Jamaica’s young Reggae Boyz will have powerhouse teams United States and Costa Rica, along with Caribbean neighbours Cuba to contend with in the group stages of this summer’s Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championships in Mexico.

Those teams will contest Group A of the tournament scheduled for July 19 to August 4. Honduras, Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Canada will contest Group B, while host Mexico, Panama, Guatemala and Haiti will lock horns in Group C.

The groups were revealed during a live draw on Thursday.

Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz, who topped Group F on their way to the Championships, will now be guided by Jerome Waite, who is looking forward to the challenge of possibly qualifying the country to its first Under-20 Men's World Cup since the Argentina feat in 2001.

To achieve the feat, Waite, who took the reins from John Wall after the Caribbean qualifiers, will have to first secure a top two spot from the Group, as only the top two finishers from each group, along with the two best-third-place teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.

From there, the four semi-finalists will secure qualification as Concacaf’s representatives at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup next year.

Waite, who is no stranger to high pressure situations, was at the helm when the young Reggae Boyz went into the 2018 tournament without much preparation or expectation, but surprised the entire nation when they finished level on 13 points from five games with Concacaf kingpins, Mexico, at the top of the group.

However, Mexico qualified for the second round by virtue of a better goal difference than the Jamaicans, as only the group winner advanced.

Since then, Jamaica's closest run to FIFA Under-20 World Cup qualification was when they made the quarterfinals of the 2022 tournament in Honduras.

"Qualification will not be easy, but it is something that can be accomplished," Waite said.

British Virgin Islands booked their spot in the second round of the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, following a 4-2 penalty shootout win over US Virgin Islands in their play-off contest at the AO Shirley Recreation Ground in Road Town, BVI, on Tuesday.

After playing out a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg, both teams again failed to separate themselves in a goalless second-leg encounter and so it was down to the dreaded penalties to decide the outcome. In the end, it was British Virgin Islands that held their nerves best from the 12-yard spot to progress to the business round of qualification.

They will join Jamaica, Dominica, Dominican Republic and Guatemala in Group E for the second round of the qualifiers, which are scheduled to run between June 2024 and June 2025. A total of 30 countries will vie for spots in the final round. 

The final round which will be played between September and November 2025, will see teams battling for five spots to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted jointly by Concacaf powerhouses Mexico, United States and Canada.

Of the five teams, three will earn direct qualification, while the other two spots will be decided via a play-offs.

The United States clinched their third consecutive Concacaf Nations League title with a commanding 2-0 victory over Mexico in the final of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Finals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna were the heroes for the USA, each finding the back of the net to secure the historic win against their arch-rivals.

The match kicked off with an electrifying atmosphere, and the intensity was palpable from the start. Christian Pulisic had an early opportunity to put the USA ahead but was denied by Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 5th minute.

Mexico responded by applying pressure in the USA's half, and their best chance of the first half came in the 22nd minute when Luis Chavez's shot was saved by USA goalkeeper Matt Turner after a flicked-on header.

As the first half progressed, the USA began to test Mexico's defense from distance. Sergino Dest came close with a shot that sailed just over the crossbar in the 38th minute. However, it was Tyler Adams who broke the deadlock just before halftime with a stunning long-range strike from 35 yards out, giving the USA a 1-0 lead.

In the second half, Mexico looked to mount a response, but they struggled to break down the resolute USA defense. Instead, it was the USA who extended their lead in the 63rd minute when Gio Reyna capitalized on an initial clearance from the Mexican defense and fired a shot past Ochoa at the near post, making it 2-0 for the USA.

Despite Mexico's efforts to get back into the game, the USA defense held firm, denying their opponents any clear-cut opportunities. As the final whistle blew, the USA celebrated their third consecutive Concacaf Nations League title, reaffirming their dominance in the region once again.

Newly appointed Under-20 Reggae Boyz Head coach Jerome Waite, is looking forward to the challenge of possibly qualifying the country to its first Under-20 Men's World Cup since the Argentina feat in 2001. 

The veteran tactician, who heads Jamaica Premier League (JPL) outfit, Tivoli Gardens, and Manning Cup unit, Wolmer’s Boys’ School, was appointed as replacement for John Wall, who led the team through the first phase of qualifying with victories over Grenada, Martinique and Bermuda in St Kitts and Nevis recently.

Waite brings a wealth of experience to the position, as he previous led or assisted with teams at the Under-20, Under-23 and senior levels.

In fact, Waite was at the helm when the young Reggae Boyz went into the 2018 tournament without much preparation or expectation, but surprised the entire nation when they finished level on 13 points from five games with CONCACAF kingpins, Mexico, at the top of the group. However, Mexico qualified for the second round by virtue of a better goal difference than the Jamaicans, as only the group winner advanced.

Since then, Jamaica's closest run to qualification was when they made the quarterfinal of the 2022 tournament in Honduras.

"It is always a joy working with the national programme. It will be great going into the qualifiers with this group of players. Qualification will not be easy, but it is something that can be accomplished," Waite said.

Waite's appointment comes as Wall has been recalled from the Under-20 assignment by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

According to a press release from the JFF, Wall's focus will be on his role as assistant head coach to Heimir Hallgrímsson as the senior men’s team prepares for their Nations League semi-final fixture against the United States later this month.

“The Jamaica Football Federation has decided to recall coach John Wall from duties with the under-20 team, so he can better concentrate on assisting Hallgrimsson in preparing the senior men's national team for the numerous competitions ahead,” an official statement read.

Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz, who topped Group F, joined other group winners Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Canada in the Championship round where they are set to meet the six pre-seeded nations – United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

The championship will be hosted in Guanajuato, Mexico in June, with the group draw set for April.

After suffering defeat in their opening Group A contest against United States, Caribbean representative Dominican Republic will be hoping for better fortunes when they tackle Mexico at the inaugural Concacaf Women's Gold Cup at Dignity Healthy Sports Park in Carson, California, on Friday.

Despite the 0-5 scoreline, Dominican Republic certainly held their own against the four-time World Champions United States for a large portion of the match, and should be aiming to replicate a similar show of fortitude, to possibly take points off Mexico.

Though it is easier said than done, especially bearing in mind that the lone meeting between the two teams in 2012, ended 7-0 in favour of Mexico, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean team will fancy their chances of upsetting the proverbial applecart.

The likes of Kathrynn Gonzalez, Lucia Marte, Brianne Reed and Paloma Pena are expected to carry the fight against El Tricolor. 

Mexico, like Dominican Republic, are hunting their first goal and, by extension first win of this historic tournament, as they were held to a goalless stalemate by Argentina. They will be intent on leaving that frustrating opening contest, in which Rebeca Bernal dashed a penalty, behind and begin their charge towards the knockout stage.

With a possible top-of-the-table clash with United States to come, Mexican attackers Bernal, Maria Sanchez and Greta Espinoza will be hoping to get into their scoring rhythm from as early as possible.

Argentina vs. United States

The United States will be aiming to make it two wins in as many games, when they square off against Argentina in Friday’s feature contest of the double-header.

That 5-0 win over Dominican Republic provided the solid platform on which they can build for the remainder of the tournament. Two of the stars of that affair were Olivia Moultrie and Midge Purce.

Moultrie, in her first start, bagged a brace on nine shots, while Purce was a never-ending source of playmaking, as she served up two assists. Lynn Williams, with a hat-trick, and decorated striker Alex Morgan, with a solitary strike, also got in on the act, and their confidence will be high heading into the Argentina clash.

In previous encounters between the two nations, United States were 6-0 winners at the SheBelieves Cup, and they also registered a 7-0 victory in a 2014 friendly. Both teams also locked horns at the Pan American Games, with United States proving too good on three of those occasions.

However, Argentina will try to change their fortunes this time around, with Camila Gomez Ares and Yamila Rodriguez expected to prove menacing to the opponents defence. The stalemate with Mexico would certainly have done the South American's confidence a world of good heading into this daunting encounter.

After clinching a 1-0 preliminary phase win over Guyana, Caribbean representative Dominican Republic will bow into group stage action at the inaugural Concacaf Women's Gold Cup on Tuesday evening.

However, their task will be as tough as it can get to kick off a tournament, as they are up against four-time World Champions United States in the feature contest of a Group A double-header at the Dignity Health Sports Park. Mexico and Argentina will lock horns in the curtain-raiser, with the games scheduled for 7:30pm and 10:15pm Eastern Standard Time.

United States vs. Dominican Republic

Having won all there is to win in the Concacaf region and also on the world stage, there is no doubt that United States, the reigning Concacaf Women's Championship title holders, start as one of the favourites, if not the overwhelming favourite to become the first champions of this Women's Gold Cup. That basically underscores the difficulty of Dominican Republic's assignment to get things underway.

Rated as the most decorated team in the world, United States qualified to the Women's Gold Cup after topping the 2022 Concacaf Women's Championship, with victory in all five games played. They’re returning to the main stage after they exited the 2023 Women's World Cup at the Round of 16 stage and will be under the guidance of interim coach Twila Kilgore, until new Head Coach Emma Hayes takes the reins.

With this new leadership, United States women's outfit will try to get another Concacaf trophy under their belt, and players like striker Sophia Smith, who has 15 goals within major tournaments like the World Cup and Women's Championship, will be integral to their chances of achieving the feat.

Midfielder Lindsey Horan, who captained the team in Australia/New Zealand, where she scored two goals, and was one of the difference-makers during the qualifying tournament, will also be a key factor in a stacked United States team.

Still, Dominican Republic will be optimistic of giving a good account of themselves, as rubbing shoulders with United States will certainly give their women's programme a great deal of confidence going forward.

In fact, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean women have grown in confidence since their Gold Cup qualifying run, where they amassed five wins and a solitary loss in six League B games, with 24 goals to their credit. The likes of Kathrynn González, who scored the banger against Guyana in the preliminary, and Mia Asenjo, who had nine shots on Saturday, will be key to Dominican Republic's chances of possibly finding the net.

Goalkeeper Paloma Pena, who made key saves against Guyana, will be hoping to repeat her clean sheet feat on this occasion.

Mexico vs. Argentina 

Prior to the United States and Dominican Republic clash, Mexico and Argentina will square off. The two are familiar with each other, having shared the pitch at the Pan American Games, where Mexico won 2-0 in the semi-finals to improve to an overall record to four wins and a loss against Argentina.

Under Head Coach Pedro Lopez, Mexico registered victory in all four games in Group A of League A, and with the disappointment of missing last year's World Cup still fresh in their minds, they will be hoping to make amends to an extent, with a deep run in this tournament.

Players like Maria Sanchez, who scored two goals and had the most shots (13), and Natalia Mauleon, who made an impression with the Under-17 and Under-20 National Teams, will again be aiming to make an impact as they did in the qualifiers.

Argentina, who placed third at the CONMEBOL Copa America Femenina in 2022, with four wins and two losses, will be intent of showing their class to get a win on North American soil.

Head Coach German Portanova has generational talent in players like Yamila Rodriguez, who was the top scorer of the 2022 Copa America with six goals. Another Argentinian sensation is Sophia Braun, who got on the scoresheet at last year's World Cup.

Despite missing out on qualification to the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, Caribbean side Haiti had something to celebrate from their failed Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship campaign, as striker Lourdjina Etienne was named Player of the Tournament, in Mexico.

Etienne, was instrumental in Haiti getting to the semi-finals, as she accounted for eight of the French-speaking Caribbean nation’s nine goals in the tournament, the last of which came in a 1-4 defeat to Canada in the third-place playoff.

The sensational Etienne, first scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Costa Rica, followed by a four-timer in their 5-3 triumph over El Salvador. She then scored both goals for Haiti in the knockout stage, as they lost 1-7 to eventually champions United States in the semi-finals and surrendered the lead in their third-place playoff loss to Canada.

United States, who clinched their sixth hold –fourth-consecutively – on the Concacaf Under-17 Women’s title, headlined the standout performances over the two weeks at, both the individual and collectively. Along with their overall honours, they also copped the tournament’s Fair Play award, while striker Kennedy Fuller took the Top Scorer award.

Fuller was as prolific as a young player can be, as she started the tournament with a five-goal performance in a 13-0 group stage win over Panama. She then followed that up with a goal in the 5-0 win over Canada in their group stage top-of-the-table clash. Fuller was just as effective in the knockout round, where she secured a brace in the 7-1 semi-final win over Haiti to give to end with eight goals for the tournament.

Meanwhile, host and runners-up Mexico was not to be left out, as Camila Vazquez copped the Best Goalkeeper award.

Vazquez was a big part of Mexico’s run to the final, as she registered a clean sheet in each of El Tricolor’s three group stage matches, and then just a single goal in the semi-finals against Canada. However, she had no answers to the rampant United States attack, as Mexico conceded four times.

United States, Mexico, and Canada –with their fifth third-place finish, the most by any team in the tournament’s history –will join host Dominican Republic as Concacaf's representatives at the 16-team Under-17 Women's World Cup later this year. This will be the first time Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation hosts a FIFA World Cup, and their first participation at this age level.

Caribbean side Haiti and Canada will do battle to decide Concacaf's other representative at this year's FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, as the curtains come down on the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship in Mexico, on Sunday.

Both United States and Mexico secured their sixth and seventh World Cup berths by virtue of contrasting 7-1 and 2-1 semi-finals victories over Haiti and Canada respectively. The powerhouse teams will again lock horns in Sunday's final to crown the winners of the championship.

United States, Mexico, the winner of the third-place game between Haiti and Canada, will join host Dominican Republic as Concacaf's representatives at the 16-team Under-17 Women's World Cup later this year. This will be the first time Dominican Republic hosts a FIFA World Cup, and their first participation at this age level.

United States 7-1 Haiti

The day started with defending champions United States again demonstrating their class, as they overpowered Haiti in a lopsided affair.

After applying early pressure and were denied on two occasions by the left upright, as well as good excellent glove work by Haiti's Kimberly Prince, United States inevitably broke the deadlock in the 24th minute through Mya Townes, who finished off a pass from Melanie Barcenas.

Kennedy Fuller then applied the finish tough to an Alexandra Pfeiffer cross in the 40th, to put United States 2-0 up at the break.

Fuller then scored her eighth goal of the tournament in the 47th with a smooth right-footed stroke into net, before Pfeiffer added her name to the scoresheet in the 59th, when she hauled in a long ball from Katie Scott.

Though up against it at 0-4 down, Haiti battled bravely and eventually pulled one back through striker Lourdjina Etienne, who converted her seventh goal of the tournament from the penalty spot in the 80th.

However, United States were far from done, and Kimmie Ascanio's hat-trick in a six-minute span, ensured the North Americans ended strongly. Her first came in the 83rd from dead centre of the 18-yard box, with the second coming two minutes later with an assist from Scott.

Ascanio completed the hat-trick in the 88th when she pounced on a rebound off the post and calmly tucked away a left-footed shot, to cap the win.

Mexico 2-1 Canada

Things were not as straightforward for Mexico, as they required an extra-time from Vanessa Aguilar to edge Canada in a lively encounter.

Mexico struck first courtesy of a 25th-minute right-footed strike from Carla Montes Frias from just outside the area.

The contest remained evenly poised from there as Canada responded strongly through Annabelle Chukwu, but were denied by Mexico's goalkeeper Camila Vazquez, who came up big with back-to-back saves in the 74th.

However, there was nothing Vazquez could do in the 75th when Chukwu unleashed a right-footed shot that bettered the custodian at her near post, to send the game into extra-time.

Mexico eventually found the winner in 101st minute when Aguilar followed up her initial blocked shot with a fine finish from an angle.