the titleholder.
In the other game of the day, the Guatemala ignites the estadio Mateo Flores at the 55' against the Salvador, and can still believe to a first title in this competition (final score 1-0).
Two days later, Juan Carlos Plata signed his fourth goal of the tournament for La Bicolor facing Hondurans (1-0) and Guatemala, with two wins in two games, strengthen its first place of the group and hope a defeat of Costa Ricans in the other game of the day.
But Los Ticos, opposite to the Salvador, want to add a second UNCAF Cup at their showcase, and thanks to Luis Arnáez (72'), the UNCAF nations Cup offers a final between the Guatemala and Costa Rica on April 27, 1997.
With a better goal difference, Costa Rica needs only a draw to win the competition, but it's Rolando Fonseca, scorer of the Ticos, who shower the entire stadium as early as the second minute by opening the score. The Guatemala tries to return to the score, but despite the equalization of Juan Manuel Funes (87'), La Bicolor is unable to take advantage, and Costa Rica finished first in the group and won his second UNCAF nations Cup.
With six goals scored, the Honduran striker Wilmer Velásquez is the better scorer of the competition, only glimmer of life for a Honduras sharply defeated in the second round of the competition.
Second and third respectively of the UNCAF nations Cup 1997, the Guatemala and the Salvador qualify with Costa Rica to participate in the Gold Cup 1998. The Honduras, originally not qualified, finally received an invitation to also participate in the Gold Cup 1998.
