CONCACAF News Thread

[Deeks]

I can't see if you are a host and then asking for you to qualify. Plain stupidity of the highest order.

[asylumseeker]

LeBlanc named head of CONCACAF women's football
TSN

Former Canadian international goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc has been named to the new position of head, women’s football for CONCACAF.

The announcement was made at the 33rd CONCACAF Ordinary Congress which was held in Moscow ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup which begins on Thursday.

LeBlanc made 110 appearances for Canada during her career that began in 1998.

The 38-year-old participated in three Pan-Am Games, two Olympics and five FIFA World Cups for Canada and was a member of the 2012 bronze medal winning team at the London Games.

LeBlanc will begin her new role for CONCACAF on August 1.

View video here.

[asylumseeker]

This was the agenda of the 33rd CONCACAF Ordinary Congress held on Monday, June 11. Note especially the section on Finance.

[asylumseeker]

Announcement by the Barbados Football Association of a change in phone number.

[asylumseeker]

Concacaf U-15 Girls’ Championship hosts successful referee development event
CONCACAF

Each year, the Concacaf Under-15 Championship offers an opportunity to evaluate Member Association prospective FIFA Referee Candidates for the upcoming year, and for the 2018 edition, approximately 60 match officials from across the region traveled to Florida to undergo evaluation and training from FIFA Instructors.

Once again showing why it is one of the leaders in world football in regards to referee development, Concacaf successfully hosted a training event focused on FIFA Referee and Assistant Referee prospects for 2019 this past week at the Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship, played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

In addition, through the UEFA Assist program, for the first time, two female UEFA referee trios and a UEFA FIFA Instructor participated in the third edition of the championship, which is conducted every two years. UEFA’s initiative provides assistance to other confederations and their member associations in order to develop and strengthen football across the globe.

Each year, the Concacaf competition offers a unique opportunity to evaluate Member Association prospective FIFA Referee Candidates for the upcoming year, and for the 2018 edition, approximately 60 match officials (proposed by 19 different Member Associations) traveled to Florida to undergo evaluation and training from FIFA Instructors.

The evaluation is critical to improving the performance of referees as it involves officiating a minimum of two matches that are observed by Concacaf Elite Assessors and instructors. More importantly, the match officials partake in daily debrief sessions focused on examining the intricacies of the game and improving performances, which gives referees more tools to manage games at their local level.

UEFA was represented by a trio of referees from Serbia and Spain, as well as Dagmar Damkova, who is an ex-FIFA referee, FIFA Referee Committed member, UEFA Referee Committee member and a FIFA Instructor.

In order to simulate FIFA and Concacaf senior tournaments, the referees also attended daily fitness and recovery sessions that were led by FIFA Instructors Peter Prendergast, Michelle Pye, Leonel Leal, Alan Brown, and Damkova. These sessions provide the basis for technical training that expose the referees and assistant referees to game-like situations.

Brian Hall, Concacaf’s Director of Refereeing, highlighted the importance of the work put in by these referees during the tournament:

“Not only are the Concacaf U-15 Championships important for the growth of football players, coaches, and Member Associations, but the tournament serves a vital role in the development of referees.

First, the opportunity for Member Association referees to officiate teams from outside their region and area is important. They are exposed to different styles of play and different football cultures. This exposure grows their football understanding and strengthens their refereeing foundation.

For many, this is the first time they have refereed a game outside their country and in an environment where they must earn the respect of the teams and players because they are an unknown to them. 

Second, when you have such a diverse group of officials, they have the opportunity to observe how referees from other countries work. This provides a good benchmark for them and a fantastic opportunity to learn from the work of their colleagues and peers.

And, finally, the weeklong exposure to world-class instructors and daily in-depth analysis of match situations provides coaching moments like no other.”

The partnership with the UEFA Refereeing Department also enhanced the tournament from a quality of refereeing perspective as well as a cultural perspective. The value of the experience for UEFA and FIFA Referee Instructor Damkova, from the Czech Republic, did not go unnoticed:

“This championship was a great opportunity for the referees to show how they work, to demonstrate their attitude to refereeing, and receive training that will help them achieve excellence. It was also an opportunity to see the work with Concacaf referees and to be able compare it to what we are doing at UEFA. The opportunity to share ideas and knowledge was invaluable. I fully support this kind of project and am willing to help and share my experience any time. It was an honor to be here and I hope I will soon see some of the officials as FIFA referees in the near future.”

To conclude their respective participations at the U-15 Girls’ Championship, each Member Association, Head of Refereeing, and participating referee will submit a feedback form to provide a basis for future training and development at the local level.

[asylumseeker]

Concacaf opens new HQ in downtown Miami
By Michael Johnson, SportsProMedia

Concacaf, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has officially inaugurated its new headquarters in downtown Miami.

On Thursday, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the new office, which is located at the 3 MiamiCentral building. City mayor Francis Suarez and Fifa president Gianni Infantino were both in attendance, along with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani and the confederation’s general secretary, Philippe Moggio.

“The opening of our new headquarters in Miami, Florida is quite significant for our Concacaf family, not only for the support it provides to our 41 member associations, but what is also important, it is the evidence of how Concacaf is moving forward,” said Montagliani.

“It underpins the great work we are doing across the confederation and the journey that we have taken to grow football in this city and across the region.”

A Concacaf statement said the new office, which now houses over 50 employees, would offer the body’s 41 member associations and other key stakeholders ‘a more centralised location, easier access to a major transit hub as well as other resources to support the organisation’s growth and drive efficient business operations.’

Concacaf’s decision to relocate its headquarters comes as the body’s leadership continues to work to overhaul its image after a succession of damaging corruption scandals involving former top executives.

Concacaf’s old headquarters were located in the Cayman Islands, home of Montagliani’s disgraced predecessor Jeffrey Webb, and, prior to that, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in a building owned by another disgraced former president, Jack Warner.

Last year, Concacaf opened a new regional office in Kingston, Jamaica, while the organisation also operates a Central American hub in Guatemala City. The confederation has long had an administrative office in Miami Beach.

Speaking this week, Infantino said the opening of the new downtown headquarters “represents a new chapter of football” in the Concacaf region.

[soccerman]

So Concacaf headquarters was once in T&T and we f that up too....the US I'm sure is all to happy to have it located in Miami.

[asylumseeker]

BFA to benefit from partnership with Argentines
BFA

The Barbados Football Association (BFA) on Wednesday scored its biggest goal for the year after a meeting with the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio Tapia.

President of the BFA Randy Harris and Argentine Ambassador to Barbados Gustavo Martinez Pandiani, made a courtesy call on Tapia at the AFA’s Buenos Aries headquarters.

The meeting was scheduled as part of the itinerary of the Barbados Under-17 national team delegation, currently  on a week-long visit at Boca Juniors, one of Argentina’s most famous clubs.

Following a short closed door meeting, Tapia said it was  the starting point of a great relationship.

“This is a very important meeting for our association. I think is a starting point for the cooperation of the two associations. We will contribute the resources that we have to the Federation of Barbados not only in sports but also in cultural terms,” he pledged.

Harris said he was “over the moon” about the news.

“Obviously, we will have access to the Argentine facilities. There will be some exchanges of players. There will also be assistance in technical development and equipment. Most of all, we will see a number of Argentine players coming to play in Barbados, and teams from Barbados getting the opportunity to play in Argentina,” he said.

Tapia is set to visit Barbados next year to make the partnership between the two countries official.

“I was especially proud that he agreed to come to Barbados to sign an agreement with the Barbados Football Association, so that we can make our agreement together official,” Harris added, smiling broadly.

Harris also met on Tuesday evening at the San Martin Palace in Buenos Aires with Ambassador Undersecretary of Foreign Policy, Gustavo Zlaurineu, and Ambassador Secretary of Coordination and External Planning Ernesto Gaspari, along with Pandiani, all from the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Relations and Worship.

“The meeting was on the cooperation of sports, especially football, and how Barbados and Argentina can work together. Argentina is ready to help us with football and we are ready to help Argentina with cricket,”  he said.

Additionally, Harris, who is also president of the Caribbean Football Union, said he would explore the possibility of the region’s support for the joint bid by Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to host the 2030 World Cup.

Tapia, who took over as AFA president in March 2017, said he was confident they would win the bid against Morocco, England and a joint bid among Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece to bring the World Cup back home on its 100th anniversary. Official voting is scheduled for 2022.

“If we win the bid, it will mean a lot of big opportunities,” he said.

“History will continue, as we celebrated the first World Cup in 1930 in Uraguay, so the opportunity is historic for us. I am very proud for South America to bring the Cup after 100 years to our shores. It is going to be an experience for life.

“We will also have the opportunity to pay respect to our people and the infrastructure in the three countries in terms of stadia and facilities,” Tapia added.

Harris meets Argentine Foreign Ministry Officials during Buenos Aires Visit
BFA

BFA President Randolph Harris got the opportunity to meet and have discussions with members of the Argentine Foreign Relations and Worship during his trip with the U17 national team in Buenos Aires.

The meeting with Mr. Gustavo Zlaurineu, Ambassador Undersecretary of Foreign Policy and Mr. Ernesto Gaspari, Ambassador Secretary of Coordination and External Planning was organized by Mr Gustavo Pandiani, Argentine Ambassador to Barbados and took place at the San Martin Palace yesterday.

The heads discussed strengthening relations and possible opportunities for further collaboration between Barbados and Argentina with regards to football.

The meeting comes as part of a week-long camp which began on Sunday at the Boca Juniors facility in Argentina for the Barbados U17 Boys national team which was facilitated by the Argentine Embassy in Barbados and the Barbados Football Association. The team returns to Barbados on Saturday.

[asylumseeker]

Under 17s give solid performance versus Argentina
BFA

After three days of intense training, the Barbados Football Association Under-17 national team were able to prove they are ready for any challenge.

The Bajan Tridents were able to hold their own following a friendly against the Argentina Under-17 team at the  Argentine Predio Ezeiza's football facility earlier today.
The match was the culmination of three days of rigorous training by Mario Pobernsik, assistant coach of the Boca Juniors Under-20 team.

While they lost 2-0 to their hosts, it was not for lack of trying, as the youngsters pushed back against their opponents in the pouring rain; playing in not so perfect conditions and a temperature of 20 degrees.

With head coach Renaldo "Pee Wee" Gilkes shouting instructions from the sidelines, the local lads were able to give a superb performance, led by captain Roshon "Speedy" Gittens.

In the first half, Barbados were able to keep pace with their opponents for the first 30 minutes, before a moment of hesitation by goalkeeper Brandon Sumpter saw the Argentines pocket a rocket to take the lead.

As the second half continued, the fleet footed Argentines swapped out their entire starting 11, putting more pressure on the boys.

In the end it was not to be, as a costly error in passing saw the opponent taking advantage to take the lead 2-0, minutes before the final whistle.

Despite the loss, the Bajan youngsters came off the field all smiles and celebrating with the Argentines.

Gilkes congratulated them on a solid performance, while Pobersnik said he was impressed by the way they managed to hold their own in spite of the extreme weather conditions.

[Deeks]

US U-20 won the tournament and qualify for U-20 WC. Their second straight.

https://sports.yahoo.com/us-u-20-win-concacaf-132342591.html

The U-20 U.S. men’s national team had already clinched a spot in the U-20 World Cup in Poland next summer, but Tab Ramos’ youngsters sealed their second-straight CONCACAF Championship title on Wednesday.

Get ready to see a few of these players in USMNT squads in the months and years to come.

The young Yanks beat Mexico 2-0 in Bradenton, Florida with Alex Mendez scoring twice with a lovely finish in the first half and then the SC Freiburg product finished off a rapid counter in the second half to seal the win.

Mendez won the Golden Ball at the tournament for the best player and he also had the most goals with eight, while U.S. stopper Brady Scott was awarded the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper. Before the last two tournaments the U.S. had never won the U-20 CONCACAF Championship.

Ramos’ work with these youngsters should not be overlooked, as they’ve now been crowned champs of CONCACAF for the second time on the trot under his tutelage and he’s also led them to four-straight World Cups.

Below you can watch the two goals from Mendez which sealed the title for the youngsters.

[asylumseeker]

Capelli Cup Kick Off Delayed
Barbados Football Association

The inaugural Capelli Super Cup Competition, scheduled to kick off in another five days has been delayed.

That is because the tournament, scheduled to begin on September 1, has been postponed until September 15. This would allow the national team exclusive usage of the Barbados Football Association's (BFA) Wildey facility for their training without interruption. 

As such, the Senior National Team would be locked in preparation for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League Games slated for September 5 and 8.

Additionally, the Bajan Tridents are scheduled to play a friendly match against St Kitts and Nevis, which is set to coincide with the opening of the Super Cup Competition and would serve as the feature game of the night.

Twenty-five of the island’s best football clubs, drawn into six groups, would descend on the BFA's Wildey Turf, to prove who is the fittest and will walk away with bragging rights, the Cup and the grand prize of $50 000.

Furthermore, the Most Valuable Player and a lucky fan will drive home a brand new Hyundai vehicle at the end of the eight-week competition.

The Cup is being funded by the world’s football governing body FIFA, through its FIFA Forward 2.0 programme and the BFA aims to rekindle the spirit of the the game which has been heading south for some time.

President Randy Harris said to return interest to both players and fans alike, they thought to host a special tournament for the island’s top footballers during the offseason would do just that.

“This was only made possible through FIFA and its support for the Caribbean. They are responsible for our facility and without them, there was no other financial assistance to make that possible. That is how important FIFA is to us in the Caribbean,” he said.

And according to Harris, who is also the head of the Caribbean Football Union, the tournament would replace the now-defunct David Thompson Memorial Constituency Council Football Classic and the LIME Pelican Football Challenge.

“We now think the BFA can fill that gap and do it better,” he said.

Meanwhile, FIFA’s Regional Office Development Manager, Marlon Glean who heads the office based in Barbados, said: “It is a very momentous occasion for football in Barbados. I believe this competition will relaunch the interest and the development of football on the island. FIFA is keen and excited to partner with the Barbados Football Association to support such a worthy venture.

"We see this competition growing from strength to strength. Once this competition kicks off I am very confident that we will see a renewed interest in football and its development.”

 

Capelli Cup Teams

Group A: Weymouth Wales, Brittons Hill, Silver Sands, Technique, Central League Spartans

Group B: Paradise, Youth Milan, Wotton FC, Fitts Village.

Group C: UWI Blackbirds, Porey Spring, Pride of Gall Hill, Pinelands.

Group D: Notre Dame, Ellerton FC, Deacons FC, Villa United.

Group E: Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme, Barbados Soccer Academy, Blackspurs, Kickstart.

Group F: Empire, St Andrew Lions, Whitehall

[asylumseeker]

There's that "Capelli" word again.

[Deeks]

Did our team ear capelli in the last 2 games?

[soccerman]

Did our team ear capelli in the last 2 games?

Nope!

[maxg]

There's that "Capelli" word again.

Maybe Capelli said “Caribbean country “, TTFA assumed we, blank Joma, they meant BFA. If Joma held a grudge, we mighta run out naked..mighta be more entertaining for the ladies, and for awhile the world woulda be talking about we in football - something many waggonist crave. 

[asylumseeker]

There's that "Capelli" word again.

Maybe Capelli said “Caribbean country “, TTFA assumed we, blank Joma, they meant BFA. If Joma held a grudge, we mighta run out naked..mighta be more entertaining for the ladies, and for awhile the world woulda be talking about we in football - something many waggonist crave. 

Barbados is wearing Capelli. You encouraged me to look closely. And the upcoming tournament is advertised as the Capelli Super Cup ... although the article above doesn't explicitly say any thing else about Capelli's role. Yet, it notes that the Cup is being
"funded by the world’s football governing body FIFA, through its FIFA Forward 2.0 programme."

The Cup runs for 8 weeks and seems to have sort of an Ascension feel to it in flavor.

Whatever ... we in the Caribbean could real run short-term bashment projects ... longer-term ventures transform from bashment into bacchanal.

[Trini _2026]

Ollie Norburn called up by Grenada
By Lewis Cox | Shrewsbury Town FC | Published: Nov 9, 2019 | Last Updated: Nov 10, 2019

https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/football/shrewsbury-town-fc/2019/11/09/ollie-norburn-called-up-by-grenada/

Shrewsbury Town midfielder Ollie Norburn has become the third Shrewsbury Town player called up to international football by Grenada.

The Town skipper joins club team-mates Omar Beckles and Aaron Pierre with the Spice Boys for the coming week's international break.

Grenada have Concacaf Nations League group clashes against St Kitts & Nevis and Belize to confirm their place in the 2021 Gold Cup.

Bolton-born midfielder Norburn qualifies for the Caribbean nation through his grandfather. He is Town's third international, meaning next weekend's League One clash at Doncaster was postponed.

Sam Ricketts said: "Grenada have called up Ollie Norburn. We obviously have a few players who qualify for Grenada.

"They've been hinting and talks have been going on for a long time but this time they've called Ollie Norburn up.

"It's something he's keen to do, especially now they're so close to qualifying. I'm delighted for all of them."

Town defender Ro-Shaun Williams also qualifies for Grenada, who are on the verge of making their first Gold Cup tournament – which will go ahead in 2021 – since 2011.

Midfielder Sean Goss, who was born in Germany, is being monitored by Northern Ireland, of whom he has descent through his grandparents, for a possible call up.

[asylumseeker]

CONCACAF B License Coaching Course attracts 17
Barbados Football Association





At the end of this week [last week], the Barbados Football Association (BFA) will have 17 more ‘B’ License coaches.

This after they complete the third pilot of the program, which will encompass theoretical and practical sessions, put on by Concacaf’s Coaching Education Program.

First Vice-President of the FA, Captain Al Walcott, told the cadre of coaches this morning, during the opening ceremony held at the Barbados Olympic Association, that this course was all in keeping with the KPAs of the BFA’s Strategic Plan.

“One of the key KPA’s (Key Priority Areas) we had for our strategic plan was coaching education. Over the years we have developed starting with the ‘D’ License. Through Concacaf, Barbados took the lead with the ‘C’ License and now we are here with the ‘B’ License, which as the TD (Technical Director) mentioned, we believe is a significant step towards the development of football in Barbados, and even in the region as the courses are done throughout the Concacaf region,” he said.

Captain Walcott also advised the coaches not to just do the course and celebrate passing by putting the certificate on the shelf, but to display what they learnt in the different clubs and at the national level should they become a part of that team.

Using a quote from American author Brian Herbert, Captain Walcott told the coaches: “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice. The capacity to learn is a gift, so we all should have a gift of learning. The ability to learn is a skill, and skills are there for every one of us and we develop skills. Skills are like muscles; if you don’t develop it, then it will get weak and wasted. And the willingness to learn is a choice. Your willingness to learn is your choice for this week, but you never stop learning as a coach; you never stop learning as a practitioner; you never stop learning as an individual in the specific skill or specific discipline that you are pursuing,” he said. 

“Put the best effort forward for Barbados’ football, for club football and even maybe someday you would be sitting here to deal with the regional development of coaches to help football across the region grow in Concacaf and the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) arena,” he added.

General Secretary of the BFA, Edwyn Wood, said the ‘B’ License was a continuation of the BFA's quest to ensure that Barbados had a cadre of qualified coaches.

“We are fortunate to be granted the second of Concacaf's 'B' License Courses ever. A few years ago when Concacaf introduced its licensing program, we pushed for as many courses that we can which now puts us in a prime position to benefit when the new and more advanced ones arrive.

“We have over 100 ‘D’ License coaches and close to 40 ‘C’ License coaches on the island. This will be a tremendous benefit to how our future footballers are trained, and how well the country as a whole does in football,” he said.

Technical Director of the Association, Ahmed Mohamed implored the coaches to continue on the path to developing the game in Barbados together.

“When I started here in Barbados, my main goal was to develop football. Without developing the coaches, you cannot develop football. This part here to me is one of the most important parts of being a coach. A ‘B’ License means for me . . . the first part of the professional football. Everybody has enough experience, everybody has enough qualifications. The 17 coaches that I selected mean that I am going to work with you all hand in hand towards the Premier League, the Women’s League, Youth Elite and National Program. I would love to see some of you getting some contracts outside of Barbados as well, but this is your football; carry this in your heart and be a good coach,” he advised.

[asylumseeker]

New technical centre ready to allow more than 1000 kids to enjoy football in Honduras
FIFA

*New 7-a-side artificial turf pitch inaugurated at the Estadio Infantil FENAFUTH
*U-8, U-10 and U-12 leagues will be able to regularly use the new facility
*Complex dedicated to youth football allows players to play in ideal conditions

The horizon looks bright for the future of football in Tegucigalpa, the mountainous Honduran capital of 1.2 million inhabitants, where players are now able to enjoy training at a brand new youth football stadium, financed by the FIFA Forward Development Programme. The new facility will allow them to enjoy football in the best conditions, bringing more quality of play in a country where football is more than just a game.

Adjacent to the stadium of Birichiche in Tegucigalpa, the new facility will be managed by the National Autonomous Federation of Football in Honduras (FENAFUTH). The purpose behind the new infrastructure is to allow U-8, U-10 and U-12 leagues to play their championships on a regular basis at a sporting complex dedicated to youth football.

The FENAFUTH aims to organise championships, events and tournaments to promote grassroots and youth football in the country. More than 700 matches will be played in the Estadio Infantil FENAFUTH yearly and more than 1000 kids will profit from football and its benefits for their personal and sporting development.

The Estadio Infantil FENAFUTH includes seats for 164 spectators who will be able to enjoy football in the best conditions – including at night or when it rains. A roof and accessibility ramps are also part of this technical centre that will allow clubs, supporters and players to live the football experience at its fullest: dressing rooms, floodlights, medical room, administrative offices, public toilets and parking slots are all part of this Estadio Infantil.

Last week, the new 7-a-side artificial pitch funded with the support of the FIFA Forward Programme, was officially inaugurated in the Honduran capital in the presence of FIFA’s Jair Bertoni, MA Director for the Americas and Jose Rodriguez, Development Manager along with representatives of the FENAFUTH and the government.

The leading project promoters, who were attending the ceremony, were all delighted to witness the conclusion of many years of commitment emerging from the ground. The inauguration of the facility crystallises the strong commitment of FIFA and FENAFUTH to provide stadiums and quality pitches in the Central American country.

The new technical centre is also expected to bring more young players into the game, creating the perfect environment to identify the talents of tomorrow. Having not only a social purpose, the new installation is expected to bring more quality on the pitch by creating optimal and safer conditions for all players. This will undoubtedly boost children’s performances and guarantee ideal training settings, generating results and allowing the beneficiaries to keep enjoying their favourite sport.

Jorge Salomón Ochiena, FENAFUTH President

"It will be a great joy to watch more than 2000 children playing weekly on this pitch, enjoying the best sport in the world, running through this artificial grass smiling, enjoying and learning how to play. This facility is key, as it will allow us to organise courses and seminars for coaches and referees and that will be a fundamental help for their technical training.

"It is a very beautiful and operational facility in a city topographically difficult as is Tegucigalpa. Thanks to FIFA, its president Gianni Infantino, Jair Bertoni and José Rodríguez for this great collaboration with football in Honduras.

"The work in infrastructure continues with the remodelling of the building for national teams in Siguatepeque, accompanied by a FIFAQualityPro pitch, that we hope is finished by the month of January."

Jair Bertoni, Director of FIFA Member Associations Americas subdivision

"This beautiful scenario will offer better conditions to boys and girls at different ages, which is good for integral development in Honduras, to then reach the elite and maintain the practice and passion for football.

"FIFA has always enthusiastically trusted the Federation in the work carried out by President Salomón and his Secretary General José Mejía, we work with them a lot to improve and continue professionalising the structure of the Federation and Honduran football and we have full confidence in these good people, hardworking and passionate about football.

"Certainly, we do not have projects of this nature in the Americas, which is my geographical responsibility and neither in Central America, and it is true that this type of project is very functional and helps the kids a lot when they start kicking the ball."

José Ernesto Mejía, General Secretary FENAFUTH

"We are very happy to develop this project, to inaugurate it on this date, as it will benefit more than 2000 children who played in dirt fields and now they can play football on a suitable pitch.

"We thank FIFA Forward and FIFA for accompanying the vision of a the FENAFUTH that puts its effort to grow our football in an integral way with appropriate scenarios."

Jorge Jimenez, Director of Development, FENAFUTH

"This project fills us with pride for its quality, for the way it was conceived, for how it was finished and because it is a work that will mark the course of Tegucigalpa's kids and the future of Honduran football."

Fabian Coito, Technical Director, Honduras National Team

"While watching the inauguration I thought about how to congratulate all those people who made this project possible. These people believed in that dream of giving grassroots football the conditions to boost football. I also thought about everything that kids would win, not only because one day they might become professional footballers and fulfil the dream that every kid has but also for believing in sport as an educator for young people and teenagers that will shape their values and personality.

"I want to congratulate everyone who was responsible and all those kids who are going to enjoy a space to play on this beautiful pitch. Take advantage of it, enjoy and play as you dream. The true essence of this is to play until one day maybe you do it so well that make this sport your livelihood."

[asylumseeker]

FIFA President inaugurates FIFA Forward-funded infrastructure in El Salvador
FIFA.com





Concluding a three-day tour of Caribbean and Central American countries, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Concacaf President and FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani today took part in the XVIII Central American Football Union (UNCAF) Ordinary Congress in El Salvador. The visit was also marked by a meeting with the State President and the inauguration of a new residency for El Salvador national teams, 'Villa Selecta'.

The UNCAF Congress was an opportunity for President Infantino to exchange with all the regional football leaders on the progress of the game in Central America.

“The 7 UNCAF Member Associations are doing great progress in the development of our game, with a clear vision and direction, in a region where football represents so much for the people," said Infantino. "The regional association is making best use of the FIFA Forward funds allocated to all such associations around the world by investing in the organisation of competitions at all levels, for boys and girls, and I can only congratulate them for their serious work and encourage them to do even more in the future, together with FIFA and Concacaf."

Following the Congress, the FIFA President attended the inauguration of the new Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) residency for national teams, which was funded through FIFA’s Forward programme. The new facility provides ideal conditions for the national teams' commitments and allows for the possibility of hosting four squads at the same time.

“Villa Selecta is a very good example of an essential infrastructure that is missing in several of our member associations," Infantino added. "The FIFA Forward financing is helping them to solve this problem and I have to say I am impressed by the quality of the project that FESFUT put together here in San Salvador.”

At the conclusion of his visit, President Infantino met with El Salvador President Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez. The two leaders shared views and experiences on the key role football can play in terms of education and inclusion by conveying values critical to young people, particularly in countries like El Salvador that have suffered the impact of violence in society.

[asylumseeker]

U.S. Soccer Federation’s Struggles Deepen
By Rachel Bachman, The Wall Street Journal

More than two years have passed since the U.S. men’s soccer team lost to Trinidad and Tobago, failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and sending the U.S. Soccer Federation tumbling into turmoil.

The team has a new coach. The federation has a new president. But the fractured foundation that precipitated that loss hasn’t been repaired.

U.S. Soccer has been operating for more than a year without knowing who its next CEO will be. The brother of the U.S. men’s coach, who is the chief commercial officer for the federation, is reported to be a candidate to be the next CEO and in recent years has weighed in on decision-making about soccer staffing usually left to technical experts or coaches, a prominent former player and coach says.

Many of U.S. Soccer’s youth national team coaches and technical staff have left and haven’t been replaced, leaving a void that could have long-term effects on the U.S. men’s and women’s senior national teams. The men’s team starts qualifying for the 2022 World Cup next year.

“We need a national team that performs right now. We need a federation that’s healthy and viable and people feel good about, and that’s a struggle right now,” said United Soccer Coaches CEO Lynn Berling-Manuel. She leads the group that represents 30,000 coaches at all levels and is an associate member of U.S. Soccer.

Being without a CEO is “perhaps the fundamental error,” Berling-Manuel said. “That’s tough for any company. Staff is complaining bitterly because no one will make a decision about anything.”

The U.S. men finished 11-5-2 in 2019, with 10 wins coming against teams ranked below 50th in the world. In October, the Americans lost to Canada for the first time in 34 years. Average attendance for men’s home games dropped 43% from 2015, the team’s last year after a World Cup.

U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart emphasized the youth of the men’s national team and noted that U.S. men’s coach Gregg Berhalter has been in place only a year. Stewart added, “We feel that we are moving in the right direction.”

The team’s shaky results have called attention to the fact that Berhalter’s older brother is Jay Berhalter, the federation’s chief commercial and strategy officer. Jay also is widely reported to be a leading candidate to become U.S. Soccer’s CEO, which former employees say would worsen the appearance of a conflict of interest.

U.S. Soccer spokesman Neil Buethe, responding for federation officials including Jay Berhalter, declined to comment on any CEO candidates but said the search has been “incredibly thorough,” and that the federation aims to make a decision in coming months.

Longtime U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn, who indicated more than a year ago he was planning to leave the position, departed in September.

Buethe said there were no conflicts of interest in having brothers serving in two of the federation’s highest-ranking positions because Jay Berhalter has nothing to do with the technical department.

But Jay Berhalter has played a broader role behind the scenes than his job title suggests, according to Tab Ramos, a prominent former U.S. men’s national team player who left U.S. Soccer in October to become head coach of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo.

Ramos, who coached U.S. Soccer’s Under-20 men’s national team to unprecedented success, said that Jay Berhalter often waded into matters of soccer staffing.

“For anyone who’s worked at U.S. Soccer the last four or five years, it was clear that the technical message was coming from Jay Berhalter,” Ramos said.

At a meeting about three years ago in Chicago, Ramos recalled, he said he wanted to establish a goalkeeping program for the youth national teams, which Ramos oversaw as youth technical director. Berhalter pushed back, he said.

“He said, ‘Why would we need a goalkeeping program more than a forwards program?’” Ramos said. “I was really surprised that someone that doesn’t have the technical knowledge could be involved in the decision-making of technical people.”

Buethe said that Jay Berhalter, starting in 2014, was involved in helping the federation craft a strategic plan to improve the sporting development programs but that Stewart now oversees all technical aspects of the organization.

U.S. Soccer has seen some successes since the fateful October 2017 loss that hastened the departure of federation president Sunil Gulati.

Carlos Cordeiro, elected U.S. Soccer president in early 2018, helped bring home the U.S.’s 2026 World Cup joint bid with Canada and Mexico. The U.S. women last summer won their fourth World Cup and played a five-game victory tour before adoring fans (though that team also is suing the federation for pay discrimination).

Also, U.S. Soccer has created an anonymous hotline that lets employees report suspected ethics or policy violations by federation staff, and hired a consulting firm to survey employees about their concerns. U.S. Soccer made the moves in the wake of scathing online reviews of its workplace atmosphere that appeared earlier this year.

On the field, U.S. Soccer’s youth national team coaching departures have left critical talent pipelines with a patchwork of leadership. Most of the head coaches of the 14 men’s and women’s age-group youth national teams have left in recent years and many haven’t been replaced.

A pivotal juncture came in 2018, when U.S. Soccer leaders issued an edict: Coaches had to live in Chicago, where U.S. Soccer is based, or risk not having their contracts renewed.

Dave van den Bergh, who coached several youth national teams during nine years with U.S. Soccer, said he left the federation earlier this year after being told he had to relocate from his home outside Fort Worth, Texas.

“I immediately said, ‘That’s not going to happen,’” said van den Bergh, now an assistant coach with MLS’s New England Revolution. “First off, I don’t see the benefit, because we’re never there. There’s no field in Chicago. For six months of the year, you can’t be in Chicago because of the weather.”

Buethe said that having coaches in one location improves communication, efficiency and mutual understanding.

April Heinrichs, a former U.S. women’s national team head coach and player, was U.S. Soccer’s women’s youth technical director overseeing all women’s youth national teams before leaving in 2018. Four women’s youth national team head coaches also left that year.

“I think it has to be a concern for our community that we haven’t replaced youth national team coaches since March of 2018,” Heinrichs said.

[lefty]

Not football related but does CONCACAF still maintain office space or an actual physical presence in trinidad, specifically 113 edward street, thanks

[asylumseeker]

Cindy Parlow Cone wins re-election as U. S.  Soccer vice-president
By Paul  Kennedy, Soccer America Daily

Cindy Parlow Cone was re-elected to a full four-year term as U.S. Soccer vice president, defeating John Motta, the U.S. Adult Soccer Association chairman, in a vote of the National Council on Saturday at the Annual General Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Parlow Cone won with almost 74 percent of the weighted vote in her first contested election. She won election without opposition as vice president in 2019, filling the vacancy left when Carlos Cordeiro was elected U.S. Soccer president in 2018. At the time, she did not commit to seeking re-election.

Parlow Cone won one world championship and two Olympic gold medals during her national team career and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2018. She is the first athlete with international experience to serve in an elected position since the late Werner Fricker, a midfielder for the USA when it attempted to qualify for the 1964 Olympics, was president, and she is the first woman to be elected vice president.

She has had many years of experience with the federation, serving on the Athlete Council in one form or another for almost a quarter century. Her close ties to the Athlete Council, who holds 20 percent of the vote, gives her considerable political clout. In the last year, she has served on U.S. Soccer's Youth Task Force.

"It has been an honor to serve as your vice president, and I look forward to continuing the work of growing the game, creating better environments for all and eliminating barriers to access over the next four years," Parlow Cone said in a statement. "I am excited to continue our work in the game from the grassroots to the international level and am passionate about building bridges that will serve the game, our players, coaches and referees as well as our members."

Motta, a Dunkin franchise owner, was elected USASA president in 2014, He had previously served two years (1998-2000) as U.S. Soccer vice president after defeating Sunil Gulati by a vote of 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent.

He has been involved in soccer for more than three decades, beginning at the New Hampshire State Association.

[asylumseeker]

Cindy Parlow Cone wins re-election as U. S.  Soccer vice-president
By Paul  Kennedy, Soccer America Daily

Cindy Parlow Cone was re-elected to a full four-year term as U.S. Soccer vice president, defeating John Motta, the U.S. Adult Soccer Association chairman, in a vote of the National Council on Saturday at the Annual General Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Parlow Cone won with almost 74 percent of the weighted vote in her first contested election. She won election without opposition as vice president in 2019, filling the vacancy left when Carlos Cordeiro was elected U.S. Soccer president in 2018. At the time, she did not commit to seeking re-election.

Parlow Cone won one world championship and two Olympic gold medals during her national team career and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2018. She is the first athlete with international experience to serve in an elected position since the late Werner Fricker, a midfielder for the USA when it attempted to qualify for the 1964 Olympics, was president, and she is the first woman to be elected vice president.

She has had many years of experience with the federation, serving on the Athlete Council in one form or another for almost a quarter century. Her close ties to the Athlete Council, who holds 20 percent of the vote, gives her considerable political clout. In the last year, she has served on U.S. Soccer's Youth Task Force.

"It has been an honor to serve as your vice president, and I look forward to continuing the work of growing the game, creating better environments for all and eliminating barriers to access over the next four years," Parlow Cone said in a statement. "I am excited to continue our work in the game from the grassroots to the international level and am passionate about building bridges that will serve the game, our players, coaches and referees as well as our members."

Motta, a Dunkin franchise owner, was elected USASA president in 2014, He had previously served two years (1998-2000) as U.S. Soccer vice president after defeating Sunil Gulati by a vote of 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent.

He has been involved in soccer for more than three decades, beginning at the New Hampshire State Association.

When this occurred I thought it foreshadowed or anticipated Parlow's ascendancy to the presidential seat and so it has come to pass.  It wasn't hard to connect the prospective dots.

[asylumseeker]

Barring a significant change in the political winds, Mexico's second division is about to become extinct. That being the case, some teams in the division are making inquiries regarding being absorbed into the top flight. The proposed "replacement" is a U-23 league.

[Tiresais]

What a moronic and short-sighted decision that would be. If they're financially struggling, the solution isn't the gut their worth and point, but to bring them closer to the community, cut expenses (even if that means moving to semi-pro or amateur) and focus on the game. This will make Mexico weaker - look at how important the lower leagues are in Spain, Italy, Germany and England for developing talent. I have always believe it has held back the US as well - how many NT players have plied their trade in the mostly pointless lower US leagues? Without promotion and relegation clubs stagnate and lose their purpose - they have a nice safety cushion without threat and where bad management is seldom punished. Look at what happened to the TT Pro League - anyone remember when St. Ann's Rangers played kids all season?

[asylumseeker]

There has been a series of discussions that culminated in a 8-4 vote, but which initially was 7-5 in favour of terminating the season.

The aborting of the season has made convenient discussions regarding what the future looks like. I would describe the situation as fluid. As alluded to above, it effectively positions Mexico to do away with relegation and promotion (which is why I posted here rather than on the COVID thread, due to the long term implications and decision-making). Thing is, FIFA has policy that frowns on not having a division that conduces promotion (yes, I've heard of the MLS). The conversation is political, commercial, cultural and personal. And, it still has wings.

The four teams not in favor are the team based in Merida, a team in Tamaulipas, one from Guadalajara and another in Zacatecas. Two of the teams bear university affiliations. Unsurprisingly, the view in this camp includes the perspective that teams in LigaMX are enthused by the idea of insulating themselves from demotion. I'm sure our friends in the TT Pro League recognize that Pavlovian salivation. 

[asylumseeker]

Panama has released all of its NT coaches due to COVID-19 and its impact on the federation's financial position.

In terms of the medium to longer term, Panama plans to use this period to improve the training/operational compatibility of the age group NTs with the senior team. The profile of the coach they intend to chose is thought of as being younger and less expensive but with a career trajectory that suggests success.

[asylumseeker]

Haiti FA president accused of sexually abusing young female footballers
By Ed Aarons, Romain Molina and Alex Cizmic, The Guardian

The president of the Haitian football federation has been accused of sexually abusing young female footballers at the country’s national training centre.

Yves Jean-Bart, known as “Dadou”, the president of the Fédération Haïtienne De Football (FHF) since 2000, denies accusations that he coerced several players at the Centre Technique National in Croix-des-Bouquets into having sex. The alleged incidents are understood to have taken place within the last five years.

The claims have been made to the Guardian by numerous sources involved with the centre, including alleged victims and their families.

“There is a lady who works there who puts pressure on the girls to have sex with Dadou,” one alleged victim told the Guardian. “He will see a nice girl who is attractive and he sends the lady to tell her that she is going to be thrown out of the centre. She starts crying and then the lady says: ‘The only way to resolve this is to speak to Dadou.’ At that moment, the young girl has no choice but to put up with the sexual abuse.”

Jean-Bart said there had “never been any complaint against the federation, nor against the staff engaged in our academy, nor against my person. This kind of practice of sexual abuse is almost impossible in our camp centre given the physical structures, the principles of education and continuous awareness that we have put in place.”

He said the allegations were “clearly a manoeuvre to destabilise the FHF, the character of the president and his family”.

According to sources in Haiti, several players who have now left the centre were coerced by Jean-Bart into having sex with him, including one who was forced to have an abortion.

“She was put under pressure not to talk,” a former player at the centre said. “Another of our best young players lost her virginity to Dadou when she was 17 in 2018 and also had to abort. These girls who live at the Fifa centre … it’s such a shame because they want to play for the country but if they speak about this situation they will be fired. They are hostages.”

Jean-Bart said: “I would not encourage such practices in Haitian football, much less in the centre which is under my responsibility. If there were such cases, I would encourage the victims to file a complaint with the federation and the judicial authorities of the country. We are ready, at the level of the federation, to support them.”

Another player, one of Haiti’s rising stars who plays professionally, has claimed that a friend of Dadou tried to rape her when she was living at the centre, in a suburb of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

She managed to get away from him and her parents know the situation,” said another source who is close to the player’s family. “But Dadou has tried everything to keep it quiet.”

Another alleged victim said: “I’m so afraid. Dadou Jean-Bart is a very dangerous person. There are a lot of people who want to talk but they’re so afraid, especially for the parents who are still in Haiti.

In reply, Jean-Bart said: “To date, in women’s football in Haiti, where there are generations of players who are now 50 or 60 years old, there has never been, to my knowledge, even suspicions of this kind. Personally I am and I have been a non-violent man. I don’t understand how someone can make me look like an executioner to the point where families would feel intimidated by me.”

The FHF said that it took “such serious allegations very seriously. To date, we have never received any complaints to this effect.”

It added: “Our project is first of all a human project which aims to change the future of young people, to roll back the exclusion through play even if we know that in this country and even in the world some spirits are always at war against the beautiful and the good.”

Players usually move to the centre when they are teenagers, often rescued from a life on the streets. Funded by Fifa’s “Goal” programme to support football development, the centre was described as an opportunity to “level the international playing field” by the former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner when established in 2001. Haiti’s men’s team confounded expectations by reaching the semi-finals of last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, but several witnesses have alleged to the Guardian the facility is in a dilapidated state after years of neglect despite having received up to $6m from Fifa’s “Forward” programme since 2016.

“The last time I set foot there, I wanted to vomit,” said a coach who used to work there regularly. “It is despicable. Ten kids sleep in every room, there are no sheets, no clean toilets. It’s unimaginable. Where did the money go? The federation received millions, and they didn’t even buy sheets.”

The coach added: “This centre is a nightmare. Fifa’s inspectors came, we thought they were going to say something, but it didn’t happen. It’s impossible. How can they say nothing? The young people have no medical monitoring, they eat the same thing every day – rice, pasta, bananas, chicken – drink water that you wouldn’t ever drink and in the meantime the FA officials have their own doctor and organise banquets. It is obscene.”

In response to the allegations of neglect, the FHF’s statement provided a list of new facilities that have been built at the centre, including an air-conditioned apartment block for senior players.

“These are modern and more than decent facilities and all our foreign visitors come out amazed by the beauty of the place and the efforts made by our young people and our managers to keep it very correct,” it said. “We are making a lot of effort to increase the self-esteem of our young people and their supervisors, otherwise they would not have been able to achieve such beautiful feats in the face of the countries of America and the Caribbean, clothing and other needs all year round.”

A Fifa spokesman said the FHF was asked about allegations of sexual abuse at the centre following questions by the Guardian. The Fifa spokesman said the questions were raised by a member of staff from the office of Véron Mosengo-Omba, Fifa’s chief member associations officer.

“Fifa was in contact recently with the Haiti Football Association as part of a general round of contacts with Fifa’s 211 member associations in relation to the current coronavirus pandemic,” said the Fifa spokesman. “The purpose of the call was to inquire about the situation of Haitian football as a consequence of the pandemic. During the conversation, the Fifa representative raised concern about alleged sexual abuses in Haiti and pointed to the dedicated programme and toolkit for member associations – Fifa Guardians – designed to enhance child safeguarding standards within football.”

Jean-Bart received a message of congratulations from Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, when re-elected as president of the FHF for the sixth time in February.

Fifa told the Guardian the FHF had yet to fall in line with its statutes which recommend federation presidents serve a maximum of three terms. “As is currently the case with member associations in other regions around the world, Fifa is in contact with the FHF with a view to review their statutes and incorporating inter-alia good governance standards, including term-limits.”

In response to the allegations of neglect and misuse of funds at the centre, Fifa told the Guardian it is “in discussion with the FHF about the improvements being made at the technical centre. In particular, we have noted that overall conditions and facilities at the centre have improved as a result of funding provided through the Fifa Forward programme and will continue to work with the FHF to ensure the right conditions and football infrastructure are provided for players at the centre.

“Fifa has put in place several measures to monitor and oversee the proper use of funds by confederations and member associations.”

[asylumseeker]

The coach added: “This centre is a nightmare. Fifa’s inspectors came, we thought they were going to say something, but it didn’t happen. It’s impossible. How can they say nothing?

Career sacrifice or Haiti? The scales doh even tip. Not to mention institutional capture and actual tipping.

HoF beware.