IRAPUATO, Mexico – The 2024 Concacaf Men's U-20 Championship continued with the opening encounters in Group C on Sunday at the Sergio Leon Chavez Stadium in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Hosts Mexico claimed first place in Group C with a 4-nil victory over Haiti. Panama also gained three points earlier in the day thanks to a 3-nil win against Guatemala.
Panama start with three points in Group C
Panama began its campaign with a 3-nil victory over Guatemala to start the proceedings in Group C.
Giovany Herbert struck inside the box in the 5' to place Panama in the lead.
Selvin Sagastume had a free kick attempt in the 27’ as Guatemala attempted to equalize.
Gustavo Herrera added a second for Panama in the 35' with a brilliant individual play where he chipped the goalkeeper to advance a pass over the top, and finished inside the box with a clinical left-footed strike.
Herrera completed his brace in the 38' after bringing down a cross with his chest and striking with his left again inside the box.
Kairo Walters had a shot on goal in the 52’ but was denied by Guatemala goalkeeper Diego Bolaños, who finished the day with four saves.
Sagastume had another look towards goal from a free kick in the 67’ but the 16-year-old was just wide of the mark.
Sagastume had one last look for Guatemala in the 87’ with a strike from outside the box but was just inches off the left post.
Panama goalkeeper Cecilio Burgess finished the day with a clean sheet as Los Canaleros positioned themselves in pole position for the group lead.
Mexico vs. Haiti
Hosts Mexico took a 4-nil victory against Haiti in the second match of Group C to start their campaign with three points.
Yael Padilla opened the scoring in the 12' with a right-footed diagonal strike into the bottom right corner of goal.
Haiti goalkeeper Jonah Mednard made a stop in the 46’ to deny Mexico and keep the scoreline within one.
Nelson Pierre struck on target for Haiti in the 57’ but the attempt was saved by Mexican goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa, who ended the match with the clean sheet.
Mednard made another save in the 60’ to block another Mexico attempt, and would go on to end the match with seven saves.
Heriberto Jurado broke through with Mexico’s second goal in the 72', connecting inside the penalty area with a through ball from team captain Elias Montiel.
Xavier Biscayzacu added a third in the 78' with a touch in front of goal to connect with a cross from Amaury Morales.
Morales penned his own name on the scoresheet in the 90'+6 to put a bow on the three points in front of the home crowd.
Group C action resumes on Wednesday with Haiti and Panama meeting in the first doubleheader. Guatemala and Mexico match wits in the second match.
Jamaica and Costa Rica chase first victory
Jamaica and Costa Rica begin the second round of encounters in Group A on Monday at the Miguel Aleman Valdez Stadium in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.
The Reggae Boyz will look to bounce back from a 9-nil loss to the United States in their opening match. Adrian Reid led the team with two shots and co-led with shots on target alongside Christopher Ainsworth and Nashordo Gibbs.
Costa Rica drew 1-1 with Cuba in their opening bout. Esteban Cruz scored in the 52’ to tie the encounter and rescue a point.
Los Ticos are undefeated in the CMU20C against Jamaica. The last time they faced
each other was on June 18, 2022, in a 1-1 draw in Honduras in Group H, ending a streak
of four consecutive wins for Costa Rica.
In the first phase of the tournament, the nations will face each other for the fourth time. Costa Rica leads in those encounters with two wins and one draw.
United States eyes quarterfinal spot
The United States continues its title defense against Cuba. A victory would clinch a berth in the knockout stage for the U.S.
The reigning champions began its campaign with a 9-nil win over Jamaica. David Vazquez and Pedro Soma each scored twice while Adam Beaudry made three saves and secured a clean sheet.
Cruz Medina, Marcos Zambrano, Ruben Ramos, Nimfasha Berchimas, and Nikolas Tsakiris also scored for the United States. Each will look to add to their account and move up the scorer’s charts.
Cuba walked away with a point from their match with Costa Rica. Samuel Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 8' and also provided two steals while playing in midfield.
The United States has a streak of four consecutive wins against Cuba in the CMU20C. This will be the fourth encounter in the first phase of the tournament, with one win for the United States and two draws in the previous meetings.
