Women’s U-20 Championship draw held in Cayman
CONCACAF.comThe draw for the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship was held Tuesday night, resulting in two attractive four-team groups set to battle it out for the right to play in the U-20 Women’s World Cup, which be hosted by Canada next year.
At the Westin Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb oversaw proceedings, conducted by General Secretary Enrique Sanz, which determined the groupings and match schedule for the eleven-day football festival to be disputed in the Cayman Islands, January 9-19, 2014.
The tournament’s top three teams will join the Canadians in the FIFA event.
Host Cayman Islands -- seeded into Group B -- will open against Mexico, while defending champion United States – seeded into Group A – kicks off against Central American foe Costa Rica. Jamaica and Guatemala initiate the tournament on January 9,while Trinidad & Tobago and Honduras round out Group B, which begins play the following day.
“We can be proud that in women’s youth football, CONCACAF has produced world class teams that have in many ways set a benchmark in the sport,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, who was in attendance alongside representatives from each of the eight participants.
The two groups of four teams will participate in round-robin play over the competition’s first six match days. The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals on Friday, January 17. The semifinal winners will contest the final, as well as qualify directly for the U-20 Women’s World Cup. The winner of the third-place match also earns a coveted ticket to the event.
“We can be confident that this next CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship will showcase players who in 2014 will go to Canada and win more awards for themselves, their country, and CONCACAF,” said Webb.
The United States has won three of the tournament’s four editions, including the inaugural competition in 2006, and the last in 2012. Canada was crowned champion in 2008.
CONCACAF will host all of FIFA’s Women’s World Cup events in 2014 and 2015, starting with the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica from March 15 to April 15, 2014, followed by the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada from August 5 to August 20, 2014 and culminating with the FIFA Women’s World Cup from June 6 to July 5, 2015, also in Canada.
CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship 2014 Cayman IslandsJanuary 9–19, 2014
Grand Cayman (Truman Bodden Sports Complex)
FIRST ROUND GROUPSGroup A: United States, Guatemala, Jamaica, Costa Rica
Group B: Cayman Islands, Honduras, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico
SCHEDULE(Times U.S. EST and Cayman)
GROUP STAGEThursday - January 9, 2014Guatemala vs. Jamaica, (5:00 p.m.)
United States vs. Costa Rica, (7:30 p.m.)
Friday - January 10, 2014Honduras vs. Trinidad & Tobago, (5:00 p.m.)
Cayman Islands vs. Mexico, (7:30 p.m.)
Saturday - January 11, 2014Costa Rica vs. Guatemala, (5:00 p.m.)
Jamaica vs. United States, (7:30 p.m.)
Sunday - January 12, 2014Mexico vs. Honduras, (5:00 p.m.)
Cayman Islands vs. Trinidad & Tobago, (7:30 p.m.)
Monday - January 13, 2014Jamaica vs. Costa Rica, (5:00 p.m.)
United States vs. Guatemala, (7:30 p.m.)
Tuesday - January 14, 2014Trinidad & Tobago vs. Mexico, (5:00 p.m.)
Cayman Islands vs. Honduras, (7:30 p.m.)
SEMIFINALSFriday - January 17, 2014SF #1: Winner Group B vs. Second Group A, (4:00 p.m.)
SF #2: Winner Group A vs. Second Group B, (7:00 p.m.)
THIRD-PLACE MATCH & FINALSunday - January 19, 2014Loser SF #1 vs. Loser SF#2, (4:00 p.m.)
Winner SF #1 vs. Winner SF#2, (7:00 p.m.)

