CONCACAF’s best battle for France 2018 berths

Trinidad and Tobago set to host CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship
Three FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup berths up for grabs
USA looking to win fifth straight regional title at this level

Trinidad and Tobago will be the setting for the ninth edition of the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, which begins on Thursday. Eight teams will compete for the regional title in this age group, as well as three qualifying berths for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018.

The tournament in brief:

When: 18-28 January
Where: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago
Who: Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Costa Rica, Canada (Group A); USA, Nicaragua, Mexico, Jamaica (Group B)
What’s at stake: Three places at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in France
How: After round-robin action in the two groups of four, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winners of both last-four duels will reach the tournament final and qualify for France 2018. The semi-finals losers will contest the competition’s third-place match, with the winner claiming CONCACAF’s final qualifying berth for this year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The favourites
Having dominated previous editions of this tournament, much will be expected from North American powerhouses Canada and USA at Trinidad and Tobago 2018.

Drawn in Group A, the Canadians will look to overcome the competition hosts, Caribbean qualifiers Haiti, and Costa Rica. Led by coach Beverly Priestmen (pictured), Canada’s squad includes a creditable amount of experience at youth and senior international level.

Defending champions USA also boast a group with impressive pedigree in youth football, with Jitka Klimkova’s side set to battle Nicaragua, Jamaica, and Mexico in Group B. Having qualified for six straight U-20 Women’s World Cup finals, the Mexicans will also expect to be among the tournament’s last four.