2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship Running Thread: All Teams, All Games

4:15 Panama v El Salvador - still 0-0 @ 75'

6:30 Honduras v Costa Rica - the one to keep an eye on tonight[

Times were one hour off apparently

 

Panama took the lead.

 

Honduras, 1 red and 3 yellows so far. 40' gone. Very rough and open type match. How many do you miss with a red?

 

Honduras 1-1 Costa Rica @ 80'

 

Honduras 1 Costa Rica 1 67th minute
Panama 1 ES 0 FT

 

Thank you, got my signals crossed ...

Ran out of editing time, above:

Final score Honduras 1-1 Costa Rica

Near the end there was a nice shot of the US players watching from the stands, looking relaxed and confident. Now a win against either Costa Rica (on Friday) or Honduras (on Monday) guarantees us at least second place and qualification, and a win and a tie will put us in first and into the championship game (on Wednesday).

 

I was wrong to say that we should.root for CR to lose. A tie is our best scenario since we have two chances to qualify.

 

Having seen most of the teams play, there's nothing very scary out there. Only Lainez seems like a special player.

 

I came across this summary of last night's games:

https://www.onceametro.com/2018/11/...e-round-1-round-up-highlights-panama-honduras

"This game started well for Honduras. Josue Villafranca scored his seventh goal of the tournament in the 20th minute: the first goal Costa Rica has conceded in this competition. ...

....

The two teams are separated by fair-play points at present, meaning Costa Rica has the tiebreaker advantage over Honduras by virtue of not having had a man sent off. But it is more likely that the results of their respective games against the USA will decide which of these teams qualifies for the 2019 U-20 World Cup. It could be both, of course - though that would require the USA do a lot worse at this tournament than currently expected."

 

The CONCACAF summary, with photos and brief videos of the goals.

https://www.concacaf.com/under-20s-men/article/10-man-honduras-hangs-on-for-draw-versus-costa-rica

 

Honduras the more talented side, CR the more disciplined side.

I think US wins against CR.

 

According to NBC Soccer, a win not only qualifies the US for the World Cup but for the Pan-American games in Peru... Any truth to the latter or is NBC massively confused?

https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/11/14/u-s-u-20-men-one-win-from-world-cup/

 

Found this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2019_Pan_American_Games#Qualification

So probably, although the wiki page says it's just the top North American, Carribbean, and Central American teams, plus 1 extra of CONCACAFs choosing, so really I have no idea here.

That page also says the Pan-American games are the same age restrictions as the Olympics, so if we don't have a camp before that (preferably during the YNT summit) I'm going to give up all hope.

 

Even if we technically qualify for the PanAm games via this event, I don't think it matters. The American women don't even participate in the PanAm games. And they seem to play anywhere, anytime, against anybody.

In the past we've had discussions about the PanAm games, and have always come back to the point that the time is REALLY bad for our pool. The Gold Cup is in July, which is where our "best" U23s will be. Hell, that Gold Cup team could largely be a U23 team. The elite U20s will just (hopefully) have played in the U20 World Cup in June, so their clubs won't want them to go to this too. MLS is mid-season in July, of course, so their clubs won't release players for a PanAm games unless the guys don't play.

Mexico plays in all of these lower grade events. The Toulon Tournament. The PanAm games. Whatever. They just find the players they can get...…….and go. I wish we would do that too. Our pool is much bigger than it was in 2000. We can find enough players even if none of the "A" team guys are available. Would a player like Haji Wright or McKinze Gaines or Isaiah Young or (insert name here) benefit right now from this kind of opportunity? Why not? Give them a platform...……….

 

I understand your point, but I think Wright is an "A" (youth) team player. I'm not sure what any of the young CF's have shown beyond what he has.

 

Credible if and only if they seek and receive the BigSoccer Seal of Approval.

 

Haji Wright has always been a player I've liked, but I doubt that he will be with the A squad for the Gold Cup (barring a break into the Schalke first team). He'd be a great callup for a tournament for 97s and later.

You could put together one hell of a lineup with guys who will be neither A squad or U-20 players; Here's an XI I'd like to see:

Klinsmann
Lennon-Glad-Redding(?)-Acosta
Jones-Parks
Saucedo-Akale-Wright
Ebobisse
​

You'd probably need some NCAA guys from depth (especially at CB), and maybe bring some overage players that are A fringe, but I'd watch that team.

 

I agree, but neither should Sargent, Weah, Soto, etc. These guys don't play first team minutes. They belong in the youth teams.

 

A quick recap ...

Group G

Tuesday Honduras 1-1 Costa Rica
Friday USA 4-0 Costa Rica [qualifying us for the World Cup]
Today (@ 8:00 PM) USA v Honduras [will determine if we play in the Final]

If the US wins or draws this evening, we finish first and play in the final. If we lose, we finish second, and Honduras plays in the final. At a minimum, Honduras will try to avoid losing by 4-0 (or worse), as even a 3-0 loss would advance them to the World Cup, in second place, at Costa Rica's expense.

Running in parallel ...

Group H

Tuesday Panama 1-0 El Salvador
Friday Mexico 1-0 El Salvador [eliminating El Salvador]
Today (@ 5:30 PM) Mexico v Panama [will determine who plays in the Final]

With Mexico and Panama both already qualified and (apparently) tied in every respect, including Fair Play points, I wonder if a draw might lead to extra time and PKs - which would seem reasonable (with El Salvador eliminated in any event). Look for the players on both teams, whenever fouled, to request - ever so humbly from the referee - that their opponent be booked.

 

In 2015, from what I can tell, neither the American men or women had any way of competing in soccer at the Pan Am games. Only the hosts (Mexico and Canada) and members of the Caribbean Football Union and the Central American Football Union were allowed to participate from North America.

According to Wikipedia, to qualify for the Pan Am games we would need to finish ahead of Mexico. Either that means we beat them in the final or we make it and they don't. The highest finishing teams from each sub group of CONCACAF qualify. If we do not finish ahead of Mexico, there is a 4th participant chosen by CONCACAF. It will not be the USA.

I feel like the tournament could be useful for the USA as a warm up for Olympic Qualifying that fall, so hopefully if we qualify we see a decent squad.

 

FWIW, Wikipedia lists the women's team as having qualified for these PanAm games by virtue of being the top North American team at the Concacaf Women's Championship. Maybe this is part of the "all-new" USSF experience?

 

The problem for the women is that the Pan-Am games are the same summer as the Women's World Cup. And in 2015 at least the events practically overlapped. So no chance on that one.

If we want a U23 tuneup event, I prefer the Toulon Tournament...................
But we don't have a coach or any games scheduled with the U23s, so who the hell knows what's going on.

 

It does look like the PanAm games are later this year (U-20 World Cup ends June 15; Gold Cup and Women's World Cup end July 7; PanAm games start July 25 and end Aug 9) but I'm definitely not holding my breath on American teams of either gender participating.

 

I'm sure getting tired of your bringing up rational points.