1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship

1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship
Name	1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship
Other titles	1991 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup
Country	Haiti
Dates	18–28 April 1991
Champion	USA
Second	CAN
Third	TRI
Fourth	HAI
Matches	16
Goals	85
Top scorer	USA Michelle Akers-Stahl (11 goals)
Prevseason	1990
Nextseason	1993

1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship. The inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Women's Championship was held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 18 to 28 April 1991. It served as the official CONCACAF qualification tournament for the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, the first-ever global championship for women's football. The tournament was won by the United States, who defeated Canada in the final, with both finalists earning berths to the World Cup in China.

Background

The establishment of the tournament was a direct consequence of FIFA's decision to organize the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, needed a mechanism to determine its regional qualifiers. This event followed earlier, unofficial regional competitions like the 1988 CONCACAF Women's Tournament and the 1990 CONCACAF Women's Tournament. The success of the U.S. team at the 1990 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament and the growth of women's football in Canada and Mexico created significant anticipation for the first official championship.

Qualification

Qualification was open to all member associations of CONCACAF. The host nation, Haiti, received an automatic berth. The remaining seven spots were determined through a series of preliminary qualifying matches held within the Caribbean Football Union and the Central American Football Union zones. Notable qualifiers included Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Mexico. The United States and Canada, as the region's dominant powers, received byes to the final tournament.

Venues

All matches were played in two stadiums located in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. The primary venue was the Stade Sylvio Cator, a historic ground that has hosted matches for the Haiti national team and significant events like the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification. The secondary venue was the Parc Levelt, also located within the city. The choice of Haiti as host reflected CONCACAF's efforts to develop the women's game across the entire confederation.

Squads

Each of the eight participating nations named a final squad of players for the tournament. The U.S. squad was led by coach Anson Dorrance and featured stars like Michelle Akers-Stahl, Carin Jennings-Gabarra, and April Heinrichs. Canada was managed by Sylvie Béliveau and included key players such as Geraldine Donnelly and Helen Stoumbos. The host Haiti squad aimed to leverage home advantage, while teams like Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico brought emerging talent to the competition.

Tournament format

The eight teams were divided into two groups of four for the initial group stage. Group A consisted of the United States, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti. Group B featured Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Martinique. The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout semi-finals, with the winners contesting the final and the losers playing a third-place match.

Group stage

In Group A, the United States dominated, defeating Mexico 12–0, Trinidad and Tobago 10–0, and Haiti 10–0. Trinidad and Tobago finished second after a 1–0 win over Mexico and a 4–0 victory against the hosts. In Group B, Canada topped the group with wins over Martinique (6–0), Jamaica (8–0), and Costa Rica (6–0). The host Haiti advanced as runners-up after key results against the other group opponents.

Knockout stage

The semi-finals were played on 26 April 1991. In the first match, the United States comfortably defeated Haiti 10–0 at Stade Sylvio Cator. The second semi-final saw Canada edge Trinidad and Tobago 6–0. The third-place match was contested between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti, with Trinidad and Tobago securing a 4–2 victory to claim the bronze medal.

Final

The championship final was held on 28 April 1991 at Stade Sylvio Cator. The United States faced Canada in a highly anticipated match. The U.S. triumphed with a 5–0 victory, with Michelle Akers-Stahl scoring a hat-trick. The win secured the inaugural title for the Americans and confirmed their status as the premier team in the CONCACAF region heading into the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Results and statistics

The United States were the overwhelming statistical leaders, scoring 49 goals and conceding none throughout the tournament. Michelle Akers-Stahl finished as the top scorer with 11 goals. Canada's Geraldine Donnelly was also among the leading scorers. The tournament successfully fulfilled its primary objective of qualifying the United States and Canada for the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the U.S. would go on to win the inaugural world title.

Category:CONCACAF Women's Championship Category:1991 in association football Category:1991 in Haitian sport Category:International association football competitions hosted by Haiti