In 2011, CONCACAF celebrates its 50th anniversary.
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As part of a year-long commemoration, a weekly feature titled "This Week in CONCACAF History" will take a brief look back at some of the confederation's most historic games and happenings.
Through "This Week in CONCACAF History" you can revisit the region's most memorable people, events and crowning achievements.
Week of January 23-31
January 23, 1977: El Salvador's CD Aguila played to a 1-1 draw against visiting Leon of Mexico in the first-leg of the 1976 CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinals at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador … Three days later, CD Aguila was awarded a 2-0 forfeit win in the second-leg after Leon abandoned the match while leading 2-1 following an on-the- field fight between the two teams.
Janaury 25, 2006: Canada and the USA qualified to the first FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup (formerly Under-19) after defeating Jamaica (3-1) and host Mexico (3-0), respectively, in the semifinals of the 2006 CONCACAF Championship at Veracruz's Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes … Mexico would then earn the confederation's last berth to the FIFA event in Russia by topping Jamaica, 4-1, in the third-place encounter two days later at the same venue. The USA claimed the CONCACAF title with a 3-2 win over Canada in the nightcap.
January 26, 1986: Juan Carlos Espinoza scored the only goal of the match as the host CD Olimpia of Honduras topped Trinidad & Tobago's Defence Force, 1-0, in the second-leg of the 1985 CONCACAF Champions' Cup Final in San Pedro Sula … Despite the win, it was Defence Force that claimed the delayed CONCACAF championship thanks to its 2-0 triumph over CD Olimpia in the first-leg held a week earlier in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.
January 27, 2002: For a second consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup, three-time champion Mexico was eliminated in the quarterfinals, as it dropped a 4-2 decision on penalty kicks to Korea Republic following a scoreless draw at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California … In an earlier encounter, the USA blanked El Salvador, 4-0, to earn a spot in the 2002 semifinals … The Stars & Stripes would then defeat Canada on penalties (4-2) three days later and then topped Costa Rica in the final (2-0) the following month for their first CONCACAF crown since 1991.
January 28, 1934: The first official FIFA World Cup Qualifying match for the North American Region took place at the Parc Leconte in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as Cuba posted a 3-1 victory over the host … Cuban Mario Lopez was credited with the first goal in the history of the region's qualifying tournament (road to FIFA World Cup Italy 1934), scoring in the 20th minute via a penalty kick … Hector Socorro and Angel Martinez added to the Leones del Caribe scoring in the 61st and 64th minutes, respectively, while Robert St-Fort had the only goal for the Bicolor on a penalty kick five minutes from time.
January 29, 2009: Nicaragua qualified for its first CONCACAF Gold Cup after eliminating Guatemala by a score of 2-0 in the fifth-place match of the 2009 Copa de Naciones UNCAF (now Copa Centroamericana) … Samuel Israel Wilson scored in each half (39th, 85th) for the Pinoleros, who reached the final round of a CONCACAF men's tournament (at any level) for the first time since their futsal team acomplished the feat in 2000.
January 30, 1965: Netherlands Antilles earned its first victory away from home (Willemstad) in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying as Virgilio Sillie scored the only goal of the match (27th) in a 1-0 win over host Cuba at La Habana's Estadio Pedro Marrero.
January 31, 1973: Jorge Bran scored the game-winner just before halftime as host CD Olimpia of Honduras defeated SV Robinhood of Surinam in the first-leg of the 1972 CONCACAF Champions' Cup Final at the Estadio Francisco Morazán in San Pedro Sula … The 1972 championship series was delayed until the early 1973 and CD Olimpia became the first Honduran club to capture the CONCACAF title after holding SV Robinhood to a scoreless draw in the second-leg held the next day at Tegucigalpa's Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino.
For more information or general inquiries concerning historical content, please contact Steven Torres, CONCACAF Manger of Information Services at steve.torres@concacaf.org.
