View source for 1981 CONCACAF Championship

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox international football competition
| tourney_name = CONCACAF Championship
| year = 1981
| other_titles = 
| image =
| size =
| caption = 1981 CONCACAF Championship official logo
| country = Honduras
| dates = 1–22 November
| num_teams = 6
| confederations = 1
| venues = 1
| cities = 1
| champion = HON
| champion-flagvar = 1949
| count = 1
| second = SLV
| third = MEX
| fourth = CAN
| matches = 15
| goals = 28
| attendance = 470484
| top_scorer = {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Hugo Sánchez]] (3 goals)
| player =
| prevseason = [[1977 CONCACAF Championship|1977]]
| nextseason = [[1985 CONCACAF Championship|1985]]
}}
{{Qualification for men's championships (CONCACAF)|expanded=FIFA}}
The '''1981 CONCACAF Championship''', the eighth edition of the [[CONCACAF Championship]], was held in Honduras from 1 to 22 November. All games were played in the [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]] in [[Tegucigalpa]]. This tournament was won by the host, [[Honduras national football team|Honduras]], who earned their first title and secured for the first time a place in the [[FIFA World Cup]], as the tournament also served as qualification to [[1982 FIFA World Cup|Spain 1982]]. The North, Central American and Caribbean zone was allocated two places (out of 24) in the final tournament. This edition was marked by an upset as [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]], traditional CONCACAF heavyweights and needing a win to go through, were eliminated by [[Honduras national football team|Honduras]]. The 0–0 tie between Mexico and Honduras qualified [[El Salvador national football team|El Salvador]] to participate in the World Cup as the CONCACAF runners-up. El Salvador also became the first Central American team to qualify for more than one World Cup. This would be the last tournament which would feature a host nation for the final round.

==Venues==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="8" | {{Location map+|Honduras|float=center|width=300|caption=|places=
{{Location map~|Honduras|lat=14.098403|long=-87.203978|label=[[Tegucigalpa]]|position=top}}}}
|-
! [[Tegucigalpa]]
|-
| [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|-
| Capacity: '''35,000'''
|-
| [[Image:Estadio Carías.jpg|150px]]
|}

==Qualification==

{{main|1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification}}
=== Teams ===
*{{fb|Canada}}
*{{fb|Cuba}}
*{{fb|El Salvador}}
*{{fb|Haiti|1964}}
*{{fb|Honduras|1949}} (Hosts)
*{{fb|Mexico}}

==Final round==

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL
|res_col_header=Q
|winpoints=2
|ptsfirst=y

|team1=HON|name_HON={{fb|HON|1949}}
|team2=SLV|name_SLV={{fb|SLV}}
|team3=MEX|name_MEX={{fb|MEX}}
|team4=CAN|name_CAN={{fb|CAN}}
|team5=CUB|name_CUB={{fb|CUB}}
|team6=HAI|name_HAI={{fb|HAI|1964}}
|win_HON=3|draw_HON=2|loss_HON=0|gf_HON=8|ga_HON=1
|win_SLV=2|draw_SLV=2|loss_SLV=1|gf_SLV=2|ga_SLV=1
|win_MEX=1|draw_MEX=3|loss_MEX=1|gf_MEX=6|ga_MEX=3
|win_CAN=1|draw_CAN=3|loss_CAN=1|gf_CAN=6|ga_CAN=6
|win_CUB=1|draw_CUB=2|loss_CUB=2|gf_CUB=4|ga_CUB=8
|win_HAI=0|draw_HAI=2|loss_HAI=3|gf_HAI=2|ga_HAI=9

|col_A=#ccffcc|text_A=
|result1=A|result2=A
|update=complete|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/conca81.html RSSSF]
}}

'''Honduras''' and '''El Salvador''' qualified for the [[1982 FIFA World Cup]].

{{football box
|date = 1 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|MEX}}
|score = 4–0
|team2 = {{fb|CUB}}
|goals1 = [[Ricardo Castro (Mexican footballer)|Castro]] {{goal|18}}<br />[[Hugo Sánchez|H. Sánchez]] {{goal|43||50}}<br />[[Manuel Manzo|Manzo]] {{goal|53}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 40,720
|referee = [[Rómulo Méndez|Méndez Molina]] ([[Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala|Guatemala]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 2 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|CAN}}
|score = 1–0
|team2 = {{fb|SLV}}
|goals1 = [[Mike Stojanović|Stojanovic]] {{goal|90}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 31,570
|referee = Pagano Trucios ([[Federación Peruana de Fútbol|Peru]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 3 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HON|1949}}
|score = 4–0
|team2 = {{fb|HAI|1964}}
|goals1 = [[David Buezo|Buezo]] {{goal|35}}<br />[[Jorge Elvir Urquia|Urquia]] {{goal|40}}<br />[[Eduardo Laing|Laing]] {{goal|64}}<br />[[José Roberto Figueroa|Figueroa]] {{goal|75}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 45,386
|referee = Aragao ([[Brazilian Football Confederation|Brazil]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 6 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HAI|1964}}
|score = 1–1
|team2 = {{fb|CAN}}
|goals1 = [[Gerald Romulas|Romulas]] {{goal|34}}
|goals2 = [[Mike Stojanović|Stojanovic]] {{goal|50}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 33,237
|referee = Gracias Regalado ([[Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala|Guatemala]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 6 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|MEX}}
|score = 0–1
|team2 = {{fb|SLV}}
|goals2 = [[Ever Hernández|Hernández]] {{goal|81}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 33,237
|referee = Aragao ([[Brazilian Football Confederation|Brazil]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 8 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HON|1949}}
|score = 2–0
|team2 = {{fb|CUB}}
|goals1 = [[David Buezo|Buezo]] {{goal|36}}<br />[[Anthony Costly|Costly]] {{goal|69}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 33,876
|referee = [[Luis Paulino Siles|Siles Calderón]] ([[Federación Costarricense de Fútbol|Costa&nbsp;Rica]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 11 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|SLV}}
|score = 0–0
|team2 = {{fb|CUB}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 22,774
|referee = [[David Socha|Socha]] ([[United States Soccer Federation|United States]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 11 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|MEX}}
|score = 1–1
|team2 = {{fb|HAI|1964}}
|goals1 = [[Hugo Sánchez|H. Sánchez]] {{goal|87}}
|goals2 = [[Daniel Cadet|Cadet]] {{goal|47}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 22,774
|referee = Pagano Trucios ([[Federación Peruana de Fútbol|Peru]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 12 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HON|1949}}
|score = 2–1
|team2 = {{fb|CAN}}
|goals1 = [[Carlos Orlando Caballero|Caballero]] {{goal|12}}<br />[[José Roberto Figueroa|Figueroa]] {{goal|40}}
|goals2 = [[Ian Bridge|Bridge]] {{goal|19}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 38,953
|referee = [[Rómulo Méndez|Méndez Molina]] ([[Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala|Guatemala]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 15 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HAI|1964}}
|score = 0–2
|team2 = {{fb|CUB}}
|goals2 = [[Frantz Mathieu|Mathieu]] {{goal|55|o.g.}}<br />[[Ramón Núñez (Cuban footballer)|Núñez]] {{goal|90}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 22,396
|referee = Bijlhout ([[Surinaamse Voetbal Bond|Suriname]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 15 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|MEX}}
|score = 1–1
|team2 = {{fb|CAN}}
|goals1 = [[Ricardo Castro (Mexican footballer)|Castro]] {{goal|29}}
|goals2 = [[Ian Bridge|Bridge]] {{goal|57}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 22,395
|referee = [[David Socha|Socha]] ([[United States Soccer Federation|United States]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 16 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HON|1949}}
|score = 0–0
|team2 = {{fb|SLV}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 39,882
|referee = [[Luis Paulino Siles|Siles Calderón]] ([[Federación Costarricense de Fútbol|Costa&nbsp;Rica]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 19 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HAI|1964}}
|score = 0–1
|team2 = {{fb|SLV}}
|goals2 = [[Norberto Huezo|Huezo]] {{goal|18|pen.}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 16,826
|referee = Downer ([[Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation|Trinidad&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tobago]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 21 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|CUB}}
|score = 2–2
|team2 = {{fb|CAN}}
|goals1 = [[Ramón Núñez (Cuban footballer)|Núñez]] {{goal|2}}<br />[[Jorge Luis Rodríguez|Rodríguez]] {{goal|74}}
|goals2 = [[Wes McLeod|McLeod]] {{goal|48}}<br />[[Bob Iarusci|Iarusci]] {{goal|84}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 16,458
|referee = Pagano Trucios ([[Federación Peruana de Fútbol|Peru]])
}}
----
{{football box
|date = 22 November 1981
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HON|1949}}
|score = 0–0
|team2 = {{fb|MEX}}
|location = [[Tegucigalpa]], Honduras
|stadium = [[Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés|Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino]]
|attendance = 50,000
|referee = [[David Socha|Socha]] ([[United States Soccer Federation|United States]])
}}

{{winners|fb|1981 CONCACAF Championship winners|Honduras|First|1949}}

==Goalscorers==

;3 goals
{{colbegin|colwidth=18em}}
*{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Hugo Sánchez]]
{{colend}}

;2 goals
{{colbegin|colwidth=18em}}
*{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Ian Bridge]]
*{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Mike Stojanović]]
*{{flagicon|CUB}} [[Ramón Núñez (Cuban footballer)|Ramón Núñez]]
*{{flagicon|HON|1949}} [[David Buezo]]
*{{flagicon|HON|1949}} [[José Roberto Figueroa]]
*{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Ricardo Castro (Mexican footballer)|Ricardo Castro]]
{{colend}}

;1 goal
{{colbegin|colwidth=18em}}
*{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Bob Iarusci]]
*{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Wes McLeod]]
*{{flagicon|CUB}} [[Jorge Luis Rodríguez]]
*{{flagicon|SLV}} [[Ever Hernández]]
*{{flagicon|SLV}} [[Norberto Huezo]]
*{{flagicon|HAI|1964}} [[Daniel Cadet]]
*{{flagicon|HAI|1964}} [[Gerald Romulas]]
*{{flagicon|HON|1949}} [[Anthony Costly]]
*{{flagicon|HON|1949}} [[Carlos Orlando Caballero]]
*{{flagicon|HON|1949}} [[Eduardo Laing]]
*{{flagicon|HON|1949}} [[Jorge Elvir Urquia]]
*{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Manuel Manzo]]
{{colend}}

;1 own goal
*{{flagicon|HAI|1964}} [[Frantz Mathieu]] (playing against [[Cuba national football team|Cuba]])

== Team of the Tournament ==
Source:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Torneo Premundial Honduras 1981 (VIII Campeonato de Naciones (NORCECA) CONCACAF) |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/conca81det.html |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ideal XI by [[RSSSF]]
!Goalkeeper
!Defenders
!Midfielders
!Forwards
|-
|{{Flagicon|SLV}} [[Luis Guevara Mora]]
|{{Flagicon|CAN}} [[Ian Bridge]]
{{Flagicon|SLV}} [[Francisco Osorto]]

{{Flagicon|HON|variant=1949}} [[Efraín Gutiérrez]]

{{Flagicon|HON|variant=1949}} [[Jaime Villegas]]
|{{Flagicon|SLV|variant=1964}} [[Norberto Huezo]]
{{Flagicon|HON|variant=1949}} [[Ramón Maradiaga]]
|{{Flagicon|CUB}} [[Ramón Núñez (Cuban footballer)|Ramón Núñez]]
{{Flagicon|HON|variant=1949}} [[Carlos Caballero (Honduran footballer)|Carlos Caballero]]

{{Flagicon|HON|variant=1949}} [[José Figueroa (footballer)|José Figueroa]]

{{Flagicon|MEX|variant=1964}} [[Hugo Sánchez]]
|}

==Notes==
To date, this is the last time that Mexico failed to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. (Mexico did not appear in the [[1990 FIFA World Cup]] as they were banned in light of a [[Cachirules|scandal]] in which they used overage players in a youth tournament.)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/conca81.html]

{{CONCACAF Championship}}
{{1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Concacaf Championship}}
[[Category:1981 CONCACAF Championship| ]]
[[Category:1981 in CONCACAF football|Championship]]
[[Category:1982 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
[[Category:CONCACAF Championship|1981]]
[[Category:International association football competitions hosted by Honduras|1981]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|1981]]
[[Category:1981 in Cuban sport|football]]
[[Category:1981–82 in Mexican football]]
[[Category:1981–82 in Salvadoran football]]
[[Category:1981–82 in Honduran football]]
[[Category:1981 in Canadian soccer]]
[[Category:November 1981 sports events in North America]]
[[Category:Football competitions in Tegucigalpa]]
[[Category:20th century in Tegucigalpa]]