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CONCACAF Gold Cup: Honduras qualify to 2007 Gold Cup

15.2.07 - Honduras qualified to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup? after easily defeating Nicaragua by a score of 9:1 in the fifth place playoff match of the Copa de Naciones Digicel 2007 de UNCAF (Union Centroamericana de Fútbol) at the Cuscatlán Stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador on Thursday evening.

Wilmer Velasquez had four goals, Saúl Martinez three, while Jairo Martinez and Carlos Mejía each added another for the catrachos in the victory over the pinoleros.

This is the most goals scored by Honduras in a match since they defeated Nicaragua, 10:2, during the Copa de Naciones UNCAF in Tegucigalpa on 25 May 2001.

The catrachos, who were the first Central American team to reach the Gold Cup Final in 1991, will be making their seventh appearances in the CONCACAF event in 2007.

Elsewhere, the semifinals of the Copa de Naciones Digicel de UNCAF begins on Friday at the Cuscatlán Stadium with the other four 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.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama 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

Fifth Place

15.02.2007: NICARAGUA ? HONDURAS 1:9 (1:5)

Samuel Wilson 31? ? Jairo MARTINEZ 4?; Wilmer VELASQUEZ 6?, 27?, 38?, 39? pen; Saúl MARTINEZ 69?, 81?, 86?; Carlos MEJÍA 77?

NCA: Denis Espinoza ? Roger Mejía (46: Franklin Lopez), Silvio Aviles, Eustace Martin (46: Wilmer Sanchez), Carlos Alonso, Miguel Masis, Samuel Wilson, Hevel Quintanilla, Milton Busto, Hamilton West (20: Armando Reyes), Emilio Palacios. Booked: Masis 51?, Lopez 76?, Wilson 80?

TD: Carlos DE TORO

HON: Donis Escobar ? Maynor Figueroa, Junior Izaguirre, Wilson Palacios, Jairo Martinez (46: Carlos Mejía), Wilmer Velasquez (68: Saúl Martinez), Jorge Claros, Oscar Boniek, Mauricio Castro, Emilio Izaguirre, Mario Beata (72: Victor Bernardez). Booked: Mejía 60?

TD: Jose DE LA PAZ

R: Joel AGUILAR (SLV)

Semifinals

16.02.2007: PANAMA ? GUATEMALA (17:15)

EL SALVADOR ? COSTA RICA (20:00)