Under-19 girls in tough group

TRINIDAD and Tobago have been drawn in the same group with defending champions United States, in the final CONCACAF women Under-19 final round football qualification series. This tournament is for this year’s FIFA U-19 World Cup. The draw was made at the CONCACAF office in New York, presided over by the organisation’s deputy secretary Ted Howard. National coach Jamal Shabazz’s girls were drawn in Group “B” along with Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and the defending world champs.

And the TT players will meet Costa Rica in their first match of the series on May 28 in Montreal. Hosts Canada are in Group “A” together with Mexico, Panama and Jamaica, The eight-team tournament will be played between May 28 and June 6 at the  Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa; and McGill University Molson Stadium in Montreal, Canada. Top two teams from this series will go on to the 2004 FIFA U-19 World Championship in Bankok, Thailand, between  November 10-27. This marks the second time CONCACAF will be staging this U-19 World Championship qualifying series. The first was in Trinidad and Tobago in 2002.

The groupings: Group “A” -  Canada, Mexico, Panama, Jamaica;
Group “B” -  USA, Costa Rica, Trinidad/Tobago, Dominican Republic
Schedule of Matches:  May 28 - Montreal’s McGill University Molson Stadium: Costa Rica vs Trinidad/Tobago; Canada vs Jamaica.
May 30 - Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic; USA vs Trinidad/Tobago.
June 1 - Trinidad/Tobago vs Dominican Republic; USA vs Costa Rica.
June 4 - Semifinals: Group “B” winners vs Group “A” runners-up; Group “A” winners vs Group “B” runners-up.
May 28 - Ottawa’s Frank Clair Stadium: Mexico vs Panama; USA vs Dominican Republic
May 30 - Ottawa’s Frank Clair Stadium: Mexico vs Jamaica; Canada vs. Panama.
June 1 - Panama vs Jamaica; Canada vs. Mexico
June 6 - Third-Place match; Final.