CONCACAF Under-20 Championship’s qualification stage is set to kick off today at the at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida with Panama and El Salvador in the first game of a Group H encounter, while Honduras and Costa Rica face off later in the day in the Group G opener.

After an initial Group Stage that included a record number of 34 teams, the six group winners have been divided into two groups.
No Caribbean team made it past the first round, with Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti all finishing second in their respective groups behind the United States, Mexico, Honduras, and Costa Rica.

The three-team groups are as follows:

Group G
Winner Group A – United States
Winner Group C – Honduras
Winner Group E – Costa Rica

Group H
Winner Group B – Mexico
Winner Group D – Panama
Winner Group F – El Salvador

After round robin play, the two group winners plus the second-place finishers will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Additionally, the two group winners will advance to the tournament’s final to determine the regional champion.
The final is scheduled to be played Wednesday, November 21, 2018.