The 5th edition of the region’s U-20 Championship kicked off Friday in Costa Rica. The tournament features 12 teams and will be played over the next two and half weeks. The USMNT begin group play on Saturday.
The tournament will also serve as qualification for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup this coming summer in South Korea. The top four finishing teams from this competition will qualify as CONCACAF’s four representatives.
The countries were drawn into three groups of four, with the United States getting Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Haiti. The U.S. should easily roll through the classification stage, with Panama looking second favorites.