February 17 – When CONCACAF launched its U15 Boys championship in 2013 with 22 teams, it became the first confederation to hold an U15 championship. In 2014 it broke new confederation ground, hosting an U15 Girls tournament.
This August is the turn of the boys again and an astonishing 34 of CONCACAF’s 41 member associations will be sending teams, including the confederation heavyweights Mexico and the US.
“CONCACAF is proud of the response from its member associations in their commitment towards development,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb.
“Two years ago, the inaugural tournament provided CONCACAF a competitive environment where we observed and thoroughly enjoyed the quality on display from our junior players. The under-15 tournament now begins a transition, from a start-up event into a critical step for our development. As the Confederation works together with our Member Associations, our priority and objective is to equip our players with advanced technical and tactical skills.”
The 2015 tournament will again be held in the Cayman Islands which has provided a safe and positive environment for these young teams. ”We are extremely pleased to be able to host what is anticipated to be the largest ever under-15 CONCACAF football tournament in August 2015,” said Cayman Islands Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports, Hon. Osbourne Bodden (pictured left).
“The hosting of the first boys U-15 CONCACAF tournament two years ago injected a new energy into youth football. I am confident that with the Government’s increased financial support of the National Football Teams, we will see strong performances from our young players. I am sure that this showcase of youth football will be welcomed by players, fans and the community at large,” Minister Bodden added.
CONCACAF has added a coaching education programme to the proceedings, which will be held prior to and during the tournament. All under-15 coaches will have the opportunity to learn new techniques, with the aim of implementing these with their under-15 teams during the tournament.
Scheduled to participate (in alphabetical order by region): Caribbean region (24): Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Central American región (7): Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, North American region (3): Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Honduras are the reigning U15 champions, having beaten Guatemala in the final in front of 3,000 spectators at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex on Grand Cayman.
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