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2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? to be an All-CONCACAF Event; 4 spot for Caribbean Qualifier

31.10.06 - CONCACAF announced today that the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? will consist of exclusively CONCACAF teams and no guest teams will be invited to participate in the event as in the past.

In announcing the decision, CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said, ?We have seen over the past decade a significant rise in the standards and successes of CONCACAF nations, so now it is time for two more of our countries to be able to compete in the finals of the Gold Cup, as one more step towards raising their game to a new level.

?As the Gold Cup was in its infancy and early growth, guest teams played a very welcome part in the success of the Gold Cup and its awareness throughout the region and, then, the rest of the world. Now, like all continental championships, except the Copa America, the Gold Cup is for us alone.?

CONCACAF President Jack Warner added, ?This is, of course, excellent news for two more members of CONCACAF who will now be playing in next year?s Gold Cup and showing how their game has progressed; as did Panama, for example, in reaching the 2005 Gold Cup final.?

The twelve-team 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? will be comprised of four teams emerging from the Caribbean Qualifying (2007 Caribbean Digicel Cup Final Round to be held in Trinidad & Tobago), five from the Central American Qualification (2007 UNCAF Nations Cup hosted by El Salvador) and three automatic qualifiers from the North Zone (Canada, Mexico and USA). Therefore both Central America and the Caribbean will receive one more tournament berth than in 2005.

The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? is scheduled to take place 6-24 June in cities across the USA with venues to be announced in November.