CU20 Preview: January 24, 2015

Mexico (green jersey) will look to capture a third CONCACAF Under-20 Championship title, when it faces Panama in the final on on January 24,2 015, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. (Photo: Mexsport)

2015 CONCACAF UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP
Kingston & Montego Bay, Jamaica
January 9 – January 24, 2015

JANUARY 24, 2015 – PREVIEW
Montego Bay, Jamaica – Montego Bay Sports Complex

[do action="article_quote"]PLAYOFF #1[/do]

Guatemala v Honduras, 2:00 p.m. ET

Honduras leads CU20 series: 3 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss (6 GF, 2 GA)

- Last CU20 meeting: November 6, 1998 (at Guatemala City, Guatemala) – Guatemala 1, Honduras 2
- Honduras is 3-0-0 v Guatemala in last three CU20 finals meetings
- Guatemala’s only win v Honduras in a CU20 finals game came on April 12, 1964, 1-0, in Guatemala City, Guatemala

Guatemala Quick Facts (3rd place, Group A … 3-1-1, 10 points … 6 GF, 2 GA)

Group A results: 1-1 draw v USA (Andy Ruiz 90’); 1-0 win v Jamaica (Stheven Robles 27’); 2-0 win v Trinidad & Tobago (own-goal, Martieon Watson 25'; Mauro Portillo 88'); 2-0 win v Aruba (Carlos Estrada 42'; Kevin Bordon 60'); 1-0 loss v Panama
CU20 Appearances: 18
CU20 Titles: 0
Best Finish: Runner-up - 2 (1962, 1973)
Qualification Method: Central America – Fourth Place
Qualification Record: GP – 6; W – 3; D – 1; L – 2; GF – 10; GA – 6
Top qualifying scorers: Mauro Portillo (5 goals); Pablo Aguilar, Diego Palma (2)
Guatemala has conceded only two goals in its last seven 2015 CU20 qualifying/finals games
Four of Mauro Portillo’s six 2015 CU20 qualifying/finals have been scored in the 82nd minute or later
Five-game CU20 finals unbeaten streak snapped in Wednesday’s 1-0 to Panama
Never scored more than one goal in a CU20 finals match v Honduras
FIFA U-20 World Cup Appearances: 1 (2011)

Honduras Quick Facts (2nd place, Group B … 3-1-1, 10 points … 11 GF, 9 GA)

CU20 Group B results: 2-2 draw v El Salvador (Bryan Rochez 6' pen; Alberth Elis 27'); 3-0 win v Cuba (Alberth Elis 60'; John Suazo 70'; Jhow Benavidez 83'); 3-0 loss v Mexico; 3-2 win v Haiti (Alberth Elis 5'; Michael Chirinos 38'; Bryan Rochez 72'); 3-2 win v Canada (Bryan Rochez 23'; Dabirson Castillo 68'; Bryan Rochez 83')
CU20 Appearances: 17
CU20 titles: 2
Best Finish: Champion - 2 (1982, 1994)
Qualification Method: Central America – Third Place
Qualification Record: GP – 6; W – 3; D – 2; L – 1; GF – 13; GA – 6
Top qualifying scorers: Junior Lacayo, Bryan Rochez (3 goals); Deybi Flores, Fredy Medina (2)
Bryan Rochez has one career CONCACAF Champions League goal (scored for Real España in a 1-1 draw v Guatemala’s Municipal on August 21, 2014)
Alberth Elis has one career CONCACAF Champions League goal (scored for Olimpia in a 1-0 win at Guyana’s Alpha United on August 5, 2014)
Bryan Rochez has scored 3 of Honduras’ last 4 CU20 goals
FIFA U-20 World Cup Appearances: 5 (1977, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2009)

[do action="article_quote"]PLAYOFF #2[/do]

USA v El Salvador, 5:00 p.m. ET

In seven all-time CU20 meetings between them, the USA (9 GF) and El Salvador (11 GF) have three wins each, the other match ended in a draw

- Last CU20 meeting: March 10, 2009 (at Bacolet, Trinidad & Tobago) – USA 2, El Salvador 0
- USA is 2-0-0 in last two CU20 outings v El Salvador (2002: 1-0; 2009: 2-0)
- El Salvador’s last win v USA in CU20 play came on August 20, 1994, 3-1, in Puerto Cortes, Honduras

USA Quick Facts (2nd place, Group A … 3-1-1, 10 points … 12 GF, 2 GA)

Group A results: 1-1 draw v Guatemala (Cameron Carter-Vickers 59’); 1-0 loss v Panama; 8-0 win v Aruba (Romain Gall 16', 23’ pen, 32’; Ben Spencer 18'; Tommy Thompson 26'; Emerson Hyndman 30'; Bradford Jamieson 48’; Amando Moreno 84'); 2-0 win v Jamaica (Romain Gall 33' pen, 70’ pen); 1-0 win v Trinidad & Tobago (Bradford Jamieson 78’)
CU20 Appearances: 22
CU20 Titles: 0
Best Finish: Runner-up – 6 (1980, 1982, 1986, 1992, 2009, 2013)
Qualification Method: automatic North American qualifier
In 2013, fell 3-1 (aet) to host Mexico in the final…Benji Joya scored lone USA goal (10’ pen)
Cameron Carter-Vickers, who turned 17 on December 31, played 60 minutes for the U.S. U23s in a 3-0 loss at Brazil on October 14, 2014
Paul Arriola has two career CONCACAF Champions League goals, both for Club Tijuana v Honduras’ Victoria: August 20, 2013: 3-2 away win; & September 26, 2013: 6-0 home win)
Eight-goal v outburst v Aruba on Jan. 14 fell one short of U.S. team record for most goals in a single CU20 match … record is 9-0 v Dominican Republic on September 26, 1976, in Puerto Rico
On January 19, CONCACAF officially changed credit for the USA’s 2nd goal (18th minute) in its 8-0 win over Aruba on January 14 from Bradford Jamieson to Ben Spencer
Romain Gall is joint-top scorer in the competition with Mexico’s Hirving Lozano (5 goals each)
With 1-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday, USA is now 6-0-0 in its last group match at the last six CU20s (posted a shutout in each game)
0W, 0D, 3L in last match at last three CU20s (2009: 3-0 loss v Costa Rica in final; 2011: 2-1 loss v Guatemala in quarterfinals; 2013: 3-1 (aet) loss v Mexico in final)
FIFA U-20 World Cup Appearances: 13 (1981, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013)

El Salvador Quick Facts (3rd place, Group B … 2-2-1, 8 points … 9 GF, 8 GA)

CU20 Group B results: 2-2 draw v Honduras (Juan Barahona 83'; Jose Villavicencio 90' pen); 1-1 draw v Haiti (Jose Villavicencio 27'); 3-2 win v Canada (Bryan Perez 43'; Jose Villavicencio 77'; Romilio Hernandez 90'+3); 3-1 loss v Mexico (Nelson Moreno 88’); 2-0 win v Cuba (Juan Barahona 57', 87’)
CU20 Appearances: 15
CU20 titles: 1
Best Finish: Champion - 1 (1964)
Qualification Method: Central America – Second Place
Qualification Record: GP – 6; W – 3; D – 2; L – 1; GF – 18; GA – 6
Top qualifying scorers: Denis Pineda (4 goals); Josue Hernandez (3); Juan Barahona, Roberto Dominguez, Bryan Perez, Romilio Hernandez (2)
Three players on current U-20 roster were on El Salvador’s roster at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey: Carlos Cañas (0 games, 0 goals); Romilio Hernandez (1, 0); Jose Villavicencio (0, 0)
11 of last 14 2015 CU20 qualifying/finals goals scored in the second half
Scored at least one goal in 10 of its 11 CU20 qualifying/finals games
Reached the FIFA U-20 World Cup for first time after advancing to 2013 CU20 semifinals
FIFA U-20 World Cup Appearances: 1 (2013)

[do action="article_quote"]FINAL[/do]

In three all-time CU20 meetings Panama has one win (2002: 2-1) and Mexico has two (1964: 2-0; 2011 semifinals: 4-1)

- Mexico defeated Panama, 2-1, in the 2013 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship final in Panama City, Panama … Six players on Panama’s current U20 roster played in that match (Jesus Araya, Jaime De Gracia, Ismael Diaz, Jomar Diaz, Kevin Galvan, Ervin Zorrilla) … Araya scored Panama’s goal in the 50th minute) … Three players on Mexico’s current U20 roster played in that match (Erick Aguirre, Alejandro Diaz, Jose Robles) … Edson Resendez was on the roster for that game, but did not play

Panama Quick Facts (1st place, Group A … 5-0-0, 15 points … 9 GF, 0 GA)

Group A results: 4-0 win v Aruba (Ismael Diaz 19', 51’; Ervin Zorrilla 30'; Edson Samms 35'); 1-0 win v USA (Carlos Small 78’); 2-0 win v Jamaica (Edson Samms 56'; Ismael Diaz 87'); 1-0 win v Trinidad & Tobago (Michael Murillo 78'); 1-0 win v Guatemala (Ismael Diaz 65’)
CU20 Appearances: 9
CU20 Titles: 0
Best Finish: Fourth Place - 1 (2011)
Qualification Method: Central America – First Place
Qualification Record: GP – 6; W – 5; D – 0; L – 1; GF – 18; GA – 7
Top qualifying scorers: Ismael Diaz (5 goals); Fidel Escobar (3); Chin Hormechea, Carlos Small (2)
Posted shutouts in eight of 11 2015 CU20 qualifying & finals games
Ismael Diaz has scored in six of Panama’s 11 2015 CU20 qualifying/finals games
Seven members of current Panama U-20 squad played at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates: Jesus Araya (3 games, 0 goals); Jaime De Gracia (3, 0); Ismael Diaz (3, 0); Jomar Diaz (1, 0); Kevin Galvan (3, 0); Chin Hormechea (3, 0); Ervin Zorrilla (3, 1)
FIFA U-20 World Cup Appearances: 4 (2003, 2005, 2007, 2011)

Mexico Quick Facts (1st place, Group B … 4-1-0, 13 points … 18 GF, 3 GA)

CU20 Group B results: 9-1 win v Cuba (Alejandro Diaz 1', 20’; Guillermo Martinez 6', 65’ pen; Hirving Lozano 36', 40’; Jose David Ramirez 42', 47’; Luis Marquez 69'); 2-0 win v Canada (Hirving Lozano 30'; Diego Pineda 90'+2); 3-0 win v Honduras (Alejandro Diaz 16' pen; Hirving Lozano 31'; Victor Guzman 89'); 3-1 win v El Salvador (Jose David Ramirez 62'; Alejandro Diaz 65'; Hirving Lozano 67' pen); 1-1 draw v Haiti (Mauro Lainez 38’)
CU20 Appearances: 24
CU20 titles: 12
Best Finish: Champion – 12 (1962, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1990, 1992, 2011, 2013)
Qualification Method: automatic North American qualifier
Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Haiti snapped Mexico’s tournament-record winning streak at 14 games, but extended its unbeaten run to 16 games … last loss came v Canada, 2-0, on March 9, 2009, in Macoya, Trinidad & Tobago
Two-time defending champion … defeated Costa Rica in 2011 final (3-1); defeated the USA in 2013 final (3-1 aet), before a crowd of 41,621, in Puebla, Mexico
Hirving Lozano has scored one career CONCACAF Champions League (scored for Pachuca in a 4-1 win over Real España on August 6, 2014)
Erick Gutierrez has scored three career CONCACAF Champions League goals (scored two goals for Pachuca in a 4-1 win over Real España on August 6, 2014; scored one goal in a 7-1 win at Municipal on August 27, 2014)
Four players on current U-20 roster were on Mexico’s roster at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates: Erick Aguirre (6 games, 0 goals); Alejandro Diaz (7, 2); Edson Resendez (0, 0); Jose Robles (2, 0)
7W, 1D, 0L (15 GF, 4 GA) in eight all-time CU20 championship match appearances
CU20 championship match results: (1973) 2-0 win Guatemala; (1974) 1-0 win v Cuba; (1976) 1-1 draw v Honduras, prevailed 3-2 on penalties; (1978) 1-0 win v Canada; (1980) 2-0 win v USA; (1984) 2-1 win (aet) v Canada); (2011) 3-1 win v Costa Rica; (2013) 3-1 win (aet) v USA)
FIFA U-20 World Cup Appearances: 13 (1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2013)