Jamaica to stage CONCACAF U-17 Final Round Group B
www.concacaf.com 27.4.07 - Jamaica will host the 2007 CONCACAF Under-17 Final Round Qualification Group B from 28 April – 6 May at the National Stadium in Kingston.COMPLETE SCHEDULE
Jamaica, which is staging its second CONCACAF U-17 Final Round event, will play Canada, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago and USA in Group B, from which three teams will progress to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea Republic 2007 from 18 August – 9 September.
Haiti and the hosts, Honduras were the first two CONCACAF representatives to qualify to the FIFA U-17 World Cup after finishing first and second, respectively, in Group A Qualification held at the Tiburcio Carias Andino Stadium in Tegucigalpa from 4-8 April.
SCOUTING THE TEAMS…
CANADA: One of the three North Zone teams that earned a bye into CONCACAF Final Round … Canada was the first CONCACAF nation to host a FIFA Under-16 World Championship in 1987 … The maple leafs would later progress to three more FIFA Tournaments (1989, 1993, 1995) but they have not qualified to an U-17 World Cup in more than a decade … Stephen Hart is in charge of the maple leafs.
COSTA RICA: Claimed one of the two Central American berths to the CONCACAF Final Round after winning the Union Centroamericana de Fútbol (UNCAF) Tournament held in El Salvador … Despite a loss to Panama, Costa Rica defeated Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador during the UNCAF event … The ticos became the first Central American team to compete at the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship in China … Since then Costa Rica has qualified for five more FIFA U-17 World Cups, the most by any Central American nation … Manuel Gerardo Ureña is the coach for the ticos.
JAMAICA: With David Hunt at the helm, Jamaica are hosting their second CONCACAF U-17 Final Round Group … The reggae boyz competed in the CFU Youth Cup last year in Trinidad & Tobago finishing fourth … The reggae boyz have played in nine previous CONCACAF Qualification Tournaments and progressed to their only FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Zealand 1999 … Jamaica was the second Caribbean nation to qualify to a FIFA U-17 World Cup.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Coached by Anton Corneal, Trinidad & Tobago are making their first appearance at the CONCACAF Final Round since 1999 … The soca warriors are competing in their 11th CONCACAF Qualification, which is the most by any Caribbean team, after hosting and finishing third at the CFU Youth Cup last year … Trinidad & Tobago defeated Aruba, Grenada and Guyana in the first round … After tying Barbados and defeating Surinam, the soca warriors lost to the eventual tournament champions Haiti to end the second round … Trinidad & Tobago captured the third-place honour with a victory over Jamaica.
USA: One of the three North Zone teams that earned a bye into CONCACAF Final Round … Is the only CONCACAF team (and globally) to have qualified to all the FIFA U-16/U-17 World Cups (1985-2005) and will be looking to make it 12 consecutive berths in 2007 … The stars & stripes won the inaugural CONCACAF tournament in Trinidad & Tobago 1983 and nine years later, they claimed its second Confederation crown in Cuba … The USA currently have a 16-game unbeaten streak in CONCACAF U-17 Qualification … The stars & stripes are coached by John Hackworth.
CONCACAF All-Time U-16/17 Final Round Tournaments (1983-88 U-16; 1991-Present U-17)
Year – Venue (s) – Champion – (FIFA WC Qualifiers)
1983 – Trinidad & Tobago – USA
1985 – Mexico – Mexico – (Costa Rica, Mexico, USA *)
1987 – Honduras – Mexico – (Canada^, Mexico, USA)
1988 – Cuba – Cuba – (Cuba, Canada, USA)
1991 – Trinidad & Tobago – Mexico – (Cuba, Mexico, USA)
1992 – Cuba – USA – (Canada, Mexico, USA)
1994 – El Salvador – Costa Rica – (Costa Rica, Canada, USA)
1996 – Trinidad & Tobago – Mexico – (Costa Rica, Mexico, USA)
1999 – El Salvador, Jamaica – (Jamaica, Mexico, USA)
2001 – Honduras, USA – (Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago^, USA)
2003 – Canada, Guatemala – (Costa Rica, Mexico, USA)
2005 – Costa Rica, Mexico – (Costa Rica, Mexico, USA)
2007 – Honduras, Jamaica – (Haiti, Honduras, TBD-3)
From 1983-1996, CONCACAF staged eight Under-16/17 Tournaments with a winner being crowned in each. Seven of the CONCACAF tournaments (1985-1996) doubled as qualifiers to the FIFA U-17 World Cups. In 1999, the U-17 CONCACAF event became a Final Round Qualification consisting of two groups, each in a different venue.
* USA progressed to FIFA U-17 World Cup China 1985 as the first CONCACAF U-16 Tournament Champion in 1983
^ FIFA U-17 World Cup Host
