United States under-20 men’s national team head coach Tab Ramos held a teleconference on Thursday afternoon to preview the upcoming U-20 CONCACAF Championship beginning on Friday in Costa Rica. The USA kick off their effort to qualify for the U-20 World Cup (this tournament doubles as qualification) against Panama on Saturday (3:30 p.m., UDN, Facebook Live).
The team arrived in Costa Rica on Saturday to begin final preparations for the tournament. However, a training camp in December held in the country will be the biggest help to acclimating the team to the unfamiliar environment. Ramos stated that the team held several camps and held scrimmages to evaluate players and keep them fit while the MLS and college seasons were inactive.