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CONCACAF Gold Cup: Panama defeats Costa Rica for Gold Cup berth

13.2.07 - Panama will compete in their third CONCACAF Gold Cup? later this year after defeating Costa Rica by a score of 1:0 in Group 2 play at the Copa de Naciones Digicel 2007 de UNCAF (Union Centroamericana de Fútbol) at the Cuscatlán Stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador on Tuesday evening.

After a scoreless first half, Alberto Blanco got the game-winner for Panama (2-0-0, 6 Points) as they claim the Group 2 title over Costa Rica (1-1-0, 3 Points) whom end their seven-game unbeaten streak in Copa de Naciones Digicel de UNCAF, which is the Central American Qualification to the CONCACAF Gold Cup?.

The semifinals of the Copa de Naciones Digicel de UNCAF begin on Friday at the Cuscatlán Stadium with four of the five Central American qualifiers to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? as Panama takes on Guatemala and then El Salvador hosts Costa Rica. COMPETE SCHEDULE

The semifinal winners will meet for the Copa de Naciones Digicel 2007 de UNCAF crown on Sunday, while the semifinal losers compete for the third-place honours in an earlier match.

Prior to the semifinals on Friday, Nicaragua will take on Honduras in a Fifth Place game with winner taking the final UNCAF spot to the 2007 Gold Cup.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and another Central American qualifier will join Caribbean representatives Cuba, Guadeloupe, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago and the previous Gold Cup champions (Canada, Mexico, USA) in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? that takes place from 6-24 June in six venues across the USA.

2007 CONCACAF GOLD CUP? QUALIFICATION

Central American Zone ? Copa de Naciones Digicel 2007 de UNCAF

San Salvador, EL SALVADOR; Cuscatlán Stadium

Group 2

13.02.2007: PANAMA ? COSTA RICA 1:0 (0:0)

Alberto BLANCO 86?

PAN: Jaime Pendo ? Carlos Rivera (63: Luis Henriquez), Jose Torres, Roman Torres, Juan Perez, Alberto Blanco, Gabriel Torres (62: Reggie Arosemena), Victor Herrera (78: Rolando Escobar), Anel Canales, Amilcar Henriquez, Felipe Baloy. Booked: Blanco 49?, Arosemena 67?, R.Torres 75?

TD: Alexandre GUIMARAES

CRC: Wardy Alfaro ? Jervis Drummond, Freddy Fernandez, Rolando Fonseca (58: Alonso Solis), Roberto Wong, Andy Furtado, Leonardo Gonzalez (72: Michael Barrantes), Carlos Hernandez, Felix Montoya, Kurt Bernard (77: Walter Centeno), Try Benneth. Booked: Wong 23?, Benneth 67?

TD: Hernan MEDFORD

R: Carlos BATRES (GUA)

Semifinals

16.02.2007: PANAMA ? GUATEMALA (17:15)

EL SALVADOR ? COSTA RICA (20:00)