For the sixth edition of the UNCAF Nations Cup, the UNCAF designates the Honduras, double winner of the competition, as host country. All games of the tournament will be held in three stages of the country, the estadioExcelsior stadium (Puerto Cortes), the estadio Olimpico Metropolitano (San Pedro Sula), and the estadio Nacional Tiburcio Carias, in the capital Tegucigalpa.
Seven national teams of Central America are participating in the UNCAF Nations Cup 2001, 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 2001.
On 23 May 2001, the sixth UNCAF Nations Cup starts.
In Group A, the Honduras faces the Salvador, the Nicaragua and the Panama.
In the first match, the Salvador faces the Nicaragua in the Estadio Excelsior. And Nicaraguans are surprised entry game, Jorge Rodríguez and Fredy González knocking out los Pinoleros early in the match (1st and 2nd minutes). What a start of tournament! Mauricio Cruz, coach of Nicaragua, does not understand what is happening, and performs a first change at the 25th minute to hope a jolt from his men, but the Salvador sealed the end of the match thanks to Jorge Rodríguez, who converted his second goal of the match with a penalty (final score 3-0).
In the other match of the group, the Honduras welcomes the Panama in San Pedro Sula. And Panamanians create the sensation by opening the score at the 36th by Jorge Dely Valdés, stupor in the stadium. La H wants to return the score, and it is thing made just before half-time by the striker of Sunderland Milton Núñez. The stadium can breathe again, and hope that his proteges will take the ascendancy in the second half, but Julio Dely Valdès gives the victory to los Canaleros at the 67th, and creates at the same time the first sensation of the tournament.
Two days later, the Panama can do nothing against the men of Carlos Humberto Recinos, and applies the Salvador 2-1 thanks to Rudis Corrales and Héctor Canjura, Jorge Dely Valdés saving the honour at the 90th minute. Two wins in two games, la Selecta is part to enter the second round of the competition. Panama, meanwhile, must await the outcome of the Honduras against the Nicaragua, and this result is without appeal. La H is awakened, and the Nicaragua undergoes a painful 10-2. Carlos Pavón sign one tripled, Milton Nunez, and the striker of Coventry City Jairo Martínez merely to mark each one doubled. The cup is full for los Pinoleros when Samuel Wilson is expelled at the 60th minute. There is a match for the men of Mauricio Cruz to save the honor in this tournament, and it will be against the Panama.
And as a catch phrase, the Nicaragua falls apart again in the estadio Excelsior against teammates Jorge Dely Valdés, los Canaleros inflicting a scathing 6-0 to Nicaraguans (tripled by the scorer of the Málaga CF Jorge Dely Valdés). The Nicaragua left the tournament with 19 goals conceded in three games for only 2 scored!
For the second round of the competition, the Honduras must win its last game of the group against the Salvador. And at the 41st minute, Danilo Turcios delivers the entire stadium, 1-0 for Honduras, the hardest is made. The match became tense, the yellow cards become usually, but la H holds his victory, when Deris Umanzor brand at the 90th minute for the Salvador and eliminates the Hondurans. Clap of thunder in the estadio Olimpico Metropolitano! The double winner of the competition and the host country is out in the first round!
The Salvador, first of group, and Panama, surprise of the tournament, will meet in the second round of the UNCAF Cup 2001.
In Group B, Costa Rica, the defending champion, faces the Guatemala and Belize to enter in the second phase of the tournament.
Triple winner of the UNCAF Cup, Costa Ricans begin competition against Belize, and demonstrate to the other selections in the tournament still need to rely on them for the final victory. Score 4-0, the striker Rolando Fonseca signing one tripled during this match. Belizeans must collect this heavy defeat and prepare for their second game two days later against the Guatemala at the estadio Excelsior.
And the men of Julio César Cortés began the match in the right end, doing crack Belize in three minutes (23rd and 26th) thanks to Denis Chen and the striker of Comunicaciones Fredy García. The game seems bent, but the striker of Belmopan Bandits Dion Fraser gives hope to Belizeans at the 33rd, before scores one doubled at the 43rd. 2-2, the second period start. The Jaguars are in the game, and Mark Leslie gives the advantage to his at the 58th, huge sensation in Puerto Cortés. Belize there holds its first UNCAF Cup victory, but this hope stays alive twenty minutes, when the referee gives a penalty to Guatemalans, transformed by Fredy García (84th) (score final 3-3). Belize was almost, but had to settle for the match draw, collecting the first point of his history in UNCAF Nations Cup. For Guatemala, this result is a poor performance, and the last game of the group against Costa Rica must enable la Bicolor to regain confidence in his game.
At San Pedro Sula, Costa Rica stuns the Guatemala just before returning to the locker room by a goal of Andrés Núñez (45th). The second period begins and the stadium wondered whether Guatemalans can react, and the response arrives at the 70th minute when Mario Acevedo converted a penalty kick awarded by the referee of the match. 1-1, the score will not move, the Guatemala has not won a match during the first round, but the Guatemala also not lost, he returned twice to the score, showing heart and will.
On 30 May 2001, the second round of the UNCAF Cup 2001 begins with Costa Rica, accustomed to defeat in this competition, the Guatemala and the Salvador, on the lookout for the final victory, and Panama, surprise of the tournament and winner of the Honduras.
San Pedro Sula, the Salvador and the Guatemala open the ball and cannot be tie (0-0).
Two hours later, Panama faces Costa Rica to bring down the triple winner of the competition, but los Ticos have some resource, and Ronald Gómez scores at the 42nd. 1-0 at the half, but Julio Dely Valdés out of the locker room re-inflated block and equalizes at 47th for Panamanians. The end of the match becomes tense, both teams wanting to prevail, the yellow cards start coming out, and the match find his winner at the 85th minute thanks to a goal by Walter Centeno. Panamanians riled and the scorer of the night Ronald Gómez harvest a second card yellow, synonymous with expulsion (88th). Score final 2-1 to Costa Rica, which takes the lead of the group.
Two days later, the Salvador and Panama faces, and two selections must win to lift the UNCAF Cup. Francisco Ramírez gives the advantage at the 13th minute for la Selecta, and the men of Mihai Stoichita push to return to the score. It is made at the 81st, thanks to the scorer of the Club Deportivo Arabic Unido Alfredo Anderson. The tempers, and Mario Méndez was expelled at the 85th Panamanian ranges. Score final 1-1, this result doesn't help anyone.
In the other game of the day, Costa Rica found the Guatemala and knows that a victory would bring it a little more of a fourth sacred in UNCAF Cup. But after three matchs void for as many matchs in this edition, la Bicolor finally released the claws, and in the second minute of regulation time, Dwight Pezzarossi opened the score. Los Ticos are trying to get back into the match, and Walter Estrada took the opportunity to seal the victory of Guatemala (51st).
The tournament is revived, the Guatemala takes the lead of the competition, just in the front of the Costa Rican champion.
On June 3, the last two matchs will determine who will win the sixth UNCAF Cup.
Facing the Panama, the Guatemala does not want to have regrets. And Dwight Pezzarossi proves decisive man by scoring again at the 15th, followed by Mario Acevedo at the 33rd. Half time is piped on the score of 2-0, la Bicolor dominates debates. And despite the purpose of Jorge Dely Valdés for the reduction of the score, Fredy García seals the Guatemala victory with a score of 3-1. The Guatemala is at the top of the group with two wins and a draw and is looking forward to the result of the Costa Rica to celebrate a first historic sacred in UNCAF Nations Cup.
And Costa Rica knows, it must win to retain his title. But his opponent of the night has pride, and the Salvador cools Costa Ricans at the 40th by Josué Galdámez. Walter Centeno equates at the 55th, and the game became stretched. Los Ticos grow to score a second goal, and reap the passage several yellow cards. At the 84th, Luis Marin, already warned twenty minutes earlier a cardboard yellow, takes a second and ends up expelled. The score will not move, and Costa Rica finished the game with this 1-1 and the loss of the UNCAF Cup.
And despite a slow tournament start, the Guatemala exults and wins its first UNCAF Nations Cup with for balance sheet 2 wins and three draws.
Jorge Dely Valdés, striker from Málaga CF, is the best scorer of the competition with six goals. He represents this selection of the Panama, sensation of the 2001 UNCAF Cup.
Second and third respectively of the competition, Costa Rica and the Salvador are qualified with the Guatemala to participate in the Gold Cup 2001.
Panama, last of the group, must go through qualifications against Cuba to participate in the Gold Cup 2001.