CONCACAF's U-20 qualifying tournament for the World Cup in Egypt concluded today. With four qualifying slots on offer, the real action was in the group stages. The semifinals and final were only for bragging rights, so here are the top four teams:
- Costa Rica
- USA
- Honduras
- Trinidad & Tobago
So the USA qualify for yet another U-20 World Cup (twelve in all), but have yet to win the CONCACAF U-20 title. The Americans allowed only three goals in the tournament -- all of them in the final! -- but suffered from a serious lapse of discipline as three players were sent off during the competition. Costa Rica, in contrast, had scored only three goals during their road to qualification, and doubled their scoring count in a single match! It's their first U-20 title in over 20 years.
Joining the USA and Costa Rica in Egypt will be Honduras and the host nation Trinidad & Tobago. The Hondurans scored the most goals in the tournament and were led by Olimpia's Roger Rojas, who finished as top scorer. T&T took full advantage of their host status and rode two hard-fought draws to the U-20 World Cup finals.
See you all in Egypt in the fall.
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