2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship

[Tallman]

2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship Will be Played in Dallas and Houston
ussoccer.com

The United States will host the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship from Feb. 10-21 in Dallas and Houston.

The two venues for the competition are BBVA Compass Stadium, home to the Houston Dash of the NWSL and the Houston Dynamo of MLS, and Toyota Stadium, home to FC Dallas of MLS, which is located in the Dallas suburb of Frisco.

The tournament will feature eight nations divided into two groups of four, with the top two finishers in each group after round-robin play advancing to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinal matches qualify for the Olympics.

Ticketing information for the competition will be announced in the near future.

The United States will be in Group A and will play all of its group matches in Frisco. The round-robin stage of the tournament will be conducted with three doubleheaders in each group. Group A will play doubleheaders at Toyota Stadium on Feb. 10, 13 and 15 and Group B will play doubleheaders at BBVA Compass Stadium on Feb. 11, 14 and 16. The all-important semifinal matches will be on Feb. 19 in Houston with the championship game on Feb. 21, also in Houston.

The top two finishers in the tournament will qualify for the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament that will run from Aug. 3-20 in six Brazilian cities including the host city of Rio de Janeiro.

"The Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship is a tremendous platform for our brightest stars on the women’s stage," said CONCACAF Acting General Secretary Ted Howard. "At CONCACAF we take pride in the quality of our women’s football, and look forward to following our teams on their path to Rio.”

The eight participating nations will include host United States as well Canada and Mexico, which get automatic berths into the tournament. Those three countries will be joined by three nations from the Caribbean region and two from Central America, with qualifiers in those regions beginning in late September.

“We’re excited to host this event at two excellent venues and look forward to some entertaining matches in what will be the first tournament competition for our team since the Women’s World Cup,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “The quality of women’s soccer in CONCACAF continues to improve during every cycle and we expect that to be the case once again over the 15 matches in Texas.”

The final tournament schedule and kick-off times will be set following the qualifying tournaments in Central America and the Caribbean.

2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship Schedule

Date	Event	Location
Feb. 10, 2016	Group A Doubleheader	Frisco, Texas
Feb. 11, 2016	Group B Doubleheader	Houston, Texas
Feb. 13, 2016	Group A Doubleheader	Frisco, Texas
Feb. 14, 2016	Group B Doubleheader	Houston, Texas
Feb. 15, 2016	Group A Doubleheader	Frisco, Texas
Feb. 16, 2016	Group B Doubleheader	Houston, Texas
Feb. 19, 2016	Semifinal Doubleheader	Houston, Texas
Feb. 21, 2016	Final	Houston, Texas

[Flex]

USA’s Waldrum set to return as Women Soca Warriors prepare for Olympics.
By Nigel Simon (Guardian).

USA-born Randy Waldrum is expected to return to T&T soon for a third stint as head coach of the Women’s Soca Warriors as they look ahead to the Caribbean Football Union opening round of the Women’s Olympic Qualifiers for Rio de Janeiro, next year.

The T&T women are expected to kick off Caribbean Football Union Women’s Olympic qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda, Cayman Islands and St Lucia in Group Two next week, at the end of which the top team along with the other group winners One (Aruba, Grenada, Haiti, Puerto Rico); Three (Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Suriname) and Four (Cuba, Guyana, St Kitts/Nevis) will advance to next year’s Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship from February 10-21 in the USA.

The top two finishers in the tournament will qualify for the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament that will run from August 3-20 in six Brazilian cities including the host city of Rio de Janeiro.

Speaking at a T&T Football Association media conference called to relaunch the “Soca Warriors” and give updates on a number of activities planned, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, VIP Lounge on Friday, T&TFA president Raymond Tim Kee confirmed that Waldrum will be back in charge of the team.

The current coach of US National Women’s Soccer League Houston Dynamo, Waldrum was last in charge of the T&T women’s team for this year’s Canada World Cup qualifiers, in which T&T fell at the last hurdle, losing 1-0 at home to Ecuador in their playoff tie, after a 0-0 away deadlock. He was expected to be at the helm of the T&T women’s team for the recently concluded Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada as well but he failed to come to a suitable agreement with the T&TFA due to his commitments with his US women’s club.

However, with the NWSL season coming to a close within the few two weeks, and his team still five points out of a playoff spot, the 53-year-old American has committed himself to serving as coach for the Maylee Attin-Johnson-captained Women Soca Warriors once more.

A few months ago, Tim Kee, when questioned about Waldrum not being re-appointed as coach of the Women’s Soca Warriors team, had explained that the team had two major tournaments around the corner and the T&TFA did not had the luxury of time to wait on him.

Following a few weeks of searching and training under Under-20 women’s coach Jason Spence, former national goalkeeper and Defence Force coach Ross Russell were appointed on an interim basis to coach of the women’s team for the Pan American Games in Canada, where the T&T women drew 2-2 with Argentina and 1-1 with Colombia, before losing to Mexico 3-1 in their final round-robin group match and failing to make the semifinal playoffs.

On returning home, Russell was hired as coach of reigning Digicel T&T Pro League and Caribbean Football Union Club champions, Central FC, which again left the national women’s team without a coach, until Waldrum was again appointed, and according to Tim Kee, when both men last spoke over a week ago, the American was ready to come on board as soon as possible.

In explaining the return of Waldrum as team coach, Tim Kee noted that contrary to what some may say, the women’s arm of T&T football has been very active. “Russell was filling a void left by Randy Waldrum who had to be excused because of his commitments for a tournament in the USA.

“He had to ask for a sort of sabbatical for the last few months to attend to some of that business and as case would have it Ross Russell has been appointed as a coach for of our clubs teams locally, therefore that void that was created will now be refilled by Randy Waldrum”, stated Tim Kee. “He is expected to be in a few days to commence training and clinics for our senior women’s team as they prepare for Olympic qualification.”

[asylumseeker]

Saw that coming. "Houston" and we have lift-off.

[mcruic]

Trinidad & Tobago hosting Cayman Islands, Saint Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda on 21, 23 and 25 August in their first step towards Rio 2016.  Pretty much no news anywhere, from CONCACAF, CFU or TTFA.  FIFA also does not know where the matches will be played.  I can't understand why Olympic Qualifiers aren't better covered.

Should be 3 straight wins for T&T, anyway.

Does anybody have any clue where the matches will be held?  Not sure how TTFA expect people to turn up to support the team if they don't release any details before the matches begin.  Only 3 days away...

[de_redman]

wait? This is only 3 days away? ridiculous!

[Flex]

wait? This is only 3 days away? ridiculous!

Date change

August 26-Sept 2 in St Lucia

[mcruic]

Thanks - nothing about this in the news.  Even if it's a week away, still should be some news at least of fixtures or something.  It's the same for all the other groups as well though - Jamaica has nothing about its matches in Dominican Republic.

[Flex]

Women Soca Warriors resume training.
T&T Guardian Reports.

This country’s Women’s Soca Warriors returned to the training field yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in preparation for their Caribbean Football Union Women’s Olympic qualification for Rio de Janeiro 2016 in St Lucia

The T&T women are expected to kick off Caribbean Football Union Women’s Olympic qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda, Cayman Islands and St Lucia in Group Two next week at the end of which the top team along with the other group winners One (Aruba, Grenada, Haiti, Puerto Rico); Three (Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Suriname) and Four (Cuba, Guyana, St Kitts/Nevis) will advance to CFU finals from which three teams qualify to the 2016 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship from February 10-21 in Houston, USA next year.

The national women’s team is being coached for the third time by USA-born Randy Waldrum, who is expected to return to T&T by the weekend, and in the meantime, former national Olympic team player and US-based women’s coach Anthony Creece, who has been appointed assistant and was in charge of the Chancellor Angels during the Women’s Professional League will oversee the team’s preparations.

Former T&T senior men’s goalkeeper Clayton Ince has been named as goalkeeper coach while Claire George is the equipment manager, and Sharon O’Brien as manager while a trainer and physiotherapist will join the team staff soon.

According to manager O’Brien, only 15 players have been invited for training to date and includes Kimika Forbes, Tenesha Palmer, Nicolette Craig, Arin King, Karyn Forbes, Anique Walker, Tasha St Louis, Janine Francois, Dernelle Mascall, Mariah Shade

Ahkeela Mollon, Khadidra Debesette, Khadisha Debesette, Lauryn Hutchinson and Annalis Cummings

O’Brien also disclosed that the fixtures for the tournament have not been confirmed to date by CFU while at the eight-team Concacaf final round event, the top two finishers in the tournament will qualify for the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament that will run from Aug. 3-20 in six Brazilian cities including the host city of Rio de Janeiro.

The Warriors invited to train are: Kimika Forbes, Tenesha Palmer, Nicolette Craig (goalkeepers), Arin King, Khadisha Debesette, Lauryn Hutchinson, Annalis Cummings (defenders), Karyn Forbes, Khadidra Debesette, Janine Francois, Dernelle Mascall, Tasha St. Louis (midfielders), Anique Walker, Mariah Shade and Ahkeela Mollon (attackers).

Injury List: Maylee Attin-Johnson and star attacker Kennya “Yaya” Cordner.

[mcruic]

Any news of exact dates of matches?  Also, has order of original matches changed since chance of venue? (T&T v Cayman, St. Lucia, Antigua in that order in original draw).

26 August-2 September is 8 days.  These groups are usually held over 5 days, with 2 days in between each set of matches.  Possibly matches are 27, 29, 31 August?

[mcruic]

FULL FIXTURES FOR CARIBBEAN QUALIFICATION
Top 3 CFU teams qualify for the CONCACAF Final Round in USA next year.

Group 1, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
21 Aug - Haiti v Aruba
21 Aug - Puerto Rico v Grenada
23 Aug - Haiti v Grenada
23 Aug - Puerto Rico v Aruba
25 Aug - Grenada v Aruba
25 Aug - Puerto Rico v Haiti

Group 2, Castries, Saint Lucia
28 Aug - Trinidad & Tobago v Antigua & Barbuda
28 Aug - Saint Lucia v Cayman Islands
30 Aug - Trinidad & Tobago v Cayman Islands
30 Aug - Saint Lucia v Antigua & Barbuda
01 Sep - Antigua & Barbuda v Cayman Islands
01 Sep - Saint Lucia v Trinidad & Tobago

Group 3, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
21 Aug Dominican Republic v Dominica
23 Aug Dominican Republic v Jamaica
25 Aug Jamaica v Dominica
Note: Suriname withdrew

Group 4, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic (*Note, Groups 3 and 4 played at same venue)
21 Aug Guyana v Saint Kitts & Nevis
23 Aug Cuba v Guyana
25 Aug Cuba v Saint Kitts & Nevis

CFU - Final Round
02 Oct Winner Group 1 v Winner Group 4 (Winner qualifies for CONCACAF Final Round)
02 Oct Winner Group 2 v Winner Group 3 (Winner qualifies for CONCACAF Final Round)

04 Oct Loser Match 1 v Loser Match 2 (Winner qualifies for CONCACAF Final Round)
04 Oct Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2

So, it looks like Haiti v Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago v Jamaica in the semi-finals.

If T&T lose to Jamaica, then they would most likely face Cuba for their last chance at a place in the CONCACAF final round.

[Soccer 19]

So, it looks like Haiti v Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago v Jamaica in the semi-finals.

Don't Discount Guyana from group 4 although they have been inactive internationally at the senior level for quite a while. The team is comprised of mostly players from the Toronto , Ontario , Canada area. I would say 98% are from the Toronto area. They all play in a women's provincial league (highest in Ontario) and many play on the same team so even though Guyana has been unofficially quiet the majority of the players are playing year round. They are my dark horse to move to round 2.


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[Tallman]

[Sando prince]

Give it your best Women Warriors! We want to see allyuh in Rio

[asylumseeker]

Caribbean Zone Women's Olympic Qualifying Results
CFU

The Caribbean Football Union's Women's Olympic qualifying kicked off with Groups 1, 3 and 4 starting the action on August 21st.

GROUP 1, Puerto Rico
Aruba 0 - 14 Haiti
(Batchera Louis 32', 45', 80', 89', 90'; Sherly Jeudy 40', 41', 53'; Nerilia Mondesir 48', 58', 65', 75'(PK), 76', 91').

Puerto Rico 12 - 0 Grenada
(Socarass Karina 10', 13', 65', 87', 89', 91'; Mendez Annie Lee 23'; Martinez Majory 62', 72', 76'; Pagan Selimar 64', Rodrigez Nicole 69').

http://www.fedefutbolpr.com/impresionan-nuestras-olimpicas-en-solida-victoria/

GROUP 3, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic 11 - 0 Dominica*
(Yaqueisi Nunez 7', 74'; Betzaida Ubri 32', 40', 53', 55', Winiban Peralta 57', Paloma Perez 65', 73'; Donisha Xavier, own goal)

* CFU missed a goal scored by Winibian Peralta.
Note: The DR introduced a 15 year old GK as a substitute for skipper, Isairis Minaya.

GROUP 4, Dominican Republic
St. Kitts and Nevis 0 - 8 Guyana
(Otesha Charles 23', 35', 46'; Mariam El-Masri 51'; Kayla Desouza 65'; Lalaigh Copland 76'; Alison Heydorn 85'; Olivia Gonsalves 87').

[asylumseeker]

Busby set for rare opportunity to play international soccer
By Daniel Allar (Evansville Courier & Press).



University of Evansville goalkeeper Simone Busby couldn’t pass up what she called “a one-in-a-lifetime chance,” even if it meant missing the first two games of her senior season.

Busby flies to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday to compete with the Guyana national soccer team as it looks to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Guyana will play St. Kitts and Nevis on Friday and Cuba on Sunday.

Guyana is part of Group 4 of the CONCACAF qualifier, with the group winner advancing to the CONCACAF women’s championship in the United States in January.

“It’s almost crazy to think that this is an opportunity that I have,” Busby said Tuesday. “I’m very excited — and now it’s kind of setting in now that I’m packing — that it’s real and it’s going to happen.”

A two-time Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year at Evansville, Busby previously played for the Guyana under-20 team when she was a senior in high school. Her maternal grandparents are from the coastal South American nation east of Venezuela.

Busby made the senior national team after participating in a training camp in Guyana in July. Soccer in the country is still developing, Busby said.

“It’s in the stages where funds really aren’t coming in,” she said. “Really, every chance that we get we have to try to make the most of it and really take women’s soccer in Guyana one step further. This is definitely a chance for us to bring some pride to that country and get the ball rolling for younger girls and anyone else interesting in playing soccer in Guyana.”

Busby will miss the Aces’ first two-regular season matches — at home against Xavier and Tennessee-Martin. Junior Whitney Biggs will fill in between the posts.

“You just have to be ready to step forward and put in a good performance whenever your number’s called, so obviously for (Biggs) it’s going to be on Day 1,” Evansville coach Krista McKendree said. “I’m expecting her to step up to the task from the first whistle and do a good job.”

In McKendree’s eight seasons as head coach, UE has had one active player play on an age-group national team. But Busby will be the first to play on a senior national team.

“It’s a very exciting chance for her to get to play at the international level,” McKendree said. “It’s not something that happens to a lot of the people, so for that part of it, it’s good. And also the confidence that she’s going to be able to bring back from this trip is going to be able to help our team.”

Said Busby: “It definitely adds to it being at an international level, but I’m going to try to keep a level mind going into it and know that it’s just soccer. ... It’s a one-in-a-lifetime chance. I didn’t want to get to October and think, ‘Man, I wish I would’ve done that.’”

[asylumseeker]

Matches scheduled for Sunday, August 23

GROUP 1
Haiti v Grenada @ 4:00pm
Puerto Rico v Aruba @ 6:30pm

GROUP 3
Dominican Republic v. Jamaica @ 4:30pm

GROUP 4
Guyana v Cuba @ 2:00pm

Matches scheduled for Tuesday, August 25

GROUP 1
Grenada v Aruba @ 5:00pm
Puerto Rico v Haiti @ 8:00pm

GROUP 3
Dominica v. Jamaica @ 4:30pm

GROUP 4
St. Kitts-Nevis v Cuba @ 2:00pm

[asylumseeker]

Matches scheduled for Sunday, August 23
...
GROUP 4
Guyana v Cuba @ 2:00pm
...

According to a Dominican Republic federation report, this match ended as a 1-1 draw. The report indicates that, to advance, Cuba needs to defeat St. Kitts-Nevis by more than 8 goals. Otherwise, Guyana advances.

[asylumseeker]

Matches scheduled for Sunday, August 23

GROUP 3
Dominican Republic v. Jamaica @ 4:30pm

Second half play has resumed. Jamaica leads 2-0.

Update: Ended 6-0.

[asylumseeker]

Matches scheduled for Sunday, August 23

GROUP 1
Haiti v Grenada @ 4:00pm
Puerto Rico v Aruba @ 6:30pm

Haiti won 13-0. Puerto Rico prevailed 9-0.

Puerto Rico's task now is to defeat Haiti.

[asylumseeker]

Matches scheduled for Tuesday, August 25

GROUP 1
Grenada v Aruba @ 5:00pm
Puerto Rico v Haiti @ 8:00pm

GROUP 3
Dominica v. Jamaica @ 4:30pm

GROUP 4
St. Kitts-Nevis v Cuba @ 2:00pm

Suspected this would happen: Despite needing only a tie to advance, Haiti lost to Puerto Rico.

http://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/futbol/nota/pasaninvictaslasboricuasalafinaldelcaribe-2091045/

Grenada 2-0 Aruba
Puerto Rico 3-2 Haiti

Dominica 0-12 Jamaica
http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/sport/WOMEN-S-OLYMPIC-QUALIFIER--Merciless-Girlz-demolish-Dominica-12-0

Despite defeating St. Kitts-Nevis, Cuba could not muster the number of goals they needed to advance. As such, Guyana moves on to the next stage.

St. Kitts-Nevis 0-6 Cuba.

[Michael-j]

Matches scheduled for Tuesday, August 25

GROUP 1
Grenada v Aruba @ 5:00pm
Puerto Rico v Haiti @ 8:00pm

GROUP 3
Dominica v. Jamaica @ 4:30pm

GROUP 4
St. Kitts-Nevis v Cuba @ 2:00pm

Suspected this would happen: Despite needing only a tie to advance, Haiti lost to Puerto Rico.

http://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/futbol/nota/pasaninvictaslasboricuasalafinaldelcaribe-2091045/

Grenada 2-0 Aruba
Puerto Rico 3-2 Haiti

Dominica 0-12 Jamaica
http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/sport/WOMEN-S-OLYMPIC-QUALIFIER--Merciless-Girlz-demolish-Dominica-12-0

Despite defeating St. Kitts-Nevis, Cuba could not muster the number of goals they needed to advance. As such, Guyana moves on to the next stage.

St. Kitts-Nevis 0-6 Cuba.

I'm surprised that Haiti lost to PR; I didn't see that coming at all. Reminiscent of our shock loss to The Dominican Republic last time around.

[asylumseeker]

...
I'm surprised that Haiti lost to PR; I didn't see that coming at all. Reminiscent of our shock loss to The Dominican Republic last time around.

The times, my friend, are a-changing. Everyone has solicited reinforcements. For instance, the DR has Gladys Loyas who plays D-I ball at NC State.

[asylumseeker]

Winners of Groups 1, 3 and 4 ready for Women’s Olympic Final Round
CFU

Groups 1, 3 and 4 of the 2015 Caribbean Zone of the Women’s Olympic Qualifiers preliminary games have been completed with Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Guyana emerging as the top teams to compete in the Final Round set for October of this year.

Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, the Cayman Islands and St Lucia are the teams in Group 2 that will do battle for the last space left in the final Round from which three teams will advance to compete in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Tournament in 2016.

During the preliminary games played in Group 1 Puerto Rico earned nine points from three games, Haiti six , Grenada three and Aruba nil. In Group 3 Jamaica gained six points from two games, Dominican Republic three and Dominica nil.

Guyana and Cuba ended up with four points each in Group 4 but Guyana had a better goal average than Cuba hence they advance to the final round while St Kitts and Nevis never made it on the points table. The date for the staging of Group 2 will be announced shortly.

[Flex]

Erick gives Women Warriors extra week to prepare.
By Nigel Simon (Guardian).

This country’s Women’s Soca Warriors will have at least an extra week of preparations for their Caribbean Football Union Women’s Olympic Qualifiers in Castries, St Lucia after the T&T Football Association was informed by CFU of a postponement due to the passage of a Tropical Storm Erika through the Lesser Antilles.

The T&T women, who came within a win of appearing at a first ever Fifa Women’s World Cup in Canada earlier this year, but fell at the last hurdle, 1-0 on aggregate to Ecuador in a continental playoff, were due to depart for St Lucia earlier this week for their four-team qualifying tournament which also involves Antigua & Barbuda and Cayman Islands in Group Two.

However, following Tropical Storm Erika’s passing over the last few days, CFU officials are now awaiting word from the St Lucia Football Association as to when and if it can host the qualifiers, before making their decision.

The last qualifying group must be played before the middle of September so that teams can make the necessary arrangements for the CFU Four-Team Women’s Final Round Tournament which will take place during the first week of October.

So far Groups One, Three and Four of the 2015 CFU preliminary round have been completed with Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Guyana emerging as the top teams ahead of the four-team final round from which three teams will advance to compete in the Concacaf  Women’s Olympic Tournament next year.

Yesterday, the national women’s team under the supervision of former national Olympic team midfielder and USA-based women’s coach Anthony Creece continued their preparations at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

The St James-born Creece, a former Fatima College standout was at the helm of the Chancellor Angels during the inaugural Women’s Professional League and has been overseeing the team’s preparations in the absence of US-born Randy Waldrum, who is due to return shortly for a third stint in charge of the squad.

Former T&T senior men’s goalkeeper Clayton Ince has been named as goalkeeper coach while Claire George is the equipment manager, and Sharon O’Brien as manager while a trainer and physiotherapist will join the team staff soon.

[jonny]

Updates about the qualifiers ?

[asylumseeker]

Updates about the qualifiers ?

Good question.

[royal]

Updates about the qualifiers ?

Good question.

[TdotTrini]

Updates about the qualifiers ?

Good question.

These results are from the men world cup qualifying. 

[royal]

Updates about the qualifiers ?

Good question.

These results are from the men world cup qualifying. 

sorry my bad......

[Soccer 19]

Updates about the qualifiers ?

No news on the reschedule yet. I had sent the CFU a message and they responded eloquently to keep watching their web site for updates. The TTFA has heard nothing either , word is its in the St Lucians governments hands to give the green light.
Hope something occurs soon as round two is not that far away and we are losing many young players to school in the states every day round one is postponed.

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