By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Panama started off the 2009 fútbol (soccer) season with a 3-0 loss to Costa Rica last night. The game was the national team's debut and the first game of the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) Nation's Cup. I know all of this soccer federation alphabet-soup stuff can be confusing so allow me to explain. Panama falls under the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football Associations (CONCACAF) which covers all of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean for FIFA. There are three sub organizations under the CONCACAF - the North American Football Union (NAFU) containing the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the seven Central American nations of the UNCAF (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama,) and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) which contains 30 tiny island nations. Of these three organizations, the members of the NAFU are guaranteed a berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Nation's Cup is a UNCAF event which is used to eliminate two of the Central American teams - the top five performers advance to the Gold Cup. The remaining four teams of the twelve Gold Cup qualifiers come from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). What matters is that Panama qualifies for a berth in the Gold Cup, and last night was not a good start down that road.
Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

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