Mexico-Cuba highlights opening day of U-20
CONCACAF Under-20 Championship
NEW YORK - Six-time champion Mexico will highlight the first day's play at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, facing Cuba in the second game of an opening day doubleheader.
The schedule released Wednesday for the March 28-April 10 event in Guatemala City has the Cuba-Mexico match following a tournament-starting clash between Canada and Guadeloupe. Suriname will face the United States to begin the second day's play with host Guatemala playing Jamaica in the nightcap.
Defending champion Costa Rica will begin play March 30 against Guadeloupe, followed by Trinidad & Tobago against Caribbean rival Cuba.
Crossover quarterfinals will be start April 5, with the winner of Group C facing the runner-up from Group D and vice versa. Likewise, the winners of Groups A and B will play their counterpart runners-up the following day.
The semifinals are scheduled for April 8 with the championship and third-place game two days later.
The quarterfinals will decide CONCACAF's berths for the Under-20 World Cup, with the four winners qualifying for the July 29-August 20 event in Colombia.
CONCACAF Under-20 Championship
At Guatemala City
Times U.S. Eastern (local time in parentheses)
FIRST ROUND
Group A: Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica
Group B: United States, Panama, Suriname
Group C: Canada, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe
Group D: Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba
Monday, March 28
Canada vs. Guadeloupe, 8 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Cuba vs. Mexico, 10 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Tuesday, March 29
Suriname vs. United States, 8 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Guatemala vs. Jamaica, 10 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Wednesday, March 30
Guadeloupe vs. Costa Rica, 8 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Cuba, 10 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Thursday, March 31
Panama vs. Suriname, 8 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Honduras vs. Jamaica, 10 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Friday, April 1
Costa Rica vs. Canada, 8 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 10 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Saturday, April 2
United States vs. Panama, 6 p.m. (4 p.m.)
Guatemala vs. Honduras, 8 p.m. (6 p.m.)
QUARTERFINALS*
Tuesday, April 5
QF1: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up, 7:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m.)
QF2: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up, 10 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Wednesday, April 6
QF3: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up, 7:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m.)
QF4: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up, 10 p.m. (8 p.m.)
SEMIFINALS*
Friday, April 8
Quarterfinal 1 winner vs. Quarterfinal 2 winner, 4:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m.)
Quarterfinal 3 winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner, 7 p.m. (5 p.m.)
FINALS
Sunday, April 10
Third-Place
Semifinal losers, 3 p.m. (1 p.m.)
Championship
Semifinal winners, 5:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m.)
*Order of matches subject to change