Honduras-Canada, Cuba-USA to open CONCACAF Under-17 Championship
CONCACAF.com
Honduras will play Canada to open the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 21, with Cuba facing the United States later in the day to complete the Group A doubleheader.
The schedule announced Thursday has Mexico highlighting the second day of play on April 22, facing Trinidad & Tobago in the second game of a Group B doubleheader that will open with Guatemala vs. Costa Rica.
The groups will play on alternate days with matches at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the 33,000-capacity Estadio Caliente, the home of Mexican second-division Club Tijuana, ending with Trinidad-Guatemala and Mexico-Costa Rica on April 26.
The semifinals will be played at Estadio Caliente at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, with the third-place match and final the following Saturday.
This will be the first time since 1996 that the CONCACAF U-17 event will be played at a single venue to determine a champion. The tournament will qualify four teams for the U-17 World Cup in Nigeria October 24-November 15.
The United States has never failed to qualify for the U-17 World Cup, the only nation in the world to play in all 12 championships. It won the CONCACAF championship twice when it was contested, one less than Mexico, which has qualified for eight World Cups and won the FIFA event in 2005.
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, April 21
Honduras vs. Canada, 1:30 p.m.
Cuba vs. USA, 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22
Guatemala vs. Costa Rica, 1:30 p.m.
Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 23
Honduras vs. Cuba, 1:30 p.m.
USA vs. Canada, 4 p.m.
Friday, April 24
Costa Rica vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 1:30 p.m.
Mexico vs. Guatemala, 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 25
Canada vs. Cuba, 1:30 p.m.
USA vs. Honduras, 4 p.m.
Sunday, April 26
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Guatemala, 1:30 p.m.
Mexico vs. Costa Rica, 4 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, April 29
Semifinal 1, 12:30 p.m.
Semifinal 2, 3:30 p.m.
FINALS
Saturday, May 2
Third-Place Match, 12:30 p.m.
Championship, 3:30 p.m.
