Host El Salvador and Guatemala won matches Thursday night on the opening night of the 2007 UNCAF Digicel Cup, the Central American championship that doubles as qualifying for the 2007 Gold Cup.
In Group A play at San Salvador's Estadio Cuscatlan, El Salvador got goals from Victor Velasquez and former D.C. United player Eliseo Quintanilla to beat Belize, 2-1, and Guatemala edged Nicaragua, 1-0, on a goal by Carlos Quinonez. Two-time defending champion Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama compete in Group B.
The top two teams in each group advance to the semifinals of the UNCAF Digicel Cup and automatically qualify for the Gold Cup. The third-place teams square off in a playoff to decide Central America's fifth Gold Cup entrant. CONCACAF increased Central American's quota to five teams when it decided to not invite guest teams for the 2007 Gold Cup. Central America's big five — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama — are expected to qualify ahead of Nicaragua and Belize, the two weak links of the region, and traveled to San Salvador without most of their foreign-based stars.
Real Salt Lake signing Luis Tejada will be playing for Panama's Canaleros in the tournament. No other current MLS player was listed on tournament rosters. Other former MLS players competing in the tournament include Michael Umana (Costa Rica), Fredy Garcia (Guatemala), Saul Martinez (Honduras) and Ricardo Phillips (Panama). Panama's Victor Herrera, plays for the USL1's Puerto Rico Islanders.