April 25 – Costa Rica has stepped up to more hosting duties in the CONCACAF region picking up the 2017 Under-20 Championship which acts as the qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be played in South Korea in 2017.
Costa Rica hosted the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup in 2014 and next month hosts the CONCACAF Futsal Championship in San Jose, May 8-14.
Four World Cup qualifying slots are available for the South Korea finals and 12 teams will be in Costa Rica (February 17 to March 5) to compete for them: five from the Caribbean, four from Central America and three from North America (Mexico, the US and Canada).
Teams will be seeded into two groups of six with the winning teams qualifying for South Korea. The second- and third-place teams from each group are re-seeded by group stage results, with the top team of the four facing the fourth-best team, and the second-best finisher facing the third-best. The winner of each of those two matches also advances to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017.
Costa Rica will host all matches at the National Stadium in San Jose, and the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium, home to Deportivo Saprissa of the Costa Rican First Division.
CONCACAF Acting General Secretary Ted Howard said: “Costa Rica continues to take on important responsibilities in hosting international tournaments, with impressive results.”
Last May Costa Rican FA (FEDEFUTBOL) president and FIFA’s newest executive committee member Eduardo Li was arrested in the first swoop on FIFA federation officials by the US justice authorities in Zurich as part of the US corruption investigation.
The Costa Rican government and federation has supported Li who was extradited to the US in December of last year to face corruption charges. Li had been a driving force in the international progress of the country that saw them progress to the quarter final of the Brazil 2014 World Cup where they lost on penalties to Holland.
Rather than disappear into obscurity following the arrest of Li, Costa Rica has regrouped and taken on responsibility in a confederation that needs its larger member associations to shoulder the hosting responsibility of its competitions. Rodolfo Villalobos, president of FEDEFUTBOL, said: “This will be a very good opportunity for Costa Ricans to see this qualifying tournament. We are going to prepare the best we can to be great hosts, and provide the best conditions for all the teams. We are already waiting for them with open arms.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714047040labto1714047040ofdlr1714047040owedi1714047040sni@n1714047040osloh1714047040cin.l1714047040uap1714047040