CONCACAF announced Tuesday that Trinidad & Tobago will host the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship, scheduled for January 18-28, 2018. The draw for the event will be held on November 7 in Port of Spain.
The event will crown the champion at this age level and qualify three teams to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018.
“As women’s football continues to grow across the Caribbean and the CONCACAF region, we’re happy to bring this tournament to Trinidad,” said CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio. “This is an important age group for development, and we’re looking forward to watching these talented athletes compete for the CONCACAF title and a place at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup.”
"With the progress made in the women's game in Trinidad & Tobago, now is a great time for the country to host a CONCACAF championship at the junior levels of the discipline," said Trinidad and Tobago Football Association President David J. Williams. "We look forward to partnering with CONCACAF on a great event, and we're sure fans will rally behind our young ladies to support the team, and to demonstrate Trinbagonian hospitality to our visitors from across the region."
Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva will be the venue for all sixteen matches that are to be played across eight matchdays.
The 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship will include a field of eight teams. Trinidad & Tobago will participate as host, along with two additional teams from the Caribbean (champion and runner-up of the 2017 CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Under-20 Qualifier).
Three teams from North America will compete -- Canada, Mexico and United States – as well as the two top finishers from the 2017 CONCACAF Central America Women’s Under-20 Qualifier played earlier this year, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The finals of the CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Under-20 Qualifier 2017 will take place at Warner Park Stadium in St. Kitts & Nevis, from November 22-26. St. Kitts & Nevis, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are competing to join the other six qualified nations in Trinidad & Tobago.
In the previous edition of the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship played in Honduras in 2015, the United States won its fourth straight championship at this level, with a 1-0 win over Canada in the final.
CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship Trinidad and Tobago 2018
Date: January 18-28, 2018
Site: Couva, Trinidad and Tobago
Teams: 8
North America: (3)
Caribbean: (3)
Central America: (2)
Number of teams to qualify for the World Cup: 3 (Champion, runner-up and third place)
Competition Format: The eight participating teams will be sorted into two groups of four for the Group Stage. After round-robin play, the two group winners, plus the two second-place finishers will advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners will automatically qualify to the championship final and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The semifinal losers will dispute the tournament’s third place match for the last available ticket to the World Cup.