The CONCACAF Giants Cup was an international soccer club competition held in 2001 to replace the CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup. The tournament was organized by CONCACAF for the 12 teams with the highest attendance in their respective national leagues. The winners and runners-up would qualify for the new CONCACAF Clubs Cup, which would serve as a qualification tournament for the FIFA Club World Championship.[1][2] The Giants Cup was announced in November 2000 and planned to be one of the two primary annual club tournaments for CONCACAF alongside the more traditional Champions' Cup.[3]
| Copa de Gigantes | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Dates | March 4 – August 5 |
| Teams | 12 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  América (1st title) |
| Runner-up |  D.C. United |
| 2002 CONCACAF Champions' Cup | América D.C. United |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 27 |
| Goals scored | 54 (2 per match) |
The tournament's semifinals and final were originally scheduled to take place in late April in Los Angeles, but were later postponed to early August to accommodate conflicts with the teams' schedules.[1][4] The prize money for the Giants Cup was set at $50,000 for the winner and $40,000 for the runners-up.[5] Mexico's Club América won 2–0 in the final against D.C. United of the United States at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with 3,127 spectators in attendance.[6] Both teams qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2002, which replaced the Clubs Cup in October 2001.[citation needed]
First round
edit| March 4, 2001 1st leg | Transvaal  | 1–1 |  Arnett Gardens | Paramaribo, Suriname |
| 15:00 | Kijansi  31' |
Neil 63' |
Stadium: André Kamperveen Stadion Referee: Urvin Faneijte (ANT) |
| March 11, 2001 2nd leg | Arnett Gardens | 5–1 (6–2 agg.) | Transvaal | Kingston, Jamaica |
| 15:00 | Reingoud 32' |
Stadium: Tony Spaulding Sports Complex Referee: Mervin Lee (ATG) |
Arnett Gardens qualified for the quarterfinals.
| March 7, 2001 1st leg | Alianza  | 1–5 |  Saprissa | San Salvador, El Salvador |
| 12:00 | Larrea 45' |
Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán Referee: Hugo Castillo (GUA) |
| March 9, 2001 2nd leg | Saprissa | 0–0 (5–1 agg.) | Alianza | San Juan de Tibás, Costa Rica |
| 20:00 | Stadium: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá Referee: Marcio Carranza (HON) |
Saprissa qualified for the quarterfinals.
| March 7, 2001 1st leg | Águila | 1–3 |  Municipal | San Miguel, El Salvador |
| 15:00 | Sampaio 72' |
Stadium: Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza Referee: Roberto Moreno (PAN) |
| March 14, 2001 2nd leg | Municipal | 1–1 (4–2 agg.) | Águila | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| 20:00 | Martins 19' |
Ponciano 74' |
Stadium: Estadio Mateo Flores Referee: Vivian Rodríguez (HON) |
Municipal qualified for the quarterfinals.
| March 7, 2001 1st leg | Comunicaciones | 4–0 |  Motagua | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| 20:00 | Stadium: Estadio Mateo Flores Referee: Olger Mejía (CRC) |
| March 14, 2001 2nd leg | Motagua | 1–1 (1–5 agg.) | Comunicaciones | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| 19:30 | Carballo 42' |
Machón 15' |
Stadium: Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino Referee: Neftalí Recinos (SLV) |
Comunicaciones qualified for the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals
edit| Arnett Gardens | 0–3 | D.C. United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
D.C. United won 5–1 on aggregate.
Comunicaciones won 4–2 on aggregate.
América won 3–1 on aggregate.
Saprissa won 3–1 on aggregate.
Semifinals
edit| D.C. United | 2–1 | Comunicaciones |
|---|---|---|
| Report | García 22' |
Final
edit| Club América | 2–0 | D.C. United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Champion
edit| CONCACAF Giants Cup 2001 Winners |
|---|
 América First title |
Top goalscorers
edit- Jorge Toledano (América) – 3 goals
- Martín Machón (Comunicaciones) – 3 goals
- Walter Centeno (Saprissa) – 2 goals
- Rolando Fonseca (Saprissa) – 2 goals
- Raúl Díaz Arce (D.C. United) – 2 goals
References
edit- ^ a b Goff, Steven (February 17, 2001). "United's Ammann To Return Monday". The Washington Post. p. D3. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Two M.L.S. Teams Invited to Event". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 17, 2001. p. D7. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Grahame L. (August 2, 2001). "The Giants Cup Is a Bigger Joke". Los Angeles Times. p. D3. Retrieved November 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Goff, Steven (April 5, 2001). "United Wins in Jamaica". The Washington Post. p. D2. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Goff, Steven (April 11, 2001). "United Takes Time For the Giants Cup". The Washington Post. p. D2. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Jones, Grahame L. (August 6, 2001). "Club America Beats D.C. United to Win Giants Cup Event". Los Angeles Times. p. B6. Retrieved November 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jones, Grahame L. (August 4, 2001). "Lisi's Goal Clinches Victory". Los Angeles Times. p. D9. Retrieved November 18, 2024.