SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Two places in the 2023 FIFA Men’s Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia will be on the line on Tuesday when the quarterfinals of the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship in Honduras kick off, with the United States facing Costa Rica and hosts Honduras taking on Panama.
USA vs. Costa Rica 7:00 PM EDT
The North Americans and Ticos will face off at the Estadio Morazan in San Pedro Sula in the first quarterfinal of the day and it promises to be a tight, intense encounter.
Costa Rica enjoyed a solid second-place finish in Group H and then delivered a very impressive performance in the Round of 16, downing Trinidad and Tobago 4-1.
Dorian Rodriguez has been the dangerman for the Central Americans with four goals, including a brace in the win over the Soca Warriors. The U.S. have weapons as well in the form of Quinn Sullivan, who is the joint-top scorer in the tournament with five goals. Not to be discounted is attacker Diego Luna, who scored a goal and had an assist in the 5-0 Round of 16 victory for the U.S.
There is plenty of familiarity between the U.S. and Costa Rica when it comes to the CMU20. The two sides have met 12 previous times in Under-20 World Cup Qualifying, including three in the CMU20 era since 2009. Costa Rica won that first CMU20 match-up, 3-0, in 2009 before the U.S. claimed 1-0 and 4-0 wins in 2013 and 2018, respectively.
A win would give the U.S. its 17th Men’s Under-20 World Appearance, while Costa Rica are aiming for their 10th.
Honduras vs. Panama 10:00 PM EDT
The Estadio Morazan will also be the site for Tuesday’s nightcap, as host nation Honduras face fellow Central American side Panama.
Led by Marco Tulio Aceituno, who has four goals, Honduras have rolled through the tournament with a perfect three wins out of three in the group stage, followed by a commanding 4-1 Round of 16 triumph over Curacao. Jefryn Macias has also chipped in with three goals for the Catrachos, while Javier Arriaga and Odin Ramos each have two assists.
One of Panama’s biggest impact players has been someone who has largely come off the bench. Kevin Garrido has a goal to go along with two assists in four matches and just one start. Needless to say, if the Canaleros require a spark, Garrido is a trusted option.
There have been two previous encounters in the CMU20 era between the two nations. Panama earned a 2-0 quarterfinal win in 2011, while Honduras returned the favor at Costa Rica 2017 by the same scoreline.
Honduras would reach a ninth U20 World Cup with a win, while Panama would qualify for their seventh.
Quarterfinals of the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship
