2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in South Korea

[Tobago28]

These failures are now too much,it appears that our coaches are not capable of identifying the right players for the job in hand,that being the  case,they are of inferior quality.Since we cannot afford men from Europe as coaches,let's look for men from Africa,their players are in the best leagues in Europe,and that has to be something to do with better coaching.Look for coaches from Nigeria,Ghana,Morocco,Senegal and Ivory Coast.I feel they may not be as expensive,and culturally they could be similar as Trinis.
BACK TO AFRICA

Frico

You missing the point, we have the players but the problem is that certain preferred players are associated with Clubs that have a special access that exceeds merit.

If the coaches are free to act based on merit and performance, this team can qualify for the next World Cup.

[Deeks]

Complacency stepped in and  after Haiti game we spoke about trying to avoid that at length

Nah. They eh ready yet. Coach, you have get some better players and go back to the drawing board. The camp to Panama, well commended, was not enough, as seen by the performances. These guys have to improve by leaps and bounds to compete with their peers. Whether is A&B or Mex./US.

[Tobago28]

Deeks and Frico

Some men saying that Brian Williams(BW) can't do what he want because DJW is owner of WC and President of TTFA while BW is WC employee. I give BW much credit for benching Hudson because he did not perform at the level required. I see on wired868 and elsewhere Hudson father attack the coach but BW stood his ground stating that no one is entitled to playing time and he will not tolerate parent meddling. The injury to Dillon and the nonsense from Hudson and his father unsettle the team before the quarterfinal. If you read the article on wired868, it is stated that the senior Hudson was calling other players to complain about the junior Hudson playing time and that he will bring him home if things don't change. Imagine that your father calling your team mates, how bad is that for the team and for his own son?

If BW has the same strength/courage to deal with the #10 and #11 if they do not improve, this team will succeed in Costa Rica. It should not matter whether you play at WC, Prez, Naps, Central FC etc..performance is all that matters.

Frankly, we have the quality, the question is do we have the character within the TTFA and the coaching staff to let those deserving shine.

Time will tell

[elan]

We have a lot to iron out between now and February.

I have beaten this drum before, but I'll beat it again. We play football too slowly, too ponderously. Seems we either don't have, or are no longer interested in selecting, dynamic players who understand the purpose of going 1 v. 1 and how that piece ought to fit into the collective.

On the other hand, I am convinced that our players have another gear. The sole reason I can come up with for them not shifting, is that it is not demanded of them consistently.

In the U20 football I observe, puzzles can't be solved in slow motion.

Can this be that coaches are lacking the international exposure required to demand a more dynamic level of play from players?
Or maybe the lack of preparation that allows players to come up to the international level of play required to succeed on such a stage?

[asylumseeker]

Deeks and Frico

Some men saying that Brian Williams(BW) can't do what he want because DJW is owner of WC and President of TTFA while BW is WC employee. I give BW much credit for benching Hudson because he did not perform at the level required. I see on wired868 and elsewhere Hudson father attack the coach but BW stood his ground stating that no one is entitled to playing time and he will not tolerate parent meddling. The injury to Dillon and the nonsense from Hudson and his father unsettle the team before the quarterfinal. If you read the article on wired868, it is stated that the senior Hudson was calling other players to complain about the junior Hudson playing time and that he will bring him home if things don't change. Imagine that your father calling your team mates, how bad is that for the team and for his own son?

If BW has the same strength/courage to deal with the #10 and #11 if they do not improve, this team will succeed in Costa Rica. It should not matter whether you play at WC, Prez, Naps, Central FC etc..performance is all that matters.

Frankly, we have the quality, the question is do we have the character within the TTFA and the coaching staff to let those deserving shine.

Time will tell

Playing on the international stage provides a free platform on which to be observed by clubs. Sitting on the bench merely points to possible quality. Our players have fewer chances to be assessed abroad than their regional counterparts. Based on BW's denial of injury to the player and assertion that the player didn't wish to leave Curacao, the idea that was percolating in my mind (that decisions on career interests over NT interest were at play) has now more or less been cemented.

As for the larger issue of players/parents and withdrawal from the NT, the fix is not a hard one. The policy solutions should be evident.

[asylumseeker]

We have a lot to iron out between now and February.

I have beaten this drum before, but I'll beat it again. We play football too slowly, too ponderously. Seems we either don't have, or are no longer interested in selecting, dynamic players who understand the purpose of going 1 v. 1 and how that piece ought to fit into the collective.

On the other hand, I am convinced that our players have another gear. The sole reason I can come up with for them not shifting, is that it is not demanded of them consistently.

In the U20 football I observe, puzzles can't be solved in slow motion.

Can this be that coaches are lacking the international exposure required to demand a more dynamic level of play from players?
Or maybe the lack of preparation that allows players to come up to the international level of play required to succeed on such a stage?

More deep-seated than lack of preparation (if you mean short-term build-up games). Lack of international exposure? Possibly. However, a coach, despite such exposure, could have a different vision of the game.

Football went through a philosophical period where maintaining possession even if the product was not pretty was emphasized ... and we have local buy-in to that school of thought. "Not pretty" means not doing abstract things as you try to advance the ball. The passing patterns are not complex or intricate. And, players moving off the ball in advance create holes in their own team's structure. So they are encouraged to "stay". If goals are to come, they are to come from rigidity in the lines or set-pieces.

An argument could be made that dynamic players are not "fits" for more static ways of moving the ball, but there comes a point in every match at which NO breaking down of the opponent will occur without dynamic players. Also, if a coach is going to live by what I will call "the static compromise", he better have wicked efficient dead-ball players.

Quotes of Cruyff

"It isn’t the man on the ball who decides where the ball goes, but players without the ball. Their running actions determine the next pass."

and

"I go crazy when I see players standing still on the pitch. To play like that for me is out of the question."

[Tallman]

‘We need to convert more’ says U-20 Captain Jabari Mitchell
TTFA Media

Now that the National Under 20 Men’s Team has returned home following their participation at the Caribbean Football Union Under 20 Championship in Curacao, team captain Jabari Mitchell took some time out to share his views on some factors in the team’s showing.

T&T finished fourth in the championship but more importantly, realised its ambition of qualifying for the CONCACAF Final Round in Costa Rica in February towards the 2017 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in South Korea.

Mitchell minced no words as he pointed out that goalscoring was the team’s major let down.

“I think the biggest challenge for us on the field was turning our good possession and control of the game into goals. We definitely need to improve on our goalscoring as a team,” Mitchell told TTFA Media.

Asked further as to why he felt the team failed to surge ahead of Cuba and Haiti, Mitchell laid the blame on failure to convert goalscoring chances.

“Goalscoring again. In all these games we had a lot of chances but for some reason we weren’t putting them away,”

Defending the Goal

“In first round of the CFU qualifiers. this was a problem for us but the coaches put in a lot of work with us in staying compact and defending as a team and I think we executed well in this aspect,” said Mitchell.

What went wrong against Antigua/Barbuda and Bermuda?

“We had total control of the games against Antigua and Bermuda. However our final pass, final shot and even our final decisions in attack was really off in both games.”

The improvements needed before the Final Round in Costa Rica.

“We need to continue improving on our possession game and capitalizing on goalscoring opportunities because in Concacaf it’s either you nail them or be nailed.”

The players that stepped up

“Everyone gave a 100% effort in Curaçao. The work ethic was good from the team. However, I think the defenders applied their roles well and also Nicholas Dillon in delivering upfront,his presence was really missed after his injury.”

CONCACAF Notes

T&T will join eleven other nations in Costa Rica from February 17th-March 5th. The other qualified teams include hosts Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, United States, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Bermuda, Antigua/Barbuda, Haiti and CFU fifth placed team St Kitts/Nevis.

The two venues for the competition will be the National Stadium in San Jose, and the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium, home to Deportivo Saprissa of the Costa Rican First Division. The date for the draw will be announced shortly.

The twelve (12) teams shall be divided into a group stage consisting of two (2) groups (A, B) of six (6) teams each. The group winners qualify automatically for the Final and the Under 20 World Cup in South Korea.

The second-and third-place teams from each group are re-seeded by group stage results for a playoffs, with the top team of the four facing the fourth-best team, and the second-best finisher facing the third-best. The winners of those two games will also advance to the U-20 World Cup.

[Flex]

T&T U-20 Men Resume preparations for CONCACAF Final stage.
TTFA Media.

The Trinidad and Tobago National Men’s Under 20 Team is set to resume preparations for the CONCACAF Final Round of qualification towards the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in South Korea next year.

Head Coach Brian Williams and his staff will begin with sessions twice a week for the remainder of the year, starting at 4pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Tuesday with a 25-man squad. The overseas-based players were not included due to their respective commitments abroad.

Williams, speaking about the resumption, said plans for the remaining build up were discussed during a meeting with the TTFA Technical Committee on Monday.

“I sat in with the Technical Committee on Monday and we discussed some of our intentions for the upcoming preparations,” Williams told TTFA Media.

“We will resume tomorrow (Tuesday) with sessions twice weekly. The Intercol series is still ongoing so once that is completed, we will have a better idea of the schedule once we enter December into the rest of the year.

“There are plans to have a training camp in Miami and then possibly Brazil before we head to Costa Rica next year for the competition and the TTFA will be doing whatever in its power to try and get the the best preparations possible for the team which I am satisfied about at this point in time.”

Williams is also carded to head to San Jose, Costa Rica for the draw within a couple weeks.

“I will be at the draw and of course we will be hoping for the best possible schedule but at the end of the day we have to be prepared to face whichever opposition is placed in front of us. But once the schedule is drawn up we will have a much better idea with regards to how our preparations will shape up,” Williams noted.

T&T finished second in its group – behind Haiti – which was sufficient to qualify for next year’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship. The other four Caribbean teams qualified for the regional tournament are Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Haiti, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

The 2017 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship will be played in Costa Rica from 18 February to 5 March 2017. The top four teams qualify for Korea 2017.

Out of UEFA, England, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal have already qualified for Korea 2017.

The OFC U-20 Men’s Championship 2016 was played in Vanuatu from 3-17 September. New Zealand and Vanuatu will represent Oceania in Korea.

The AFC U-19 Championship 2016 was played in Bahrain from 13 to 30 October 2016. Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam  have qualified for Korea 2017, joining hosts Korea Republic.

The South American U-20 Championship will be played in Ecuador from 5 to 29 January. 2017. The top four teams qualify for the World Cup. And The Africa U-20 Cup of Nations 2017 will be played in Zambia from 26 February to 12 March 2017. The top four teams qualify for the Under 20 World Cup.

T&T 25-man Squad

Goalkeepers

• Jabari Brice – St Anthony’s College
• Denzil Smith – Shiva Boys Hindu College
• Dejourn Charles – Carapichaima East Sec.
• Jabari Gray – Presentation College San Fernando

Defenders

• Taryk Sampson – Ma Pau Stars
• Shane Sandy – Naparima College
• Keston Julien – Jabloteh FC
• Kori Cupid – W Connection
• Keirron Mason – Marabella Crisis Centre.
• Isaiah Garcia – W Connection
• Rondell Payne – Naparima College
• Kyle Thomas – San Juan North Sec.
• Simeon Bailey – Barataria South Sec.

Midfielders

• Kareem Riley – Presentation College, San Fernando
• Jabari Mitchell – W Connection
• Micah Lansiquot – Murucapo East Secondary
• Moses Jaikeran – Harlem Strikers
• Jesse Joseph – Jabloteh FC
• Rushawn Murphy – Malick Sec.

Forwards

• Nicholas Dillon – Central FC
• Kathon St. Hillaire – St Anthony’s College
• Josh Toussaint – St Ann’s Rangers
• Junior Asson – Shiva Boys Hindu College
• Ronaldo Boyce – San Juan North Sec.
• Nion Lammy – Presentation College, San Fernando

[real madness]

No Hudson. Hope his father is happy.
No Pappy.  Hope that Premier Division title was worth it.
Nice to see Lammy got called up.  Talented guy but needs to be more consistent.
Surprised Lee from Naps was not called up.

[Tobago28]

T&T U-20 MEN RESUME PREPARATIONS FOR CONCACAF FINAL STAGE

The Trinidad and Tobago National Men’s Under 20 Team is set to resume preparations for the CONCACAF Final Round of qualification towards the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in South Korea next year.

Head Coach Brian Williams and his staff will begin with sessions twice a week for the remainder of the year, starting at 4pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Tuesday with a 25-man squad. The overseas-based players were not included due to their respective commitments abroad.

Williams, speaking about the resumption, said plans for the remaining build up were discussed during a meeting with the TTFA Technical Committee on Monday.

“I sat in with the Technical Committee on Monday and we discussed some of our intentions for the upcoming preparations,” Williams told TTFA Media.

“We will resume tomorrow (Tuesday) with sessions twice weekly. The Intercol series is still ongoing so once that is completed, we will have a better idea of the schedule once we enter December into the rest of the year.

“There are plans to have a training camp in Miami and then possibly Brazil before we head to Costa Rica next year for the competition and the TTFA will be doing whatever in its power to try and get the the best preparations possible for the team which I am satisfied about at this point in time.”

Williams is also carded to head to San Jose, Costa Rica for the draw within a couple weeks.

“I will be at the draw and of course we will be hoping for the best possible schedule but at the end of the day we have to be prepared to face whichever opposition is placed in front of us. But once the schedule is drawn up we will have a much better idea with regards to how our preparations will shape up,” Williams noted.

T&T finished second in its group – behind Haiti – which was sufficient to qualify for next year’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship. The other four Caribbean teams qualified for the regional tournament are Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Haiti, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

The 2017 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship will be played in Costa Rica from 18 February to 5 March 2017. The top four teams qualify for Korea 2017.

Out of UEFA, England, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal have already qualified for Korea 2017.

The OFC U-20 Men’s Championship 2016 was played in Vanuatu from 3-17 September. New Zealand and Vanuatu will represent Oceania in Korea.

The AFC U-19 Championship 2016 was played in Bahrain from 13 to 30 October 2016. Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam  have qualified for Korea 2017, joining hosts Korea Republic.

The South American U-20 Championship will be played in Ecuador from 5 to 29 January. 2017. The top four teams qualify for the World Cup. And The Africa U-20 Cup of Nations 2017 will be played in Zambia from 26 February to 12 March 2017. The top four teams qualify for the Under 20 World Cup.

T&T 25-man Squad

Goalkeepers

• Jabari Brice – St Anthony’s College
• Denzil Smith – Shiva Boys Hindu College
• Dejourn Charles – Carapichaima East Sec.
• Jabari Gray – Presentation College San Fernando

Defenders

• Taryk Sampson – Ma Pau Stars
• Shane Sandy – Naparima College
• Keston Julien – Jabloteh FC
• Kori Cupid – W Connection
• Keirron Mason – Marabella Crisis Centre.
• Isaiah Garcia – W Connection
• Rondell Payne – Naparima College
• Kyle Thomas – San Juan North Sec.
• Simeon Bailey – Barataria South Sec.

Midfielders

• Kareem Riley – Presentation College, San Fernando
• Jabari Mitchell – W Connection
• Micah Lansiquot – Murucapo East Secondary
• Moses Jaikeran – Harlem Strikers
• Jesse Joseph – Jabloteh FC
• Rushawn Murphy – Malick Sec.

Forwards

• Nicholas Dillon – Central FC
• Kathon St. Hillaire – St Anthony’s College
• Josh Toussaint – St Ann’s Rangers
• Junior Asson – Shiva Boys Hindu College
• Ronaldo Boyce – San Juan North Sec.
• Nion Lammy – Presentation College, San Fernando

[Tobago28]

Field Set and Official Draw Confirmed for CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017

 
Draw to Take Place Tuesday, November 29 at the National Stadium in San Jose

MIAMI (Tuesday, November 22, 2016) - The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) confirmed today the programming for the official draw for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017. The draw will take place on Tuesday, November 29, at 6:00 local time (7:00 pm ET), and will be streamed live via CONCACAF.com.

Additionally, CONCACAF announced that, due to the on-going sanctions imposed on the Guatemala Football Federation prohibiting teams from the nation to participate in international competition, Panama will replace Guatemala in next year’s championship.

The official draw, which will set the groups for the Championship, to begin in San Jose in February of next year, will be administered by CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio, with the presence of CONCACAF Council Member Luis Hernandez and Costa Rica Football Federation President Rodolfo Villalobos.

The draw will be conducted at the National Stadium in San Jose, sorting the twelve qualified nations set to participate in the championship into three groups of four teams each.

As host, Costa Rica will be seeded at the top of one of the three groups. Mexico and the United States -- the two teams that have fared the best in recent under-20 championships using a co-efficient developed by CONCACAF – will also be seeded into one of the three groups.

The remaining nine qualified teams, Antigua & Barbuda, Bermuda, Canada, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago, will be drawn into the three groups using a pre-defined procedure designed to ensure balanced and competitive groups weighted equally by region.

The CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017 is scheduled to be played February 17 – March 5, 2017, at the National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibas. The tournament will qualify four teams directly to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup South Korea 2017.

[asylumseeker]

Additionally, CONCACAF announced that, due to the on-going sanctions imposed on the Guatemala Football Federation prohibiting teams from the nation to participate in international competition, Panama will replace Guatemala in next year’s championship.

Some background

Guatemala is to be suspended from competition due to political interference. Just as well we are the ones moving on to the Hex.

Details?

An entity in Guatemala, known as the "Tribunal de Honor de la Confederación Deportiva Autónoma de Guatemala" suspended for six months the FIFA-approved Normalization Committee that has been running Guatemalan football. The decision was influenced by the entity's dissatisfaction with a doping decision/procedure involving four players from Antigua FC (Mekeil Williams' former club).

Now, the status quo is a wink-wink process that bears the underlying idea of forcing the hand of those who have interfered (The U17 and U20 NTs involvement in their efforts to qualify for their respective age group WCs and  likely Antigua FC and Suchitepéquez, who are involved in the CONCACAF Champions League, stand to be affected). Not to mention Guate is currently at the futsal WC in Colombia and this ain't a good look.

Financial assistance of about 20 million quetzales or 2.7m USD also hangs in the balance from what I gather.

Montagliani was in Guate a few days ago. There is no doubt Adela de Torrebiarte (at the helm of the Normalization Committee) mentioned the issue to him. However, I am not sure whether Primo Corvaro's visit to Guatemala was a regularly scheduled visit stemming from the normalization process, or whether it is precipitated by the issue spurring the imminent suspension and follow-up with Montagliani.

(Posters will recall Corvaro was in T&T less than a year ago adddressing constitutional reform at the TTFA). He is also the person who was dispatched to Argentina not long ago in the midst of the nonsense there.

"Wink-wink process" because despite these actions not being novel across the globe, local actors "don't get it" until the FIFA guy winks at the local federation guy and says "this is what we are going to do. They will "get it" once they receive our letter stating the consequences of interference."

The attorneys (for the Normalization Committee) have said that the NC's issue was with improperly applied protocols/procedure, not with a substantive appeal made on behalf of the four players.

Anyone willing to guess that an Antigua FC fan or two hold influential positions.

Watch what will happen next with PAN in contention.

[Tobago28]

What's surprising is the article says 3 Groups when historically it has been 2 groups of 6. Have they changed the format?

[Tobago28]

The DRAW was just completed in Costa Rica, details below:

GROUP A
Mexico
Antigua & Barbuda
Honduras
Canada

GROUP B
USA
Panama
St. Kitts & Nevis
Haiti

GROUP C
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Bermuda
Trinidad and Tobago

We can win this Group

[elan]

I swear Canada is the redheaded step child of CONCACAF

[asylumseeker]

Short memory, Tobago28? The difference between should and can is preparation and execution.

We should have beaten Bermuda in the CFU competiton. We did not. We should have beaten Antigua & Barbuda. We did not.

Therefore, on what basis the "can" for winning the group?

[FF]

Tobago, we cyah even beat Bermuda 

yeah what asylum said ^

[Trini _2026]

No tobago  it is suppose to be 2 groups of 6 .

[Tobago28]

Short memory, Tobago28? The difference between should and can is preparation and execution.

We should have beaten Bermuda in the CFU competiton. We did not. We should have beaten Antigua & Barbuda. We did not.

Therefore, on what basis the "can" for winning the group?

Preparation-The boys back in camp already, confirmed camp in Florida, possible camp in Brazil. Much better than I heard before. The U17 money is available since Latapy crash out of CFU Finals, plus nothing in other age groups nor Women's/Girls football so the money is available for preparation. The real concern for me is that each individual player must take their personal preparation serious with Christmas and Carnival right before the tournament.

Execution-Heading into that tournament most didn't think we would have qualified for CONCACAF. Frankly, the team was playing good and improving until 1) Dillon got injured and  2) Hudson nonsense. These two items disrupt the team which lacked leadership, the captain did not lead on the field nor off the field. That will have to change for execution.

With additions to the team, we can beat Bermuda as we dominated that game until the end. In addition, we did not use our starting goal keeper which affected the defensive organization.  Costa Rica will be our toughest challenge as El Salvador finished 2nd in UNCAF qualifying but not a strong team. That is how with preparation and execution we can win the group.

[Tobago28]

No tobago  it is suppose to be 2 groups of 6 .

That is what I thought but I watched the live draw last night and they had 3 groups but I can't find when the format changed and what the qualification process is, whether group winner sand best 2nd place qualify for play offs.?

[Tobago28]

Tobago, we cyah even beat Bermuda 

yeah what asylum said ^

At full strength and with starting goalkeeper we would have beaten Bermuda.

FF don't sleep on Bermuda they have a development plan, inclusive of coaching development plus some oversees players. The numebr 10 playing in Belgium is the standout that comes to mind.

With our population, if we had a systematic approach like Bermuda we would be close to qualifying for U17 and U20 WC more regularly.

[Tobago28]

Draw Determines Groups and Schedule for Under-20 Championship 2017

http://www.concacaf.com/article/draw-determines-groups-and-schedule-for-under-20-championship-costa-rica-2017

Miami (Tuesday, November 29, 2016) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) today conducted the draw for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017, at the National Stadium, in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The draw, which determined the groups and match schedule for the tournament that kicks off on February 17, in San Jose, was opened with welcoming remarks from Philippe Moggio, CONCACAF General Secretary and Costa Rican Football Federation President Rodolfo Villalobos. The event was conducted with the assistance of Melissa Herrera, Costa Rica Women’s National Team player and Ronald González, former player and coach of the Under-20 and veteran of the full Costa Rican National Team.

Tournament host Costa Rica was seeded into Group C, and will face El Salvador, Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago. In Group A, defending CONCACAF Under-20 Champion Mexico was joined by Antigua & Barbuda, Honduras and Canada, while the United States, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Haiti make up Group B.

The National Stadium and Estadio Ricardo Saprissa will both be used for the tournament, to be played in a new format consisting of a group stage, a classification phase, and the grand final.

Under the new format, designed to increase the number of meaningful, competitive matches, the top two teams from Groups A, B, and C will advance to the Classification Stage, where the Confederation’s four tickets to the World Cup at this level will be determined in round robin play among two groups of three teams each. The top two teams of each of the two Classification Stage groups will qualify as CONCACAF representatives to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017. 

For the draw, the Participating Member Associations were ranked and separated into four pots, based on their performance over the last four editions of the competition. Mexico, as current CONCACAF Under-20 Champions was seeded in position A1. The United States, as the best-ranked CONCACAF team in the last edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, was placed in position B1 and Costa Rica as host, earned position C1.

The remaining teams, from pots 2-4, were drawn in order and placed in the group position drawn from Pots A, B and C. The positions of each group winner and runner-up from the group stage were then drawn in group pairs, randomly into the two groups (D and E) for the Classification Stage.
Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017 Groups

Group A
Mexico
Antigua & Barbuda
Honduras
Canada

Group B
USA
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Haiti

Group C
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Bermuda
Trinidad & Tobago

CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017 – Classification Stage Group Positions

Group D
Second Place Group B
First Place Group A
First Place Group C

Group E
First Place Group B
Second Place Group A
Second Place Group C

CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017 Schedule
*Local Time

Friday, February 17, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
17:30 Honduras vs Canada
20:00 Mexico vs Antigua & Barbuda

Saturday, February 18, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
12:30 Saint Kitts and Nevis vs Haiti
15:00 USA vs Panama

Sunday, February 19, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
13:30 Bermuda vs Trinidad & Tobago
16:00 Costa Rica vs El Salvador

Monday, February 20, 2017 – National Stadium
17:00 Antigua & Barbuda vs Honduras
19:30 Mexico vs Canada

Tuesday, February 21, 2017 – National Stadium
14:00 Panama vs Saint Kitts and Nevis
16:30 USA vs Haiti

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 – National Stadium
16:30 El Salvador vs Bermuda
19:00 Costa Rica vs Trinidad & Tobago

Thursday, February 23, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
17:00 Antigua & Barbuda vs Canada
19:30 Mexico vs Honduras

Friday, February 24, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
14:00 Panama vs Haiti
16:30 USA vs Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saturday, February 25, 2017 – National Stadium
13:30 El Salvador vs Trinidad & Tobago
16:00 Costa Rica vs Bermuda

Monday, February 27, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
16:00 Second Place Group B vs First Place Group A
18:30 First Place Group B vs. Second Place Group A

Wednesday, March 01, 2017 – National Stadium
16:30 First Place Group A vs First Place Group C
19:00 Second Place Group A vs Second Place Group C

Friday, March 03, 2017 – National Stadium
17:30 Second Place Group B vs First Place Group C
20:00 First Place Group B vs Second Place Group C

Sunday, March 05, 2017 – National Stadium
15:00 Winner Group D vs. Winner Group E

[asylumseeker]

Tobago, we cyah even beat Bermuda 

yeah what asylum said ^

At full strength and with starting goalkeeper we would have beaten Bermuda.

FF don't sleep on Bermuda they have a development plan, inclusive of coaching development plus some oversees players. The numebr 10 playing in Belgium is the standout that comes to mind.

With our population, if we had a systematic approach like Bermuda we would be close to qualifying for U17 and U20 WC more regularly.

In my view you are prematurely lauding and overstating the Bermuda case, but I will leave that for another day.

The player to whom you have referred does not play in Belgium. On the CFU tournament thread, I asked whether he would light up this tournament and the answer I got (from what happened on the field) was no. He had done well at an earlier edition of the CFU U15 tournament and it seemed a reasonable question given his development path in Europe.

I came away thinking maybe he showed differently around players in Spain. He was less expressive than his lesser known Haitian counterparts who took EVERYTHING by the horns and dominated all aspects. But, I had forgotten that he is one of the younger players in the category (he is 17+). I don't see him as an imposing player, but he has a measure of prodigy.

He's presently getting a look with Bristol City and doing well (scored for the U23s this week). But what does it mean that he has left Spain to look for an opportunity in England? Granted he is better positioned than all of our homebred youngsters. Might be strategic in terms of work permission. Not sure.

Bottom line: With him or not, we should not be losing to Bermuda. No excuses. Our approach to play, rather than personnel available, struck me as a concern. That approach MUST change to be successful in CRC.

[Tobago28]

Isn't available personnel directly related to approach to play?

Intensity and confidence are the components that must be present in Costa Rica, these drive speed of play which when we have we are competitive with any team. Coach Williams has to focus there once personnel is selected. With a Feb. 19th first game versus Bermuda, I hope we in camp for a month but do not know how that coincides with school and club schedules.

[asylumseeker]

Isn't available personnel directly related to approach to play?

Intensity and confidence are the components that must be present in Costa Rica, these drive speed of play which when we have we are competitive with any team. Coach Williams has to focus there once personnel is selected. With a Feb. 19th first game versus Bermuda, I hope we in camp for a month but do not know how that coincides with school and club schedules.

Quite right.

But, there's the bigger picture of approach in one game versus approach across a body of matches.

My concern is the latter. Generally you can gather adjustments due to unavailability, but within that one can also distinguish the stamp of how the team plays (hard to hide a coach's preference despite individual decision-making on the field, and adjustments that arise out of inconvenience).

Lack of certain players influences some things but not everything. Solution: depth of squad. And since our subs have been one for one replacements rather than tactically versatile, I have reservations.

Let's see how it goes in February. Like you, I want the best outcome.

[Flex]

T&T drawn with hosts Costa Rica for U-20 CONCACAF Final Round.
TTFA Media.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Men’s Under 20 National Team will begin their CONCACAF Final Round of Under 20 World Cup qualification against Bermuda on February 19th at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose, Costa Rica.

This was determined at the Draw for the Final Round that took place at the National Stadium in San Jose on Tuesday night.

T&T were drawn in Group C alongside the hosts Costa Rica, El Salvador and Bermuda. The Brian Williams-coached team will face “Los Ticos” on February 22nd and El Salvador on February 25th.

In an immediate reaction to T&T’s draw, head coach Williams said he was fairly satisfied with the way T&T’s scheduled was drawn up.

“I must say I am pretty satisfied with the way the draw went, “ Williams told TTFA Media on Tuesday night. “At the end of the day, I always maintain that we have to be concerned about our team and our approach towards our opponents. Costa Rica as the host nation and with their quality of play, will always be a difficult opponent but with no disrespect to the other two teams, Bermuda and El Salvador, I think this is a group we can advance out of,” he added.

“I think we have a fairly good idea of how all the teams in CONCACAF play at this time. The most important thing will be for us to get our preparations right and now that we know what our schedule is, we can adapt to suit in terms of how we prepare as a team for the competition.

“Myself and the manager will get familiar with some of the rules and guidelines at the workshop tomorrow and then it will be back to our preparations with the team. My focus will be on gameplay and physical readiness because we know that this tournament will be the final hurdle for us in terms of qualification for an Under 20 World Cup and the squad is highly motivated to give it our best. We are aware that all the teams in this competition will be coming with everything they have to offer because of what is at stake,” Williams said.

T&T have previously qualified for two FIFA Under 20 Word Cups. Their first appearance was in 1991 at the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Portugal followed by a second appearance in 2009 at the Finals in Egypt. T&T secured a point at the ’09 Finals, drawing its closing group phase match 0-0 with Paraguay.

Williams and team manager Dunston Williams will attend the CONCACAF team workshop in San Jose on Wednesday.

Tournament host Costa Rica was seeded into Group C, and will face El Salvador, Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago. In Group A, defending CONCACAF Under-20 Champion Mexico was joined by Antigua & Barbuda, Honduras and Canada, while the United States, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Haiti make up Group B.

The National Stadium and Estadio Ricardo Saprissa will both be used for the tournament, to be played in a new format consisting of a group stage, a classification phase, and the grand final.

Under the new format, designed to increase the number of meaningful, competitive matches, the top two teams from Groups A, B, and C will advance to the Classification Stage, where the Confederation’s four tickets to the World Cup at this level will be determined in round robin play among two groups of three teams each. The top two teams of each of the two Classification Stage groups will qualify as CONCACAF representatives to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017.

The event was conducted with the assistance of Melissa Herrera, Costa Rica Women’s National Team player and Ronald González, former player and coach of the Under-20 and veteran of the full Costa Rican National Team.

For the draw, the Participating Member Associations were ranked and separated into four pots, based on their performance over the last four editions of the competition. Mexico, as current CONCACAF Under-20 Champions was seeded in position A1. The United States, as the best-ranked CONCACAF team in the last edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, was placed in position B1 and Costa Rica as host, earned position C1.

The remaining teams, from pots 2-4, were drawn in order and placed in the group position drawn from Pots A, B and C. The positions of each group winner and runner-up from the group stage were then drawn in group pairs, randomly into the two groups (D and E) for the Classification Stage.

Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017 Groups

Group A
Mexico
Antigua & Barbuda
Honduras
Canada

Group B
USA
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Haiti

Group C
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Bermuda
Trinidad & Tobago

CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017 – Classification Stage Group Positions

Group D
Second Place Group B
First Place Group A
First Place Group C

Group E
First Place Group B
Second Place Group A
Second Place Group C

CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Costa Rica 2017 Schedule
*Local Time

Friday, February 17, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
17:30 Honduras vs Canada
20:00 Mexico vs Antigua & Barbuda

Saturday, February 18, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
12:30 Saint Kitts and Nevis vs Haiti
15:00 USA vs Panama

Sunday, February 19, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
13:30 Bermuda vs Trinidad & Tobago
16:00 Costa Rica vs El Salvador

Monday, February 20, 2017 – National Stadium
17:00 Antigua & Barbuda vs Honduras
19:30 Mexico vs Canada

Tuesday, February 21, 2017 – National Stadium
14:00 Panama vs Saint Kitts and Nevis
16:30 USA vs Haiti

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 – National Stadium
16:30 El Salvador vs Bermuda
19:00 Costa Rica vs Trinidad & Tobago

Thursday, February 23, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
17:00 Antigua & Barbuda vs Canada
19:30 Mexico vs Honduras

Friday, February 24, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
14:00 Panama vs Haiti
16:30 USA vs Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saturday, February 25, 2017 – National Stadium
13:30 El Salvador vs Trinidad & Tobago
16:00 Costa Rica vs Bermuda

Monday, February 27, 2017 – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
16:00 Second Place Group B vs First Place Group A
18:30 First Place Group B vs. Second Place Group A

Wednesday, March 01, 2017 – National Stadium
16:30 First Place Group A vs First Place Group C
19:00 Second Place Group A vs Second Place Group C

Friday, March 03, 2017 – National Stadium
17:30 Second Place Group B vs First Place Group C
20:00 First Place Group B vs Second Place Group C

Sunday, March 05, 2017 – National Stadium
15:00 Winner Group D vs. Winner Group E

[Tobago28]

St. Kitts & Nevis eager for U-20 showcase

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – St. Kitts & Nevis’ only previous participation in the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship came in 2007, the last of five straight editions in which no champion was crowned.

The Sugar Boyz performed admirably, posting a 0W-1D-2L record, scoring three goals and conceding six. Closely-contested losses to Mexico (0-2) and Costa Rica (2-3) were followed by a 1-1 draw with regional-rival Jamaica.

In October, SKN earned a place in the 2017 version of the competition by finishing as the best of two third-place team from the final round of Caribbean qualifying.

The excitement of that achievement was heightened Tuesday, when the official draw was conducted in Costa Rica, the host nation. After all the balls were pulled from the bowls, St. Kitts & Nevis learned that it will face the Haiti (February 18), Panama (February 21) and the United States (February 24) in Group B.

Technical director Lenny Lake expressed his delight at SKN’s return to the CONCACAF, but is fully cognizant of the challenges ahead.

“First, let me say thanks to God for a wonderful opportunity like this,” Lake told CONCACAF.com. “I am quite excited about up the upcoming tournament as it presents to us, the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, an opportunity, experience and exposure.
“We have an opportunity to play against some of the top football countries in this region and for me that is priceless. This is an opportunity for our young players to measure their efforts and talents against the talented players of these countries. Finally, gaining an experience that will be a lifelong memory to the players, coaches and our country.”

Lake wants the side to focus on playing to its maximum at all times and make its mark in the confederation.

“For me, to say win the competition will be highly improbable,” he commented. “Even though it is possible to win it, we are realistic. After taking all the factors into account, I would say that our goals for now are to compete to best of our abilities, to proudly represent our country, to enjoy and learn from this experience and finally to humbly accept the outcomes.”

With such a talented young group, the CONCACAF event represents an opportunity for SKN to take the next development step.

“We are growing at all levels and building our reputation is a key aim for us here,” finished Lake. “We are hoping to entertain the region and the world with our talent on the pitch.”

[Tobago28]

Antigua & Barbuda U20s look to impress in Costa Rica

http://www.concacaf.com/article/antigua-barbuda-u20s-look-to-impress-in-costa-rica


St. JOHN’S, Antigua & Barbuda – By the time Antigua & Barbuda takes the field at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose, Costa Rica, for its 2017 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship opener against Mexico, more than 30 years will have passed since its last appearance in the competition.

Head coach George Warner believes the wait will have been worth it, especially considering that his side earned a berth by virtue of being the runner-up to Haiti in Caribbean qualifying.  He knows, however, that the other Group A opponents -- Honduras and Canada – will also provide stiff competition.

“We deserve to be here based on our performance in Curacao in the CFU U-20 tournament, so I am expecting my players to execute similarly to how they did recently,” Warner told CONCACAF.com.  “When you look at our group it features teams who have pedigree in the region and have experience qualifying for the U-20 World Cup.  However, going into this tournament, we plan to be no pushovers.  We are going to be meaningful competitors to show CONCACAF we are a force to watch in the region.”

Defender Vashami Allen admits the group is challenging, but he’s confident in his team’s ability to deliver on the field once again.

“When I watched the draw online, the first thing I said was ‘wow,’ this will be a tough group,” said 19-year-old, who was named to the Caribbean competition’s Best XI.  “But we are a team that works hard for each other regardless of the opponent.  I have the mindset that with confidence we can play well and get a result against anyone in the region.  It is a new experience for us but we are confident we can make a good name for ourselves.”

The top two teams from each of the three group will advance to the second group stage comprised by two, three-team groups.  The top two finishers from each of those trios will qualify for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Warner has an ambitions and high hopes for success in Costa Rica.

“I want my team to play to the best of their abilities,” he finished.  “I am not setting where we want to finish, but, instead, I will ask my players to stick to the game plan and from there we take things one game at a time as see how things go.  For now our focus is on Canada, Honduras and Mexico.”

[Tobago28]

Tuesday Dec 06, 2016
Canada U20s look to balance results with development

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Canada hasn’t played in a FIFA U-20 World Cup since it hosted the competition in 2007.

And while it would certainly like to remedy that situation by finishing among the top four teams at the next CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, head coach Rob Gale realizes there is a bigger development picture to address rather than reveling in isolated successes.

“It’s a staging post,” said Gale of the tournament, after last week’s draw for the 2017 event, which will be played in Costa Rica. “It’s vital in our development. Our long-term plan for Canadian players is that we get them more and more experiences against CONCACAF opposition, against top-level opposition. Obviously, in these tournaments, it’s a great staging post to see where we are at this stage, at this level, so it’s vital for us.

The Canadians have won one game in each of the last four CONCACAF Under-20 Championships. Their ability to improve on that record and challenge for a World Cup place hinges on how they perform against Group A rivals Mexico, Antigua & Barbuda and Honduras.

“At this level, there’s always going to be difficult groups and, I think looking at it, any time you get Mexico, a perennial powerhouse of the region…I think they’ve won it so many times…it’s going to be a difficult challenge,” Gale commented. “Then we got thrown in with the Central American champions Honduras and Antigua, who finished as runner-up (in the Caribbean), so certainly on paper there’s good pedigree throughout the group.”

Regardless of what happens in Central America, Canada’s overall player development plan emphasizes qualifying for World Cups at the senior level. In order to accomplish that goal, a solid foundation must be put in place for those launching their international careers through the youth program.

“Whether you come down here and play three games or hopefully six games, it’s about the learning experiences and the development for the players,” finished Gale. “It’s great for them to face this level of competition early on in their careers and you hope it bodes well and we can progress these players into the senior national team environment.

[asylumseeker]

Lightbourne upbeat for Costa Rica
By Colin Thompson, Royal Gazette.

Kyle Lightbourne has returned from the Concacaf Under-20 Championship draw feeling confident about his team’s chances in Costa Rica.

The Bermuda Under-20 coach is encouraged after they were seeded in group C along with the host nation, Trinidad and Tobago, and El Salvador at last week’s draw, which he attended at the National Stadium in San José, the Costa Rican capital.

Bermuda begin their campaign on February 19 against Trinidad, who they beat 2-1 in a third-place play-off match at the Caribbean Football Union Under-20 finals in Curaçao in October.

“I’m so happy to be drawn with a team we played against in the previous tournament in Trinidad because we beat them last time,” Lightbourne said.

“I expect to see a couple of different faces from Trinidad, talking to their coach while in Costa Rica. They had a couple of players [missing from the previous round] who were unable to make it because of university or college commitments, which was the same for us.

“We have to expect they are going to look to do things a little bit differently against us.”

Bermuda face El Salvador in their second match on February 22 before taking on Costa Rica in their remaining group match on February 25.

“We have to do some homework on El Salvador and Costa Rica, who we will get a chance to see,” Lightbourne added. “We already know about Trinidad.”

Mexico, the defending champions, Antigua and Barbuda, Honduras and Canada are in group A, while the group B teams are the United States, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Haiti. All matches will be held at the National Stadium and Estadio Ricardo Saprissa.

“The venues are excellent places to play football,” Lightbourne said. “I’m very happy with the stadiums and everything they showed us while in Costa Rica.”

The tournament will be played in a new format consisting of a group stage, a classification phase and the final.

Designed to increase the number of meaningful, competitive matches, the top-two teams from groups A, B, and C will advance to the classification stage.

The four World Cup places will then be determined in round-robin play among two groups of three teams. The top two of each group will qualify for next year’s Under-20 World Cup in South Korea.

“This is an exciting tournament and Bermuda has to realise this is a fantastic opportunity for the young boys,” Lightbourne said.

Bermuda qualified for the Concacaf Under-20 Championship after finishing runners-up in their group at the CFU Under-20 finals. They reached the semi-final where they lost 3-0 to Haiti before beating Trinidad in the third-place play-off.