April 30 – Brazil have joined England in sending teams to the Caribbean this August for the second CONCACAF Boys’ Under-15 Championship that now has grown to a 37-nation tournament.
Brazil and England will also be joined by Vanuatu from the Oceania Football Confederation as the only non-CONCACAF nations in what will be the biggest tournament ever hosted by the Confederation.
To be played 11-23 August, 24 teams – including Brazil and England – will be based in the Cayman Islands. The remaining teams will be based in Jamaica. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will all take place in Grand Cayman from 19-23 August.
CONCACAF is the only confederation to hold a U15 championship. The 2015 edition is the third time the Cayman Islands have hosted and will be the second tournament for boys after the 22-team championship in 2013. The U15 girls played in Cayman in 2014.
The entry of Brazil and England raises the profile of the competition significantly, a fact that is not lost on CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, who has been a powerful advocate for the championship from the start and persuaded his home country to get involved as hosts.
“Our teams will be competing against stellar international lineups at a youth level, assisting both sides in elevating the standards of the game and the quality of play,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “This is but one example of how we are using football to attract opportunities for our youth, and utilizing the power of the game to inspire a new generation.”
The introduction of Brazil further emphasises the growing links between CONCACAF and its South American confederation neighbours. In 2016 CONCACAF will host the Copa America centennial tournament in the US with five of its own nations taking part.
Marco Polo Del Nero, President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), emphasised their commitment to the partnership saying: “Football is the dream and natural path that youth from all over the world pursue. CBF is honored for the Brazilian Under-15 Team to participate in the CONCACAF U-15 Boys Championship.”
At the final of the U-15 tournament in 2013, Webb said: “This is where it all starts. CONCACAF has a duty to develop its youth players and these are the seeds to expand the vision of youth development. How many opportunities do these young players get to play against the best of their own age group? Before this they had no opportunity.” With the introduction of Brazil and England, that opportunity has just been kicked up a level.
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