MIAMI, Florida – The 2023 Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship in Guatemala produced a number of great moments, but here are the five that stood out the most.
Mexico remain kings of the CMU17
There is just something about the CMU17 that brings out the best in Mexico. For the fifth consecutive time El Tricolor were crowned champions of the CMU17, making it their ninth overall title. Mexico also collected top individual honors, with Stephano Carrillo as the Top Scorer (8 goals), Gael Alvarez as Best Player and Norberto Bedolla as the Best Goalkeeper. Mexico will now aim to win their third FIFA Under-17 Men’s World Cup title in Peru later this year.
Keyrol Figueroa breaks out for the U.S.
The U.S. once again reached the Final and qualified for the U17 Men’s World Cup thanks in large part to the breakout performance of FW Keyrol Figueroa. The son of Honduras legend Maynor Figueroa scored seven goals to finish second for the tournament in scoring. The Liverpool Academy product showed his power, skill and pace by scoring in five of the seven U.S. matches.
Puerto Rico reaches quarterfinals from CMU17 Qualifying
Puerto Rico advanced directly to the Round of 16 by virtue of their first place group finish in last fall’s CMU17 Qualifying. They then promptly showed everyone why they were a team to watch as they eliminated Costa Rica in the Round of 16 with a 4-2 penalty shootout win following a 1-1 draw. They also overcame a lot of adversity to do it, conceding the Costa Rica equalizer in the 90’, going down a man in extra time and then requiring GK Sebastian Cuevas to save a penalty in the extra frame. Cuevas then saved two penalties in the shootout to lead his side to the next round.
Panama clinch first World Cup berth since 2013
Panama qualified for just their third Under-17 Men’s World Cup and first since 2013 thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win over Central American rivals Honduras in the quarterfinals. Kevin Walder was the star for the Canaleros with four goals, as was a defense that only conceded two goals in their first five games to punch their World Cup ticket.
Canada’s Vojvodic and other former U13 SCCL stars shine
Many of the players who stood out four years ago in the 2019 Under-13 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League showcased their improvement and maturity as players in the 2023 CMU17, including Kyler Vojvodic of Canada, who had three goals and helped his nation qualify for the World Cup. Claudio Montero of Costa Rica was another former U13 SCCL player who shined in Guatemala with two assists for the Ticos, while Roberto Osorto of Honduras had two goals and a whopping six assists for the Catrachos in five games.
