Twenty teams take aim at Concacaf Men’s U17 Championship

MIAMI, Florida – This Saturday 20 teams from Concacaf will take aim at the 2023 Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship in hopes of earning the distinction of being the top Men’s U17 national team in the region.

Also at stake is a spot in the 2023 FIFA Men’s Under-17 World Cup in Peru for the four teams that reach the semifinal round.

The action begins in the round robin group stage with 16 teams split evenly between four groups. The top three teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, where they will be joined by Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Nicaragua, who all advanced directly to the Round of 16 via last fall’s CMU17 Qualifying.

Group E

Group E pits reigning CMU17 champions Mexico, along with Panama, Guatemala and Curacao. El Tricolor are eight-time champions of the event and have gone on to win the FIFA Men’s Under-17 World Cup on two occasions (2005, 2011).

Mexico will fancy their chances of capturing first place in the group, as they have won every match against their group opponents, with a 1W-0D-0L record vs. Curacao, 6W-0D-0L vs. Panama and 5W-0D-0L vs. Guatemala.

One of the best matches of the group will be the Central American duel between Guatemala and Panama. In CMU17 history, Guatemala hold a slight 5W-1D-4L advantage versus the Canaleros. Guatemala and Curacao are each seeking their first U17 World Cup berth, while Panama is pursuing their third.

Group F

Three-time champions the United States (1983, 1992, 2011) headline Group F where they will take on Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

The U.S. are seeking an 18^th U17 World Cup and Canada are looking for their eighth U17 World Cup, while Trinidad and Tobago are after a third and Barbados would like to secure their first.

In all-time meetings, the U.S. are 9W-0D-1L against Canada and 5W-3D-1L against Trinidad and Tobago, plus a win in a single meeting with Barbados. The Canada-Trinidad and Tobago encounter promises to be an exciting one, as the Soca Warriors own a 4W-2D-2L record against the North American side.

Group G

Group G will see Costa Rica take on a trio of Caribbean sides in Cuba, Jamaica and Guadeloupe.

The Ticos were champions of the event in 1994 and will be on the hunt for an 11^th U17 World Cup. Jamaica and Cuba each are seeking a third U17 World Cup, while Guadeloupe will attempt to make history and reach their first U17 World Cup.

In four previous meetings with the Cubans, the Ticos have three wins and a loss, while against the Reggae Boyz, it has been fairly even, with Costa Rica holding a slight edge of three wins and two losses. Costa Rica will face Guadeloupe for the first time.

Something will have to give when Jamaica and Cuba face off, as their series is level at two wins for each nation and a draw. Meanwhile, Guadeloupe are making just their second CMU17 appearance, the fewest among the 20 participating teams.

Group H

Rounding out the group stage is Honduras, Haiti, El Salvador and Suriname in Group H. 2015 runners-up Honduras will be out to clinch a sixth U17 World Cup and Haiti will want to qualify for a third U17 World Cup, while a trip to Peru would mean a first U17 World Cup for both El Salvador and Suriname.

The Haitians hold the advantage in all-time CMU17 meetings with Honduras, with two wins, three draws and just one loss. The duel between Central American sides Honduras and El Salvador promises to be a hotly contested affair as evidenced by their history, with the Catrachos having three wins and the Cuscatlecos with two.

Suriname will be facing Honduras and El Salvador for the first time in CMU17 play, and will be seeking their first win against Haiti after three previous defeats.