CONCACAF U-20 series kick off in Tobago

The tournament will open today at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago, with El Salvador facing Honduras, which completed the field Monday by beating St Vincent and the Grenadines 3-1 in a playoff.

Opening Group “A” double-header will conclude with the US playing Jamaica.

Group “B” will start the following night at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Tunapuna with Mexico facing Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago taking on Canada. Two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, and also clinch their place in the FIFA U-20 World Cup from September 24-October 16 in Egypt.

The title and third-place matches will cap the championship on March 15. The Americans, who have qualified a CONCACAF record six times for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, arrive this time without a high-profile, sure-to-draw European club scouts-like individual. Mexico, on the other hand, will have to rely on their collection of talent and already established familiarity with one another while adjusting to a change of coaches.

CONCACAF has re-established the tournament as a championship, a move welcomed by American coach Thomas Rongen.

Jamaica come in with the most momentum, having beaten Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada in the weeks leading up to the tournament.