Mexico to host CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in 2013
Posted on 10 April 2012 in Men's U-20 Team
CONCACAF has announced that Mexico will host the 2013 CONCACAF Men's Under-20 Championship in Puebla, Mexico. The tournament will run next 18 February to 2 March at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc and the newly-renovated Estadio Universitario Lobos BUAP. The tournament will qualify four teams for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013.
Twelve teams will compete at the CONCACAF Men's Under-20 Championship. Canada, Mexico, USA will be joined by four teams from Central America and five teams from the Caribbean. Players must be born 1993 or later to be eligible for the men's U-20 CONCACAF and FIFA tournaments. Canada's U-20 coach is Nick Dasovic.
Puebla is the home of Mexican first division team Puebla and Mexican second division team Lobos BUAP. The city previously hosted the 1973 CONCACAF Men's Youth Championship and 2008 CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship. The city also hosted FIFA World Cup matches in 1970 and 1986. In 1973, Canada played its first-ever competitve U-19 match at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc (a 1:1 draw with Nicaragua). In 2008, Canada won the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship after a 1:0 victory over USA in the championship final.
To date, Canada has participated in eight FIFA U-20 World Cups, including a national-best quarter-final finish at UAE 2003 (eighth overall). Canada has also won two CONCACAF Men's Under-20 Championships, once in 1986 and once again in 1996.
Also announced on 10 April 2012, Panama will host the 2013 CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship.
