Mexico tops Canada in extra time to get to final

January 29, 2010

Mexico reached the final of the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship for the first time Thursday, beating Canada 1-0 in extra time when Canada goalkeeper Cynthia LeBlanc let a seemingly innocent corner kick slip through her hands.

LeBlanc appeared to easily have Corral’s inswinging corner covered, but the ball went through her hands, banged off her face and into the goal in the 104th minute. She lunged into the goal and slapped the ball away, but not before it crossed the line.

The result set up a Saturday final between Mexico and the United States, which won the earlier semifinal against Costa Rica. It will be the first time in the history of the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship Canada has not played the United States in the final.

The victory also earned Mexico a third straight trip to the World Cup in July in Germany and fourth overall.

“It would be a big step for Mexico to be champion in addition to reaching Germany,” captain Lydia Rangel said.

The two-time and defending CONCACAF Canada has qualified all four times for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup and has another chance to become one of CONCACAF’s three entrants when it faces Costa Rica in Saturday’s third-place game.

Mexico’s Sandra Mayor hit the post in the 73rd with the best chance for either team before extra time, dribbling across the top of the area until she reached the arc and unleashed a right-footed blast that banged off the left upright.

Mexico started out with the possession and chances for the first 10 minutes, but Canada took control and had the better of play for the remainder of the half. Julie Casselman’s header from Chelsea Stewart’s cross in the 40th was covered by Mexican keeper Aurora Santiago at the far post for the Canadians’ best chance.

Canada started the second half and had more possession and opportunities until about the 72nd. But Corral capitalized on a turnover to get off a quick shot from just inside the top of the area, and Mayor’s blast off the corner of the goal was the best chance for either side in the first 90 minutes.

The goal appeared to inspire Mexico, which had three good chances in the final 16 minutes. Corral put a header off a cross from Mayor just wide in the 110th and Corral also had the first of two consecutive shots in the 116th that LeBlanc stretched to parry wide.

GUATEMALA CITY

Concacaf

Tags: aurora, Canada, canadians, captain Lydia Rangel, casselman, CHELSEA, Chelsea Stewart, concacaf, Costa Rica, Cynthia LeBlanc, extra time, far post, Germany, Goalkeeper, guatemala city, Julie Casselman, lydia, Mexico, mexico and the united states, place game, possession, rangel, remainder, Sandra Mayor, Santiago, straight trip, turnover, United States, World Cup

2009: Honduras joins USA, Mexico in World Cup

December 22, 2009

To some, which teams would get to the World Cup from CONACACAF was clear.

After one game of the final round of CONCACAF qualifying – or the “hexagonal”, former international coach Bora Milutinovic made what many thought was a bold prediction.

“Mexico, USA and Honduras will be the first three,” he said when spied by a reporter in Columbus, Ohio, an hour after the United States beat Mexico 2-0 on February 11.

Milutinovic, who had coached all three teams, including Costa Rica, was amazingly prophetic.

Mexico and the United States have made it a habit, both qualifying in each of the last five World Cups. Honduras clinched a berth for the first time in more than a generation — since 1982.

The odd team out was Costa Rica, which had qualified for the 2002 and 2006 tournaments.

For the second time in three qualifying cycles, the Mexicans needed coach Javier Aguirre to rescue their campaign at the start of the final round. Sven Goran-Eriksson was fired as coach and Aguirre was brought in the rescue an underachieving side. He accomplished that feat in 2001.

Given a new direction and vitality, the Mexicans gained momentum and qualified as the hottest team in CONCACAF. They clinched a spot behind a 4-1 home win over El Salvador at Estadio Azteca October 10 to finish with a 6-1-3 record and 19 points.

The United States likewise claimed their place in the 32-team South Africa field with a game to spare, outlasting Honduras 3-2 in San Pedro Sula to earn a sixth straight trip to the World Cup and finish atop the qualifying standings (6-2-2, 20) – one point ahead of Mexico.

Conor Casey, who had never started a qualifier or an important international match and who had a 14-game scoreless streak, scored twice for the Americans. The encounter was so riveting that the capacity crowd applauded the effort, despite the home side going down to defeat when Honduran veteran Carlos Pavon put an 87th-minute penalty kick over the bar.

That sent the last berth down to the last match day to decide between Honduras and Costa Rica.

Costa Rica needed at least a draw against the United States in Washington and loss by Honduras in El Salvador. A Honduras victory would require a Costa Rica victory for the Ticos to advance.

Neither scenario occurred.

Pavon atoned for his penalty miss four days earlier with a 65th-minute tally to give Honduras (5-1-4, 16 points) a 1-0 victory and a chance to go to the World Cup. But its efforts seemed in vain, with Costa Rica taking a 2-0 first-half lead over the United States and still leading 2-1 heading into extra time.

But U.S. defender Jonathan Bornstein scored 4 1/2 minutes into stoppage time, lifting the Americans to a 2-2 draw and earning himself hero status in Honduras.

Costa Rica (5-1-4, 16 points), was denied its berth on goal difference, but had another opportunity to qualify in a two-leg playoff against Uruguay, the fifth-place finisher from South America.

However, the Central American side lost at home to Uruguay in the first leg in San Jose, Costa Rica, on November 14, and wasn’t able to overtake the South Americans four days later in Montevideo, settling for a 1-1 draw and only hopes for 2012.

By Michael Lewis

Tags: aguirre, berth, bold prediction, capacity crowd, Carlos Pavon, Central American, COLUMBUS, concacaf, conor casey, El Salvador, estadio azteca, Honduras, hottest team, international coach, Javier Aguirre, jonathan bornstein, mexicans, Mexico, mexico and the united states, michael lewis, Montevideo, new direction, Ohio, penalty kick, San Jose, san pedro sula, scoreless streak, South Africa, South America, South Americans, straight trip, Sven Goran Eriksson, uruguay, vitality, Washington, World Cup, world cups

2009: U-17 year ends on missed penalty for Mexico

December 18, 2009

It was a moment Carlos Campos will want to forget.

It was November 5 when the Mexican midfielder couldn’t convert a penalty kick in a shootout against South Korea in the Round-of-16 of the Under-17 World Cup.

South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jin-long dove to his left, blocking Campos shot.

Mexico was eliminated and perhaps embarrassed.

Coach Jose Luis Gonzalez squad appeared headed to the quarterfinals, leading 1-0 approaching injury time. But a South Korean goal two minutes into added time forced extra time – and eventually penalties.

“It hurts to lose, because the guys left it all on the pitch,” Gonzalez said. “It’s sad to lose this way but that’s soccer. We have to leave with a sense of accomplishment, with our heads held high because the Mexican national team in this game and throughout this tournament left everything on the pitch.”

And it left a dramatic finish. And with all the drama went the final remaining team representing CONCACAF in the World Cup.

The United States had been eliminated the day before with a 2-1 loss to Italy.

Costa Rica and Honduras didn’t reach the knockout stage, both finishing last in their respective groups.

Just like Mexico’s finish, there was plenty of drama in 2009 for CONCACAF U-17 teams.

Besides Mexico’s loss to South Korea, the Americans equalized with Italy early in the second half in their second-round match, giving hope that coach Wilmer Cabrera’s squad would accomplish an upset. But the U.S. euphoria lasted only five minutes, when the Italians reclaimed the lead and won 2-1.

Then there was the cancellation of the semifinals and finals of the CONCACAF championship in the border town of Tijuana, Mexico, due to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu.

Mexico and the United States were on a path to meet in the title match and set up a showdown in front of a chaotic crowd at Estadio Caliente.

It is anybody’s guess what could have transpired if the long-time rival countries met. Fans wanted to see U.S. striker Jack McInerney, who led the tournament with five goals in three games, take on a Mexican defense that shutout all three of its group rivals, outscoring them 11-0.

Instead, Mexico, the U.S., Costa Rica and Honduras sealed their tickets to the World Cup having already reached the semifinals.

Both Honduras and Costa Rica finished 1-1-1 in their groups with wins against Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago respectively.

Both Central American nations hoped for similar success at the World Cup.

Bur Costa Rica finished 0-1-2 with its only point coming in a 1-1 draw against New Zealand.

Honduras lost all three of its group matches against Argentina, Germany and host Nigeria, scoring only one goal.

The United States reached the second round of a U-17 World Cup for the fourth-straight time, overcoming an opening 2-1 loss to Spain with a pair of 1-0 victories over Malawi and the United Arab Emirates.

The Americans failed to capitalize on a Spanish side that played with a man down for the last 88 minutes and costing them a second-round match against Burkina Faso.

Mexico, the 2005 World Cup champion, also couldn’t exploit its advantages, failing to close out South Korea with the victory seemingly at hand.

Gonzalez’s team went 2-1 in the group stage, like the United States, overcoming an opening 2-0 loss to eventual 2009 champion Switzerland to beat Brazil and Japan.

But penalty kicks doomed it.

“There are no excuses,” Gonzalez said. “It was Korea’s turn to win. I felt it was a great game from both sides, and we simply were the ones to lose.”

Maybe Mexico’s fortune will be different in the next U-17 World Cup. After all, they are hosting the tournament in 2011.

By Ivan Orozco

Tags: added time, Carlos Campos, concacaf championship, euphoria, Goalkeeper, injury time, italians, jose luis gonzalez, knockout stage, mexico and the united states, penalty kick, quarterfinals, rival countries, south korea, south korean, swine flu, tijuana mexico, time rival, wilmer

2009: El Salvador rules the sand to earn first title since 1943

December 17, 2009

Nothing was going to stop El Salvador from its first international title since 1943 _ not even swine flu.

The fabled “Fishermen of La Pirraya” beat Canada and the United States, then prevailed over Costa Rica 6-3 in the final to win the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship .

It was the first time in the five-year history of CONCACAF conducting a qualifying event for the Beach Soccer World Cup that neither Mexico nor the United States earned a berth to represent the region.

But El Salvador’s title didn’t come without delay.

Originally scheduled for April 29-May 3 in Puerto Vallarta, the CONCACAF beach championship was postponed a day before the start when an outbreak of influenza in Mexico forced government officials to close schools nationwide. CONCACAF officials, likewise, postponed the finals of the inaugural Champions League and cancelled the semifinals and finals of the Under-17 Championship ongoing in .

When it was rescheduled for mid-June in the Pacific resort, Mexico and the United States still remained the prohibitive favorites.

Mexico won both its group matches – including a 4-1 win over El Salvador — by a combined 14-1 and, similarly, the United States breezed past Costa Rica and debutante Bahamas by a 12-3 aggregate.

But in the semifinals, despite a partisan home crowd of 3,000, Richard Sterling scored with 5:40 remaining to equalize 2-2 for Costa Rica, and Ticos went on to outlast the Mexicans on penalties 2-1 to earn their first trip to the World Cup.

In the other semi, Jose Agustin scored for a third straight game, tallying twice in the opening four minutes and again with 2:23 remaining to lead El Salvador over the United States 5-3.

A day later, Agustin scored his tournament-leading eighth goal to help Los Cuscatlecos over Costa Rica and its first title since it won the Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CCCF) title during World War II.

“We’ve improved a lot compared to last year,” El Salvador goalkeeper and captain Luis Rodas said. “The experience we’ve had going to Marseille and compete with the best teams in the world helped us a great deal.”

But the glory was short-lived. Come November at the World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, El Salvador and Costa Rica both were eliminated in three straight games.

Costa Rica was outscored 14-2, while El Salvador allowed a goal with 48 seconds remaining to lose to Ivory Coast 7-6 in its opener and never recovered.

“A World Cup is always a good experience for the team,” El Salvador coach Rudis Gonzalez said. “We have a very young side and we’ve only been working with them for three or four years. We still have a lot to learn and, though the boys have done a good job, we can’t compete against professional players and history.
“We have to keep developing the game so that we can change our role in the future and we need to try and be consistent over the three periods. We always seem to lose our balance. We have to get more experience and games under our belt.”

Concacaf

Tags: Agustin, Bahamas, canada and the united states, captain Luis Rodas, Central American, CONCACAF Beach, Costa Rica, debutante, eighth goal, El Salvador, first trip, Goalkeeper, jose agustin, Marseille, mexicans, Mexico, mexico and the united states, puerto vallarta, resort mexico, richard sterling, rodas, soccer championship, soccer world cup, straight game, ticos, united arab emirates, United States, world war ii

CONCACAF Executive Committee alters youth championships qualifying format

November 24, 2009

Mexico and the United States will play off against the seven Central American nations for five places in the CONCACAF men’s youth championships beginning with the 2011 tournament, a change approved Monday by the confederation’s Executive Committee.

The three North American entrants previously had qualified automatically for both the under-17 and under-20 championships, but now will be grouped with their UNCAF counterparts with a procedure yet to be determined. The Caribbean will continue to qualify three teams for the eight-team biennial tournament.

The qualifying will be slightly different for the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in 2011. Since Mexico is hosting the U-17 World Cup that year, it will qualify automatically for the FIFA finals.

The board also voiced unanimous support for the United States’ bid to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022. Executive Committee member and U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati outlined the major aspects of the bid in a video and slide-show presentation to the panel.

CONCACAF President Jack Warner congratulated the United States on its bid.

“The United States can count on the full support of CONCACAF, including Chuck Blazer, Rafael Salgueiro and myself,” Warner said. The 24-member FIFA Executive Committee will decide the venues for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup in December 2010.

Based on the General Secretary’s report on CONMEBOL, the board confirmed the decision to end CONCACAF’s participation in the Copa Sudamericana, authorized him to negotiate a continued presence in the Copa Libertadores and deferred a decision on the Copa America until its next meeting.

With the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League now complete and results analyzed, the Executive Committee approved a reallocation of berths, giving Panama one automatic place in next season’s Group Stage while making both of El Salvador’s qualifiers go through the Preliminary Round.

Neither Firpo this season nor Metapan in 2008 managed to advance past the Preliminary Round, and of the two teams that did earn a direct berth, Metapan won only one of five games this season while Firpo went 2-2-2 in 2008.

Panama, however, has had three of its four advance past the Preliminary Round into the Group Stage and this season has one, Arabe Unido, reach the quarterfinals. It will play Cruz Azul in the final eight in March.

The Executive Committee also applauded the unsuccessful attempt by Costa Rica to qualify for the World Cup in a two-leg playoff against Uruguay and voiced its support for federation President Eduardo Li. It praised Li’s leadership, noting the success of its youth program including the U-20 team’s fourth-place finish at the World Cup in Egypt.

NEW YORK – Canada

Tags: America, blazer, Caribbean, Central American, Chuck Blazer, confederation, copa america, copa libertadores, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, executive committee member, federation president, fifa finals, jack warner, Mexico, mexico and the united states, North American, Panama, President Eduardo Li, president jack, President Jack Warner, President Sunil Gulati, soccer federation, U.S, United States, uruguay, World Cup

Trinidad, Jamaica, Cuba claim Caribbean berths in CONCACAF Women’s U-20s

November 24, 2009

Cuba claimed the last berth in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship, beating St. Kitts and Nevis 6-0 Sunday to join Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica as the Caribbean representatives.

Trinidad will travel to Guatemala in January as the Caribbean champion, earning that honor with a 1-1 draw against Jamaica on Sunday and finishing atop the four-team finals with a better goal difference.

The trio will face Central American winner Costa Rica, which clinched its berth on September 6, host Guatemala and North American entrants Canada, Mexico and the United States in the eight-team finals.

Yelenia Gallardo scored four goals for Cuba, two in each half, against St. Kitts and Nevis, and finished with six in the Caribbean qualifying.

Karissa Rodney tallied in the 85th minute for Trinidad to earn the draw for Trinidad and Tobago after Semone Honeghan had given Jamaica the lead in the 68th.

Forward Mariah Shade and midfielder Natasha St. Louis finished atop the scoring leaders with eight goals apiece, same as Raquel Rodriguez of Costa Rica, who has six in a 9-0 victory over Honduras on August 16.

MACOYA, Trinidad

Tags: american winner, berth, berths, Canada, canada mexico, Caribbean, Central American, champion, concacaf women, Cuba, gallardo, goal difference, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, kitts and nevis, macoya, Mariah Shade, Mexico, mexico and the united states, midfielder, Natasha St. Louis, North American, raquel, Raquel Rodriguez, Rodney, semone, st kitts and nevis, Trinidad, trinidad and tobago

Mexico downs Haiti 4-0 with two goals by Sabah

July 20, 2009

ARLINGTON, Texas -Mexico earned the last berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals with 4-0 win against Haiti on Sunday, dominating the Caribbean side before a capacity crowd at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium.

Miguel Sabah scored twice, Giovani dos Santos sent in another and Pablo Barrera added one for El Tri in what was the first sporting event ever held at the new state-of-the-art home of the National Football League club.

The crowd of 82,252 – the third largest for a Gold Cup game in the United States — saw Mexico control possession and earn a match against Costa Rica in Thursday’s semifinals at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe 5-1 in the early match.

The doubleheader was not only the first sporting event at the $1.15 billion stadium. It was also the largest soccer crowd in Texas history.

Thousands watched on the giant 180-foot (55-meter) by 50-foot (15-meter) high-definition television screen from standing room only areas scattered throughout the stadium.

The previous state record was a friendly match between Mexican side America and FC Barcelona at Houston’s Reliant stadium in August 2006 with a crowd of 70,550.

The only larger U.S. Gold Cup crowds were the 1998 final at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum between Mexico and the United States (91,255) and the 1996 final (88,155) in Los Angeles between Mexico and Brazil.

And the Mexico partisan crowd Sunday probably left pleased with what it saw on the new artificial turf field.

Mexico, was without coach Javier Aguirre for the second straight game, opened the scoring with a goal by Sabah, his third of the tournament.

Assistant coach Mario Carrillo filled in for Aguirre while he serves a three-match suspension.

Sabah opened the scoring when he sent in the rebound off a missed Israel Castro penalty kick in the 23nd minute. Castro’s shot was blocked by Haiti goalkeeper Jean Zephirin, sending it back into the middle of the penalty box where Sabah was charging in.

He finished the play by poking in the ball with his right foot.

Jamaican referee Courtney Campbell whistled a penalty kick against Haiti when defender Frantz Bertin stopped a Sabah shot with his right hand at the mouth of the goal when Zephirin was already beat.

Bertin’s handball earned him a yellow card.

Sabah’s second goal came in the 63rd minute via a header off a Giovani dos Santos corner kick.

Sabah’s two scores give him the tournament lead with four, one more than Panama’s Blaz Perez. Panama was eliminated by the United States on Saturday.

Sabah could have added another to his total in the 25th minute.

He sent a left-footed shot at an empty net, but Haiti’s Pierre Bruny kept the ball out. Sabah was trying to finish a play that included a Zepherin save on a point-blank Dos Santos shot.

It wouldn’t take too long for dos Santos to send in his first goal of the tournament and his third with Mexico’s senior team.

Dos Santos, a member of Mexico’s 2005 Under-17 World Cup championship team, sent a left-footed blast from the edge of the arc in the 42nd minute past Zepherin for a 2-0 halftime lead.

Barrera, a substitute in the 59th minute, sent a one-time shot off a dos Santos corner kick in the 82nd minute to cap El Tri’s scoring.

Mexico kept attacking a Haiti team, who pressured and tried to close off spaces when El Tri possessed the ball and looked for a chance at a counter attack.

Haiti did manage to move the ball up field on occasion.

Coach Jairo Rios team had its first shot on goal in the 33rd minute when Mones Chery sent a left-footed shot from about 25 meters and had it slapped over the crossbar by Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

Haiti moved its lines up in the second half but couldn’t generate clear looks at goal.

By Ivan Orozco

Tags: artificial turf field, capacity crowd, concacaf gold cup, concacaf gold cup semifinals, dallas cowboys, fc barcelona, football league club, friendly match, high definition television, los angeles memorial coliseum, mexico and the united states, national football league, partisan crowd, soccer crowd, soldier field, u s gold

Costa Rica, El Salvador claim berths in Beach Soccer World Cup

June 21, 2009

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – Costa Rica and El Salvador both advanced to their first Beach Soccer World Cup, eliminating favorites Mexico and the United States in the semifinals of the CONCACAF championship on Saturday.

Costa Rica outlasted El Tri 2-1 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw while El Salvador subdued the United States 5-3 to assure CONCACAF of a champion from neither Mexico nor the USA for the first time.

It will be El Salvador’s second straight trip and Costa Rica’s first to the Beach Soccer World Cup, this year set for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates November 16-22.

In an earlier game, Canada handed the Bahamas its third straight loss, 4-3, to claim fifth place.

Jose Agustin scored for a third straight game, tallying twice in the opening four minutes to give El Salvador a 2-0 lead. The United States twice pulled within a goal, the last time when Raphael Xexeo scored to cut the deficit to 5-4, but Agustin scored his third of the game with 2:23 remaining to seal the victory for El Salvador.

Isaac Rodriguez and Christopher Flores rallied Mexico from an early deficit to give El Tri a 2-1 lead. But Richard Sterling equalized for Costa Rica with 5:40 to go in the third period and send the game to extra time. A goalless extra period sent the match to penalties, where Gustavo Rosales hit the post on his attempt, giving Enzo Mora the chance to claim a World Cup berth for Costa Rica.

“I can hardly believe we’re actually going to the World Cup, but we deserve it more than anybody,” Costa Rica coach Christian Ovares said. “We beat Mexico in their home in front of thousands of fans. I think we‘ve made a point. We belong among the best 16 teams in the world.”

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Tags: Agustin, Bahamas, beach soccer, berths, Canada, Christian Ovares, Christopher Flores, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, concacaf championship, Costa Rica, Dubai, El Salvador, el tri, extra time, flores, four minutes, Gustavo Rosales, Isaac Rodriguez, Jose, jose agustin, Mexico, mexico and the united states, mora, penalty kicks, puerto vallarta, puerto vallarta mexico, richard sterling, soccer world cup, straight game, straight loss, straight trip, third period, united arab emirates, United States, USA, world cup berth

Mexico, United States win to remain on track for title match at CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship

June 20, 2009

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – Favorites Mexico and the United States both won their final group games Friday to remain on track for a title match meeting in the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.

Yuri Morales, who scored twice in an opening 6-2 victory over the Bahamas on Wednesday, scored three times against Costa Rica, leading a 6-1 win that set up a semifinal meeting against El Salvador on Saturday.

Mexico got two goals from Gustavo Rosales to pace a 4-1 victory over El Salvador and earn a semifinal against Costa Rica. El Tri finished atop Group A with the USA atop Group B in the six-team event that will send two teams to the Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates November 16-22.

Morales scored twice within three minutes midway through the first period to rally the United States, which fell behind for the second time in as many games. Francis Faberhoff scored his first goal of the tournament before the end of the period and Morales added his third midway through the second to put the Americans ahead 4-1.

Raphael Xexeo scored twice in the final period to complete the victory and get the United States within a win of returning to the World Cup.

“This is a great result for us. Our first aim was to finish as first in our group to try to avoid Mexico in the semifinals,” Morales said. “Now we can totally focus on tomorrow’s game, hoping our opponent will be El Salvador to get another chance to show that we’ve improved and deserve to go to the World Cup.”

Rosales, who had three goals in Wednesday’s 10-0 victory over Canada, scored twice in the first seven minutes to pace Mexico over El Salvador. Isaac Rodriguez and Jose Navarette added goals to increase Mexico’s lead to 4-0 before Jose Agustin replied for El Salvador.

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Tags: Bahamas, beach soccer, Canada, concacaf, CONCACAF Beach, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Costa Rica, Dubai, El Salvador, el tri, final group, final period, first period, group games, Gustavo Rosales, Isaac Rodriguez, Jose, jose agustin, Mexico, mexico and the united states, morales, opponent, puerto vallarta, puerto vallarta mexico, raphael, Raphael Xexeo, second time, soccer world cup, three minutes, Tri, united arab emirates, United States, USA, yuri, Yuri Morales

Remainder of U-17s canceled, Champions League decider postponed due to swine flu concern

April 28, 2009

NEW YORK –Due to the growing concerns about the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer announced Monday that the remainder of the confederation’s Under-17 Championship in Tijuana has been cancelled and the second leg of the Champions League finals has been postponed.

Mexican authorities previously had closed schools in Mexico City and on Monday extended that decision nationwide. Based on the actions of the Mexican government, CONCACAF responded to safeguard the health of players, officials and fans.

Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the United States all had clinched berths the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and were to play the semifinals on Wednesday with the championship and third-place match scheduled for Saturday. The four semifinalists will advance to the U-17 World Cup in Nigeria October 24-November 15.

The second leg of the Champions League finals between Cruz Azul and Atlante FC was to be played Wednesday in Cancun, but that game now will be delayed until Tuesday, May 12 at 9 p.m. local (10 p.m. EDT). Atlante leads the two-leg title series 2-0 from its opening win in Mexico City on Wednesday.

The CONCACAF Beach Championship in Puerto Vallarta, scheduled to begin Wednesday and continue through Sunday, is under review with a final decision expected Tuesday.

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