Bid to Centennial Cup America on the line in L.A. Grand Finale; Four 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup berths already set

Guatemala City, Guatemala (Wednesday, September 10, 2014) – The Central American Football Union (UNCAF) today announced the matchups for the final day of play of the Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA, set for this Saturday, September 13, at the historic Los Angeles Coliseum.

Saturday night’s final will feature 2014 FIFA World Cup quarterfinalist Costa Rica, which edged out Panama on goal differential to claim the top spot in Group B, against high-flying Guatemala, which secured a return to the UNCAF Championship match by virtue of its victory over Honduras on Wednesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. With their appearances in the championship match, both finalists have now qualified for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The winner of Saturday’s championship match will receive a highly-prized direct ticket to the Centennial Cup America – the South American Championship to be played in the United States in 2016, with six invitees from CONCACAF. The champion of the Central American Cup Tigo 2014 will join the United States and Mexico as a confirmed CONCACAF participant in that historic event.

The battle for that coveted ticket in Saturday’s Grand Final of the Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA will cap a day-long triple header scheduled for the L.A. Coliseum, kicking off at 3 PM local time with the fifth-place match between Honduras and Nicaragua. That match will have particular importance this year, as the fifth-place finisher from UNCAF earns a playoff with the fifth-place finisher in this year’s Caribbean Football Union Caribbean Cup, for a final ticket to the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Additionally qualified for 2015 edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup are El Salvador and Panama, the second-place finishers in Groups A and B, respectively, of the Central American Cup Tigo 2014. Those two nations face off at 6 PM local time on Saturday at the Coliseum in what is sure to prove a riveting third-place match between Central American powers.

The two-group, seven-team Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA began on Sept. 3 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., before moving on to Dallas’ Cotton Bowl and Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium for rounds two and three. The championship is being played on U.S. soil for the first time in its 13 editions.

Tickets to all final day matches are on sale now, available at the L.A. Coliseum box office and online through http://www.concacaf.com/tickets.

The event’s Organizing Committee is headed by CONCACAF and Soccer United Marketing. Sponsorship rights are being managed jointly by Imagina USA and Traffic USA.

Central American Cup Tigo USA 2014 Final Day Schedule

– Times are local for Los Angeles, PT –

Saturday, September 13, 2014 – Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA

3:00pm              Honduras vs. Nicaragua

6:00pm               El Salvador vs. Panama

9:00pm               Guatemala vs. Costa Rica

2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualified teams

(12 participating teams listed in Alphabetical order by sub region)

Canada (North region – 2000 Gold Cup Champion)

Mexico (North region – Six-time Gold Cup Champion)

United States (North region – Five-time Gold Cup Champion)

Costa Rica (UNCAF)

El Salvador (UNCAF)

Guatemala (UNCAF)

Panama (UNCAF)

TBD (CFU) –To be determined by CFU Championship

TBD (CFU) –To be determined by CFU Championship

TBD (CFU) –To be determined by CFU Championship

TBD (CFU) –To be determined by CFU Championship

TBD (UNCAF/CFU) –To be determined with a playoff between the 5th placed-finishers of Copa Centroamericana (UNCAF) and CFU Championship.

2016 Copa America Centenario CONCACAF Qualification

(6 CONCACAF Teams)

United States (Host)

Mexico (Seeded)

TBD (Copa Centroamericana Champion)

TBD (CFU Championship)

TBD (Winner of 2015 Gold Cup –if not one of the already qualified teams, or Gold Cup Playoff 1 winner)

TBD (Gold Cup Playoff winner)

END

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