U-17 Championship 2013

TECHNICAL REPORT U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP

Panama City, Panama 20 April 2013

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I

Introduction

Pag 7

II

Preliminary analysis

Pag 7

III

Technical/tactical comments

Pag 8

IV Statistics: ďżź A Match results

B Most Valuable Players by match

C List of goal scorers

D Team statistics

E When the goals were scored

F Who scored the goals

G Where the goals were scored

H How the goals were scored

I Goal and card averages by match

J Average playing time per match

K Match attendance

L Average age by team

M. Number of changes in lineups by team

V. Conclusion

Pag 22

VI. Recommendations

Pag 23

Technical Analisys

Pag 24

VII

Pag 74

Refereeing Report

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FOREWORD OF PRESIDENT

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Dear CONCACAF Friends The future of football is truly promising in our region. The recent U-17 CONCACAF Championship is a cause for tremendous optimism to the CONCACAF family as it demonstrates the competitive potential our football holds. As we continue to focus on development, we will surely become a powerful force.

The Rommel Fernandez and Agustin “Muquita” Sanchez stadiums hosted 20 vibrant matches in the country of Panama just a few months ago. Throughout the tournament, 12 talented teams delivered a remarkable sporting spectacle which resulted in 67 skillful goals.

Furthermore, during an exciting final that attracted 17,572 fans, Mexico, which hasn't lost a U-17 match in CONCACAF since 2003, captured its fifth regional title against Panama to complete an outstanding performance during the 14-day tournament. Runners-up Panama, Honduras and Canada will join Mexico in the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in October of this year.

CONCACAF is developing a solid platform for youth teams. Our progress can be exemplified by the Panamanian U-17 team, which will be making its second straight U-17 World Cup appearance, displaying an evident advancement in the structure and standards of football. In addition, Canada and Honduras made CONCACAF history as they reached the semi-finals. This marks the sixth time that Canada qualifies for a FIFA U-17 World Cup, with Honduras reaching the global competition for the third time.

Similarly, the success of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship goes well beyond the sport. It also sets an unprecedented standards in our region as CONCACAF agreed to promote the United Nations ‘Protect the Goal’ Programme on HIV/AIDS, led by its UNAIDS division. For the first time, the captains of the top two teams made a pledge calling on players, football fans and young people to support the cause during the final game.

Nevertheless, we have to acknowledge that all these favorable outcomes are the result of tremendous effort not only of players but of the tournament’s host. For this reason, we would like to express our sincere appreciation and recognition to the Panamanian Football Federation for their strong commitment to hosting a successful U-17 CONCACAF Championship. This marks the first time Panama has organized the CONCACAF finals and the first time a 12-team CONCACAF Under-17 tournament was held in Central America since 1994 in El Salvador. Likewise, we also feel grateful to the local authorities and business partners for contributing to the success of this tournament.

CONCACAF will continue investing in youth development programmes and inspiring excellence, fair play and team spirit to prepare our talent for a promising future in international competitions. This will in turn be nourished by these technical study groups as essential components of the progress of all development initiatives.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Webb President

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I INTRODUCTION The Technical Study Group (TSG) comprised Luis Hernandez and Keith Look Loy (Trinidad and Tobago), supported

by Luis Manuel Hernandez (Cuba, IT and logistics) and Javier Ainstein, Francisco Bech, Pablo Ledesma and Ausberto Valencia (Panama, statistics). The TSG attended all matches of the tournament, and performed the following functions: - Technical/tactical analysis and reporting of each match - Interview of team coaches by questionnaire - Collection of match statistics - Selection of Team Fair Play Award for each match - Selection of Most Valuable Player for each match - Selection of tournament Most Valuable Goalkeeper - Selection of tournament All-Star Team - Preparation of tournament preliminary report

II PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS The following are important tournament statistics and conclusions of the TSG: Tournament Most Valuable Player JoseAlmanza (6, Mexico) Tournament Top Scorer

Marco Granados(17, Mexico)

Best Goalkeeper of Tournament Raul Gudiño (1, Mexico) Fair Play Award Mexico Tournament All Star team Goalkeeper

Raul Gudiño (1, Mexico)

Right Back

Kevin Alvarez (2, Honduras)

Centre Back

Pedro Teran (4, México)

Centre Back

Jesus Araya (6, Panama)

Left Back

Kevin Galvan (3, Panama)

Right Midfield

Ervin Zorrilla (18, Panama)

Centre Midfield

José Almanza (6, Mexico)

Centre Midfield

Jordan Haynes (11, Canada)

Centre Midfield

Hanson Boakai (10, Canada)

Left Midfield

Rembrandt Flores (11, Honduras)

Forward

Marco Granados (17, Mexico)

This is based on a 4-5-1 formation, which was the formation most used by participating teams (10).

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III TECHNICAL/TACTICAL COMMENTS Physical/psychological condition: Players were generally in good physical condition but the flow of goals indicates a general inability to sustain an even physical effort over the full course of ninety minutes. Teams were able to apply pressure on the ball – wherever they established their defensive zone in the field – and to maintain their attacking rhythm for the most of the match. However, the high intensity of most matches did result in the onset of fatigue in the last fifteen period of each half resulting in lapses in defensive concentration, the breakdown of defensive organization, and the opening of attacking space. This produced thirty-two goals (or 48% of the total number scored).

Team unity, fighting spirit and the will to win were not in short supply, and it was evident that no team approached any match with a sense of inferiority.

Players demonstrated a capacity to play to the end of the match, e.g. Panama vs. Jamaica (1:1), with the host team’s equalizing goal coming in the 90th minute after much frustration, and even in the face of defeat, e.g. Cuba vs. Mexico (0:5), Haiti vs. USA (1:3) Warm-up: The warm-up routine of some teams did not adequately prepare the players for immediate action.

In particular, the main areas to be improved would include: *Physical organization, specifically better use of equipment, space and players. Too often non-starters were left to their own devices while the starting team engaged in warm-up exercises. The latter were often required to prepare for the match in a space that was too small for their numbers. *Structure of the activity, i.e. the exercises employed, and their functionality and specificity to positions were not considerations in most warm-up routines.

Only a few teams employed exercises that first involved the players in a general warm-up, followed by exercises that were of a functional nature, and specific to the players’ position in the team. *Intensity of the activity, i.e. the majority of teams, whatever the exercises employed, failed to warm-up with adequate intensity.

It must also be said that few teams, e.g. Cuba, Mexico

and the USA took the time to warm up for the second half of their matches.

Inadequate warm-up is a theme to which the Technical Study Group devoted comment after the Confederation’s Under-20 championship in Puebla, Mexico, and one which the coaches of the Confederation should address.

Systems of Play: The 4-5-1 was the formation most used by participating teams (10). Haiti employed a 4-4-2 formation, while Mexico and the USA adopted the 4-4-2 in the last match of the group phase. Jamaica used both systems and changed to 4-3-3 when chasing a winning goal in its group match against Barbados. Guatemala employed a 3-5-2 formation in their first match (against Haiti) but changed to 4-5-1 against the USA in their second. Most teams varied their basic formation when in attack or defence, e.g. from 4- 5-1 to 2-4-4 (Haiti) or 3-4-3 (Panama).

Technical level: The artificial field at La Chorrera negatively affected the ability of many players to perform with skill and the general level of individual and collective technique varied among the teams. Mexico and Honduras demonstrated a world class technical level within their squad that other teams generally could not match across their squad as a whole, even if these teams may have included some players of sophisticated technique among their numbers, e.g.

Guatemala, Honduras and USA. A few teams, e.g.

Barbados and Cuba clearly experienced significant technical problems – passing and control.

Long passes and shooting to goal presented problems for most teams – due to technical errors and poor decision-making - and accounted for much easy loss of possession and wasted goal scoring opportunities.

Successful long passes usually placed a lone attacker under tremendous pressure as he awaited midfield support. At the same time, the defensive heading of all teams was very good, as was their tackling in 1:1 situations. It must also be noted that participating teams displayed a generally high level of goalkeeping.

Despite the excellent goals scored from outside the penalty area, shooting to goal lacked quality and was a distinct technical weakness of the tournament.

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Tactical organization and approach: Never mind the tender age the players, the best teams in the tournament displayed a maturity that belied their years. In their technical sophistication, their organization on the field, and their application of individual and collective tactics, the best teams and players demonstrated a capacity to perform at the highest level of expectation. World Cup qualifiers, Canada, Honduras, Mexico and Panama all provided good examples in this regard, the Mexican team being a virtual carbon copy of their Under-20 counterparts who won the CONCACAF tournament in Puebla, Mexico mere weeks earlier.

With the exception of Haiti and Mexico, participating teams employed a 4-5-1 basic formation based on a spine of two central defenders, one or two holding midfielders – the best teams employed two - and one attacking midfielder who joined the lone forward in attack. The key role of holding midfield pairs and their excellent coordination with the central defenders behind them, their marking and mutual cover, were vital to good team organization, e.g. Mexico and Canada. None of the teams applied high pressing on a consistent basis, midfield pressure being the norm as teams attempted to disrupt opposing attacks by denying time and space to opponents in that sector of the field. The defensive anticipation of the Haitians, in particular, was excellent in this regard and in 1:1 situations.

In attack, all teams varied their formation, e.g. to 3-4-3 or 2-4-4 as one (e.g. Mexico and USA) or both wing backs (e.g. Haiti) advanced to support midfield play while flank midfielders pushed into advanced positions alongside the forwards. Most teams attempted to construct their attack with midfield combinations but bad passing was an unwelcome aspect of the tournament as players struggled to maintain effective possession. While unfamiliarity with the artificial field In the Agustin Sanchez Stadium in La Chorrera may be partially responsible for this, it is clear that many CONCACAF teams at this level need to focus on developing the ability of their players to control, pass and combine at high tempo, in tight spaces and under pressure. There were exceptions to this general criticism, however.

Honduras, Mexico, Panama, USA and Guatemala all provided examples of excellent skill in their constant player movement, rapid ball rotation, and one- and two-touch combination play.

Few teams adopted counter-attacking tactics, Cuba, Honduras (against Mexico and USA) and Jamaica being the teams with the most interest in defending from a deep position and to attempt long passes into space behind the opposing defence as a strategic choice. While counter-attack at high speed posed severe problems for defences and accounted for several important goals, as a strategic choice it also accounted for much easy and early loss of possession and undermined the quality of the game.

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Eliminated teams: Three of the four teams eliminated at the end of the group phase belonged to the Caribbean Football Union (Barbados, Cuba and Haiti), with one coming from the Central American Football Union (Costa Rica).

The five Caribbean teams - Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago being the other two - played 10 matches in the group phase, winning one, scoring ten goals (30% of total), and conceding twenty-six (79% of total). Both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago were eliminated in the quarter-final round, scoring four goals combined but together conceding eight goals.

This weak performance underlines Caribbean football’s relative lack of competitive quality at CONCACAF level.

The performance of Caribbean teams highlights their need to concentrate on improving, 1) the stability of their defensive organization in the field, - improving their compactness, marking and cover, 2) their ability to consistently score goals, 3) their ability to maintain individual and collective

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concentration for the duration of the match, and 4) the individual and collective technique of their players, specifically their ability to play under pressure of limited time, space and opposition.

Finally, most Caribbean teams arrived at the tournament without the benefit of pre-tournament friendly international matches, as compared to their opponents from Central America and, more so, North America. At Under-17 level, the lack of international experience badly affects the performance of Caribbean teams. The fact that CFU teams generally qualify for CONCACAF tournaments by playing very few matches highlights the need for a revision of the CFU format for qualifying teams to CONCACAF tournaments, in order to allow Caribbean participants more competitive matches ahead of such a major tournament as this.

Costa Rica’s elimination in the group phase, coming weeks after their Under-20 team was eliminated by Cuba in the quarter-final round of their competition in Puebla, Mexico, should set off alarm bells for the traditional UNCAF powerhouse. Costa Rica managed only one goal in their two matches and conceded three. At the same time, USA’s failure to qualify for the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup was another blow to their youth programme. This is the first time in fifteen tournaments that the USA has not qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. It is also the third time in three years that a USA team has failed to qualify in an age group competition after the Uner-

20s in 2011 and the Under-23s (Olympic qualifying) in 2012. The USA scored 5 goals in three matches and conceded three.

Team/match management: The higher the level of competition, the greater the role of team and match management in the ultimate success of the team. This includes, 1) defining team strategy and tactics, 2) team selection, and 3) match management, including changes of player personnel, i.e. substitutions, and changes of tactics during the match.

Changes of strategy, tactics and team personnel require much from young players. It would appear that at least some of the coaches in the tournament did not know their best starting eleven. Generally, the teams that altered their starting line-up and/ or formation from one match to the other were affected by the lack of stability. Jamaica made six line-up changes for their second match (two due to expulsion against Panama) and suffered throughout a tense match against unheralded Barbados for a 2:2 draw. Equally, after an excellent losing performance in their opening match against the USA, Haiti made two changes to their line-up and also changed their formation - from a four-man midfield playing in line to a narrow midfield diamond. This undermined their defensive rhythm and fluid passing, they failed to match the quality of their opening performance, and they exited the tournament.

The only team to maintain a stable starting line-up in the group phase was Trinidad and Tobago. This paid dividends for the Caribbean team, which improved from its opening match loss to Canada and repaid the confidence of their coach by winning against Costa Rica and giving a cohesive performance in their losing quarter-final effort against Panama. At the same time, however, Mexico demonstrated their strength in depth by making six changes to their starting lineup for their semi-final match against Honduras and going on to win 3:1.

Six substitutes repaid their coach’s decision to use them by scoring goals - Molina of Panama (1vs Jamaica), and Granados of Mexico (2 vs Cuba) in the group phase. Zuniga of Panama (1 vs Trinidad and Tobago), Adams of Trinidad and Tobago (1 vs Panama), and Elis of Honduras (1 vs USA), scored in the quarterfinal round, while Haynes of Canada (1 vs Honduras) scored in the third place match.

Interestingly, the leading scorer of the tournament was used mainly as a substitute – Marco Granados (17) of Mexico. Finally, some teams failed to properly warm-up their substitutes, both during the match and ahead of substitution into the match. Barbados was particularly negligent in this regard.

Match attendance To say the tournament did not capture the imagination of the Panamanian public would be an understatement. Match attendance averaged just over five hundred (511). Only the matches of hosts Panama enjoyed higher attendance, with an average of 2’050 in the group phase, 6’853 at the semifinal against Canada, and 17’572 at the final against Mexico. Under-17 football may not be as popular as the higher level game and the exact reasons for the poor attendance are not to be discussed here but this contrasted sharply with the CONCACAF Under-20

tournament held in Puebla, Mexico a few weeks earlier.

The Goals: The tournament enjoyed an average of 3.35 goals per match. This compares very well with the 3.0 goasl per match scored at the 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Mexico.

A marginal majority of goals were scored in the second half of play (32 or 48%). The least number of goals (5 or 7%) were scored in the opening 15 minutes of the match, with the number of goals scored increasing in the second 15 minute period to 13 (or 19%) and increasing yet again to 15 (or 22%) in the final 15 minutes of the first half. The second half saw 8 goals (or 12%) being scored in the first 15-minute period of the second half, with 7 (or 11%) coming in the second period and 17 (or 27%) in the final period. These figures suggest, 1) teams were not physically and/ or mentally prepared for the opening of the match;

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2) they were better able to score goals after playing for fifteen minutes resulting in a remarkable increase in productivity in front of goal; 3) they were able to further their goal scoring rate towards the end of the half; 4) they emerged from the half-time interval with renewed focus, which limited the goal-scoring rate; but 5) the onset of tiredness and the consequent loss of concentration at the end of the match (final 15 minutes) allowed yet another goal rush.

All of this also suggests, therefore, that teams generally engaged in an inadequate warm-up, often lacking proper organization, structure and/or intensity.

Further, it would appear that the general physical preparation of the players could be improved. Only Mexico had a warm-up of reasonably high intensity, which allowed them to begin the match with high intensity and to consistently score early goals.

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Forwards scored minimally more goals (31 or 46%) than midfielders (30 or 45%), which demonstrates the importance of attacking initiative and scoring by the latter in the modern game. Defenders did not contribute many goals to the tournament (merely 5 or 8%) but two of these (by Alvarez against USA, and Wbias against Panama) were critical to securing a World Cup spot for Honduras and the tournament title for Mexico, respectively. Alvarez’s goal underlined the key role of the modern wing back in getting forward to support the attack and in taking chances to score, while Wbias’ goal highlighted the important role of centre backs in attacking corners.  - The majority of goals were scored from within the penalty area (50 or 75%). Of these, 18 (or 27%) were scored from within the goal area. Nine goals (or 13%) were scored from shots taken outside the penalty area. These statistics point to 1) poor marking within the penalty and goal areas, and 2) lack of pressure on players in possession around the penalty

area, combined with the good shooting technique on the part of those players. The implications for team preparation (defensive organization, team compactness, marking and cover) are clear.

- Nineteen players from nine countries scored the majority of goals (44 or 66 %).

- Flank attacks (22 or 33%) and Individual plays (19 or 28%) accounted for the majority of goals. The former statistic highlights the fact that teams generally attacked with a balanced width (11 goals from both right and left). The latter statistic also underscores the fact that, in modern football, individual ability and creativity remain key to resolving the problems posed by collective organization and tactics of the opposing defence.

- Set plays (free kicks and corners) were a solid source of goals (10 or 15%), providing Panama’s equalizer against Trinidad and Tobago in the quarter-final round, as well as both Mexican goals in the final. Only three penalties were awarded with all being scored (10%).

Playing time: The average playing time in this tournament was 52.35 minutes per match, which exceeds the average playing time of 49:16 minutes at the recent CONCACAF Under-20 tournament in Puebla, Mexico. This average time is not too distant from the average playing time per match at the 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Mexico (56:59) and the 2011 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia (55:36). Notably, three matches – Cuba vs Mexico, USA vs Guatemala, and Mexico vs Guatemala exceeded one hour of play. One of the reasons for the favourable comparison with the Puebla tournament was the slower match rhythm of the Under-17 players, which allowed more ball possession by the teams.

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A. MATCH RESULTS GROUP PHASE 6 April

0-2 Canada 1-1 Jamaica

Trinidad/Tobago Panama

7 April Haiti

Cuba

0-3 USA 1-5 Mexico

8 April

2-2 Jamaica 0-2 Trinidad/Tobago

Barbados Costa Rica

9 April Guatemala 3-1 Haiti Honduras 4-1 Cuba 10 April

Canada Panama

1-1 Costa Rica 2-0 Barbados

11 April

USA Mexico

1-0 Guatemala 2-0 Honduras QUARTER-FINALS

13 April

Canada Panama

4-2 Jamaica 4–2 Trinidad/Tobago

14 April USA 1-3 Honduras

Mexico 2-0 Guatemala SEMI-FINALS 17 April Honduras 1-3 Mexico Panama 2-1 Canada 3RD PLACE AND FINAL 19 April

Canada Panama

2-2 Honduras *1:1(0:1) 4:2 Penalties 1-2 Mexico

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B. MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS BY MATCH Trinidad/Tobago v Canadà:

Jordán Hamilton (Canadà, 9, forward)

Panamá v Jamaica:

Rushane McClymont (Jamaica, 6, centre back)

Haití v USA:

Christopher Lema (USA, 8, midfielder)

Cuba v México:

Luis Hernández (México, 7, midfielder)

Barbados v Jamaica:

Shaquille Boyce (Barbados, 10, midfielder)

Costa Rica v Trinidad/Tobago:

Akeem García (Trinidad/Tobago, midfielder)

Guatemala v Haití:

Christopher Ortiz (Guatemala, 7, midfielder)

Honduras v Cuba:

Devron García (Honduras, 6, midfielder)

Canadà v Costa Rica:

Jordán Hamilton (Canadà, 10, forward)

Panamá v Barbados:

Ervin Zorrilla (Panamá, 18, forward)

USA v Guatemala:

Christopher Lema (USA, 8, midfielder)

México v Honduras:

Ulises Jaime (México, 11, midfielder)

Canadà v Jamaica:

Andrew Gordon (Canadà, 14, midfielder)

Panamá v Trinidad/Tobago:

Ismael Díaz (Panamá, 10, forward)

USA v Honduras:

Alberth Elis (Honduras, 9, forward)

México v Guatemala:

Raùl Gudiño (México, 1, goalkeeper)

Honduras v México:

José Almanza (México, 6, midfielder)

Panamá v Canadà:

Ervin Zorrilla (Panamá, 18, forward)

Canadà v Honduras:

Jordan Hamilton (Canada, 9, forward)

Panamá v México:

Jose Almanza (Mexico, 6, midfielder) C. LIST OF GOALSCORERS

Four Marco Granados, Mexico (2 vs Cuba, 1 vs Guatemala, 1 v Honduras)

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Three Ismael Díaz, Panama (2 vs Trinidad/Tobago, 1 vs Canada) Jordán Hamilton, Canada (1 vs Trinidad/Tobago, 1 vs Jamaica, 1 vs Honduras) Ervin Zorrilla, Panama (2 vs Barbados, 1 vs Canada) Salomón Wbias, Mexico (1 vs Honduras, 1 vs Panama)

Two Christopher Alegria, Honduras (1 vs USA, 1 vs Mexico) Jesús Araya, Panama (1 vs Trinidad/Tobago, 1 vs Mexico) Hanson Boakai, Canada (1 vs Costa Rica, 1 vs Jamaica) Shaquille Boyce, Barbados (2 vs Jamaica) Junior Flemmings, Jamaica (1 vs Panama, I vs Barbados) André Fortune, Trinidad/Tobago (1 vs Costa Rica, 1 vs Panama) Devron García, Honduras (2 vs Cuba) Andrew Gordon, Canada (2 vs Jamaica) Luis Hernández, Mexico (2 vs Cuba)

Ulises Jaimes, Mexico (1 v Honduras, 1 vs Guatemala) Christopher Lema, USA (2 vs. Haiti) Christopher Ortiz, Guatemala (2 vs. Haiti) Yorjdany Somonte, Cuba (1 vs Mexico, 1 vs Honduras) Khallil Stewart, Jamaica (2 vs. Canada) One Weah Adams, Trinidad/Tobago (1 vs Panama) Kevin Alvarez, Honduras (1 vs USA) Corey Baird, USA (1 vs Guatemala) Jorge Bodden, Honduras (1 vs Canada) Raffiqu e Bryan, Jamaica (1 vs Barbados) Marco Bustos, Canada (1 vs Panama) Jean Wisner Derival, Haiti (1 vs. Guatemala) Alejandro Díaz, Mexico, (1 vs Cuba) Marco Domínguez Ramírez, Canada (1 vs Trinidad/Tobago)

Alberth Elis, Honduras (1 vs USA) Rembrandt Flores, Honduras (1 vs Cuba) Jordan Haynes, Canada (1 vs Honduras) Mario Hernández, Guatemala (1 vs Haití) Milciades Molina, Panama (1 vs Jamaica) Steven Ramos, Honduras (1 vs Canada) Ahinga Selemani, USA (1 vs Haití) Brent Sam, Trinidad/Tobago (1 vs Costa Rica) Joel Sonora, USA (1 vs Honduras) Pedro Teran, Mexico (1 v Honduras) Arington Torres, Costa Rica (1 vs Canadá) Brayan Velásquez, Honduras (1 vs Cuba, 1 vs USA) Luis Zúñiga, Panama (1 vs Trinidad/Tobago) Víctor Zúñiga, Mexico (1 vs Honduras)

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D. TEAM STATISTICS TEAM GP W L D GF GA YC RC Barbados 2 0 1 1 2 4 3 Canada 5 2 1 1 10 7 9 CostaRica 2 0 1 1 1 3 5 Cuba 2 0 2 0 2 9 4 Guatemala 3 1 2 0 3 4 3 Haiti 2 0 2 0 1 6 4 - Honduras 5 2 2 0 10 9 13 Jamaica 3 0 1 2 5 7 5 2 Mexico 5 4 0 0 14 3 3 Panama 5 3 1 0 10 6 3 1 Trinidad/Tobago 3 1 2 0 4 6 8 1 UnitedStates 3 2 1 0 5 3 2 E. WHEN THE GOALS WERE SCORED

H. HOW THE GOALS WERE SCORED

1-15 5

Wing plays

16-30 13

- Right side

11

31-45 15

- Left side

11

46-60 8

Combination plays 3

61-75 7

Central penetration

76-90

17

Individual plays 19

90-105

-

After corner kick

106-120

2

- Right side

3

- Left side

3

Free kicks

F. WHO SCORED THE GOALS

- Direct

2

- After

2

Forwards

31

Midfielders

30

Penalties 3

Defenders

5

Own goals 1

Goalkeepers

1

G. WHERE THE GOALS WERE SCORED

20

9

Inside the goal area

18

Inside the penalty area

32

Outside the penalty area

14

Penalties

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I. MATCH AVERAGES Goals 3.35 Yellow cards 3.05 Red cards J. PLAYING TIME BY MATCH Match: Trinidad/Tobago v Canada

53:40

Panama v Jamaica

50:18

Haiti v USA

55:29

Cuba v Mexico

61:09

Barbados v Jamaica

59:17

Costa Rica v Trinidad/Tobago

54:22

Guatemala v Haiti

55:41

Honduras v Cuba

50:22

Canada v Costa Rica

55:54

Panama v Barbados

54:16

USA v Guatemala

60:06

Mexico v Honduras

59:11

Canada v Jamaica

50:11

Panama v Trinidad/Tobago

47:08

USA v Honduras

57:54

Mexico v Guatemala

60:48

Honduras v Mexico

54:14

Panama v Canada

54:03

K. MATCH ATTENDANCE Match: Trinidad/Tobago v Canada Panama v Jamaica Haiti v USA Cuba v Mexico Barbados v Jamaica Costa Rica v Trinidad/Tobago Guatemala v Haiti Honduras v Cuba Canadà v Costa Rica Panama v Barbados USA v Guatemala Mexico v Honduras Canada v Jamaica Panama v Trinidad/Tobago USA v Honduras Mexico v Guatemala Honduras v Mexico Panama v Canada Canada v Honduras Panama v Mexico L. AVERAGE AGE BY TEAM Barbados

16

Canada

17

Cuba

17

Costa Rica

17

Guatemala

16

Panama v Mexico

55:05*Extra Time Haiti Honduras 54:20

Average playing time:

52:35

Canada v Honduras

511 2'100 143 648 94 195 95 240 110 2'000 220 412 150 2'100 318 546 352 6'853 387

16 16

Jamaica

17

Mexico

17

Panama

17

Trinidad/Tobago

16

United States

16

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M. Number of changes in lineups by team.

2nd game

3rd game

-

-

Canada

#15,

#2

#6

#17, #5, #8

Cuba

#4, #13, #19

-

-

-

Costa Rica

#10, #11

-

-

-

Guatemala

-

#18

-

-

Haití

#6, #11

-

-

Honduras

#13, 14, 15, 18, 19,20

-

#12

#17

Jamaica

#3, 15, 14, 8,16

-

-

-

México

-

-

#13, 15, 16, 17, 18,19

-

Panamá

#2

-

-

-

#15

-

-

#6

-

-

-

Estados Unidos #19, #20

-

-

5th game

Barbados

Trinidad Tobago

4th game

-

Note: It can be noticed how some teams did not maintain a steady lineup throughout the event, resulting in poor performance and game instability. Mexico was the only team that had high-level players including substitute players. Mexico’s play was not affected when the team replaced 6 of its main players with substitute players in the 4th game, and those substitute players were not listed in the first three games’ lineup. Panama was an example of stability in maintaining its line-up and hence their positive results.

V. CONCLUSIONS 1. Improvement of real playing time to 52.35. This was similar to the world cup events, and superior to the Caribbean Cup and the Central American Cup UNCAF (senior men’s category) finals, and the CONCACAF U-20 World Cup Qualifying.

2. The goalkeepers had good performance level and physical condition in general.

3. Similar performance and position in ranking between teams from UNCAF region; North America still far from the Caribbean -CFU region.

4. Increased tactical concentration and stability of strikers’ teams, very good use and organization of the defensive midfielders.

5. Lack of concentration and tactical stability in the Caribbean teams.

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6. Good physical performance in all matches.

7. Tendency towards compact play between the lines and player’s movement.

8. Technical limitations in shots on goal and midfield shots.

9. Most of the teams had problems with their warmup routines.

10. Good use of planned player substitutions in the top teams, improving their performance.

11. The teams presented different preparation plans to participate in this final phase. There were teams without a proper and competitive preparation plan.

12. In general, the teams’ defensive tactical technique was based on midfield pressing for ball recovery.

13. There was a tendency and use of different systems of play by geographical zones. The Caribbean used less ball possession and striking attacks, and had too many inaccurate ball passes. There were few combination plays in the midfield; tactical concentration was lost in the half time of the game and technical deficiencies in shots on goal.

Central America had more ball possession and defensive combination plays, and less midfield deep runs in the attack. Sometimes, there was low physical performance and more individual play was used.

North America used good tactical stability and organized combination plays in defense and midfield areas with goal opportunities. Also, they had very good player movement, rotating positions and concentration during the match.

14. On the positive side, the good quantity and quality of players with offensive responsibilities (strikers and attacking midfielders) must be highlighted. These soccer figures contributed to the development of the soccer spectacle and a more offensive game prevailed, compared to the other CONCACAF tournaments played this year. During this tournament, 67 goals were scored and 19 were from individual plays, demonstrating the high skilled level of these players.

15. In general, the tournament was a success due to the level of play, competition and implementation of Fair Play. There was growing public support in the country (which until recently was only interested in baseball), with high match attendance to support the hosting team. A great soccer atmosphere is perceived in a country where soccer is still developing.

VI Recommendations 1. Develop a good process for a general and competitive preparation plan before coming to this type of event. It is necessary to gain experience and develop a game routine plan.

2. Improve the development, organization and implementation of all warm-up objectives.

3. Further develop concentration and tactical organization efforts for the teams

5. Obtain CONCACAF’s support for the preparation of teams that have qualified to the World Cup. 6. Organize Under-15 events in all CONCACAF regions in order to start training and preparing young people from an early age.

7. Continue developing these events in countries where there is a tradition of soccer and support from the fans, to make the events a true spectacle.

4. Continue working on technical exercises to improve medium and long distance ball passes, as well as shots on goal and use of midfield shots.

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1 - Mexican National Soccer Team- 2013 Champion 2 - Panamanian Team- A respectable 2nd place in the Pre-World Cup 3 - Canada – 3rd place winner, celebrating their qualification 4 - Honduras - After they qualified to the World Cup, 4th place ranking

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The Mexican national soccer team was part of group (D), which also included Cuba (5:1) and Honduras (2:0), and convincingly defeated both teams and qualified to quarterfinals. The average player age was 17 years old.

In the quarterfinals, Mexico faced and convincingly defeated Guatemala (2:0). In the semifinals, it once again faced and defeated Honduras (3:1). In the final, having started losing 1-0 against Panama, Mexico demonstrated to be the best team in the tournament and eventually won (2:1).

Mexico obtained five victories in the tournament, with 14 goals scored and only 3 against. It demonstrated a vast superiority in all respects compared to the rest of the opponents, as well as an excellent game discipline and Fair Play game. The team received the Fair Play Award.

Four of the team’s players were part of the All-Star Team and the Mexican national soccer team received the tournament’s most valuable player, leading scorer and best goalkeeper awards.

Mexico convincingly won 5 games and was considered the best team in the tournament. The team will be a worthy CONCACAF’s representative in the next World Cup Championship. The team showed very good technical group management and functioning.

Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-4-2

Technical analysis

Tactical Approach

•Excellent individual and collective technique. Highly skilled players.

•Very good in delivering the ball in short, medium and long distance.

•Very good midfield shots on goal.

•Excellent use of the ball under pressure, quality passing at first touch, knowing when to give width and when to play narrow.

•The 1-4-4-2 basic system converted into 1- 4-51 when defending and into 1- 3-4-3 or 1-2-4-4 when attacking, according to the level of the opponent and the system of play. The team’s central line-up was a compact block of good players (# 3, # 4, # 6, #10 # 9).

•They developed a compact play in both attack and defense between the different line formations.

•They dominated the midfield with numeric superiority and ball possession, using a full breadth of the field and defensive wingers to constantly attack.

•Most ball possession and combination plays took place in the opposite field by using different moments and sudden pace changes to give further depth to the attack.

•The team’s tactical approach included two defensive midfielders, one played as a defender (6) and the other as an attacker (10). The wingers moved to the midfield when the team was attacking. A forward (9) played in the midfield when the team was in defense.

Physical Condition •Good warm-up prior to each match.

•Excellent physical condition of the players, which allowed them to maintain a high pace of play throughout the match.

•Fast players with fast speed and technique. Quick and deep forward incursions.

•The players do not lose concentration and organization during the match.

•The players maintain a compact play between line formations due to their excellent physical condition.

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Defense •The team played using the 4-5-1 system in defense, a very defensive system to stop a superior team from scoring (center midfielders and defensive midfielders), while a lone forward moved down to the midline creating a compact block of 5 or 6 players in the midfield. However, Mexico faced difficulties with this system against Panama, as in that zone the center midfielders incorporated an unison attack leaving open spaces between the center midfielders and the defenders. This error was exploited by Panama.

•Very well organized, with good connections between the lines and intensive defensive pressure in the midfield. The midfield wingers closed in an organized way to keep the block compact.

•Narrow mark (individual defense) and excellent coverage.

•They faced difficulties in the 1v1 mark against the individual play of the Panamanian Team.

•Good defensive heading. A high spirit of victory.

Attack

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•Basic formation of 2 attackers, but in reality there were 3, 4 and 5 attackers. This was possible due to its high technical level, twisting skill and compact attack strategy.

•The attacks were initiated from the defense with great ball possession. The team elaborated deep attacking play with total support of the defensive wingers, achieving excellent combination plays

between the forwards with different attack strategies in the wings and center area.

•There was constant player movement with combination plays between 3 players in the defensive line. Excellent ball possession and management in the defensive line.

•Good midfield shots and shots on goal after combination plays.

Deficiencies •Headshots after corner kicks.

•Challenges of 1v1 marking by center back on skilled opposing forwards with superior mobility. The defenders were conceding advantage by not being able to tighten their mark, thus allowing them to gyrate and control the ball.

•Lack of organization of the defensive midfielders on their defensive responsibilities, some times leaving open spaces in that zone.

Outstanding players: # 1, #6, #9, # 10, # 17 Jose Almanza #6 of Mexico: Tournament’s Most Valuable Player

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The hosting country’s national soccer team responded well to the pressure of being the championship organizer and received the support of the public.

Their performance level increased as the tournament progressed. The team was part of group (A), and the average age of the players was 17 years old.

In its first game against Jamaica, Panama tied (1:1). The team showed some limitations in its performance. This result enabled the team managers to analyze and take restructuring measures, including the stabilization of a winning lineup, and continued growth with every new presentation. Later on, Panama convincingly defeated Barbados (2:0), qualifying to quarterfinals, where the team faced and defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s national team (4:2). In the semifinals, Panama defeated the strong Canadian team (2:1).

The final against Mexico was a great and very close match and despite of losing (2:1), it was a great soccer spectacle. Panama was a worthy finalist and provided great color to the event.

Panama scored three victories in the tournament, one loss and one tie, with 11 goals scored and only 5 against. The tournament allowed the team to achieve two main objectives: classify to the next World Cup, and occupy the 2nd place after Mexico in the CONCACAF championship.

Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-4-2

Technical analysis

Tactical

•Good individual and collective technical level. Good individual and collective ball handling and control. The attackers’ skills were very well used in the 1v1 play to attack.

•Good attack combinations, playing from the defense and midfield. Good and well positioned defensivemidfielder organizer.

•Lack of accuracy in midfield shots and shots on goal.

•The 1-4-4-2 basic system sometimes converted into 14-3-3 when attacking and into 1-4-5-1 when defending.

•Very offensive strategy by opening through the wings and the wingers constantly attacking.

•Good player movement and rotating positions in forwards and midfielders. Forwards used individual play. Very dangerous forwards: # 10 and # 18.

•Their strategy was to start having ball possession from the defense through the midfield area.

•A well-organized team in the defense and the attacking play was compact between the lines.

•Very good team management, with great lineup stability, planned player substitutions and tactic guidelines.

Physical Condition •Good physical condition, with fast and strong players.

Worth mentioning the forwards.

•Good jumping power into headers.

•The players maintained a high pace for 90 minutes, which allowed them to maintain a compact formation between their lines in attack and defense. They were players with effective changes that kept an intense pace.

•Good team and fighting spirit. A very combative team, with a winning mentality. The team was fully supported by the public.

•The team improved with every game played.

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Defense

Deficiencies

•A well organized defensive line of 4 players, supported by strong and fast defensive midfielders. Good in anticipating plays and covering areas.

•Good head play and narrow marking to opposing forwards.

•Midfield pressing for ball recovery and compact play between the defensive lines.

•Ineffectiveness and inaccuracy of the midfield wingers in their attacking combinations plays.

•Many inaccurate ball passes between midfielders and forwards in quick attacking combination plays.

•At time during the game against Mexico, there was an unnecessary and ineffective individual play due to lost balls.

•Technical deficiencies in shots on goal.

Attack •The attack was initially established by two forwards, but most of the attacks had three players plus the support of midfielders and midfield wingers. They used individual play and made use of their players’ attacking skills.

•They showed good ball control in the midfield, but sometimes they lacked deep attacking combination plays.

•They must improve their effectiveness in goal opportunities and accuracy in shots on goal.

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Outstanding players: #14, #7, #10, #3, # 18 # 6 Ervin Zorrilla#18: Forward and Panama Leading Scorer

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The Canadian national soccer team was part of group (B), which also included Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica. In its first game against Trinidad and Tobago, Canada won (2:0) and then tied (1:1) against Costa Rica. The average player age was 16 years old.

In the quarterfinals, it categorically defeated Jamaica (4:2).

In the semifinals, Canada played against Panama, the hosting team, losing in a very close match (2:1).

In the 3rd place match of the tournament, Canada defeated the strong Honduran team after a tie (2:2) during full time score line and a thrilling penalty shootout (4:2).

The technical group showed very good team management, as evidenced by the correct use of player substitutions and formation in the field.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-5-1 a 1-4-4-2

Technical Analysis

Tactical

•Good individual and collective technical level. The team enjoys passing and combination plays between defenders and midfielders opening the space with their defensive wingers.

•Good ball control in narrow spaces when pressured by opponents, particularly in the midfield, thanks to its players’ ability and mobility.

•Their attacking and counter-attacking combination plays relied on players #10, #9 and #7, their skills and the relationship between them.

•Very well organized in its 1-4-5-1 basic tactical approach when defending, and converted into 1-44-2 and 1-4-3-3 when attacking with the support of players #10 and #7 together with striker #9, creating dangerous conditions in the counterattacks.

•Well-organized defensive block in 2 lines of 4 players in the midfield, pressing the opponent.

•Very focused and organized in meeting their tactical approach.

•Very good team management.

Physical Condition

Defense

•Good physical condition, tall and strong defenders.

Very good competitive spirit and will.

•They maintained great physical performance for the duration of 90 minutes, developing a compact play between the lines throughout the game.

•Great physical level and pace until the end of the tournament due to the correct and timely use of player substitutions in each game.

•Excellent plan and organization in fulfilling defensive tactics.

•Compact defensive block for deep pressure on the opponent in the defense and midfield areas by 7 or 8 players with great physical deployment. Outstanding player # 11 for his defense skills.

•Great in defensive heading for corner kicks and direct attacks.

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•The center backs had some difficulty in ensuring coverage on opponent’s deep ball passes.

Attack •Throughout the tournament, their combination play was based on counterattacks by most skilled players # 9 # 10 and # 7 who determined the course of each match.

•Most ball possession and combination plays took place in the midfield area by the persistent player #11, with the support of players # 10 and # 7, thus creating numeric superiority in this area, where most of the game was played.

•Their attack was primarily in the left side of the field.

Their limitations were in the depth of their attack

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runs and diffuculty getting to the opposites’ field.

Deficiencies •Many mistakes between center backs in covering deep opposing forwards.

•Lack of deep attacking play and effectiveness in goal opportunities and shots on goal.

Outstanding players: #11 # 10 # 7 y # 9

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The Honduran national soccer team was part of group (D), which also included Cuba and Mexico. Honduras defeated Cuba (4:1) and lost against Mexico (2:0) in the group matches. The average player age was 16 years old. In the quarterfinals Honduras defeated the strong US team (3:1) and thus it qualified to the World Cup. In the semifinals, Honduras once again played against the Mexican team, losing the game (3:1).

In the 3rd place match of the tournament, after a tie (0:0) full time score against Canada, Honduras lost in the penalty shootout (4:2).

Honduras showed a strong soccer team, with top level individual plays, and provided great color to the event.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-5-1

Technical analysis •Good individual and collective technique. The team initiated the attack from the defense.

•Very good defensive heading and use of the players’ height for aerial play.

•Good ball control, delivery and quick and deep forward incursions.

•Good shots on goal, except for the center forward #9.

•Skilled players at counter-attack. Sometimes there was an unnecessary use of feints leading to ball losses.

•Many combination plays in the midfield and in the attacks.

•The team faced technical difficulties in deep long distance passes and striking attacks.

Physical Condition •Good physical condition, with tall, fast and strong players.

•During the first games, the players maintained their pace, concentration and organization. The team used the forwards’ strength and fast speed at counterattacks until the end of the game.

•During the final matches against Mexico and Canada, the team showed signs of exhaustion in the 2nd half, affecting the team’s organization and its concentration.

Tactical •1-4-5-1 basic system converted into 1-4-4-2 and 1-4-3-3 depending on the match’s situation and the opponent’s level.

•The team played with two defensive midfielders ahead of the defensive line of 4 players, one with more freedom to attack and the other with more defensive responsibilities. Both players gave a good balance between both formation lines.

•Very good attacking and defending combination plays, between the defensive wingers and the midfielders.

•Well-organized team, compact formation in defense and attack. However, in the matches against Mexico and Canada, Honduras did not show this type of formation.

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Defense •The team used a 1-4-5-1 system in defense, making a defensive block with the total support of a center midfielder and grouping players in the midfield.

•Well-organized defense and coverage in defense and midfield area with intensive pressure on the opponent in the midfield.

•Strong and safe in 1v1 situations.

•Good defensive heading, based on the players’ height.

Attack •The team attacked with a varied formation system supported by midfielders and defensive wingers, 3 or 4 players attacked the opponent’s defensive position.

•The attacks were initiated from the defense with ball handling and possession. The team elaborated attacking play with the midfielders due to their good mobility rotating positions and receiving support of the wingers.

•Good combination plays and connections between the lines, the team always striving for deep attacking play.

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•Their attacks were primarily by the left side, where the team had some good skilled players. There were many ball passes onto goal area, mainly from the left side; however, most of the time they were ineffective due to technical deficiencies.

•Forwards used individual play with offensive responsibilities.

Deficiencies •The team faced technical difficulties in long distance ball passes and striking attacks.

•The midfielders had poor technical execution when at the opponent’s goal area.

•Defensive players with mental concentration problems. The team allowed 10 goals to get past them.

•Technical difficulties in shots on goal.

Outstanding players: #1, #5, #7, #10, #11, #9

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The Barbados team qualified for the Caribbean region, with an average player age of 16 years old. It was part of group (A), which also included Panama and Jamaica.

Barbados lost to Panama (2-0) and tied against Jamaica (2-2). Barbados caused a great impression with this result and demonstrated to have a fighting spirit and desire to win. This national soccer team together with the Cuban team were the most modest teams of the tournament in terms of technical level.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-5-1

Technical Approach •They have deficiencies in basic technical soccer concepts, such as ball control and delivery, carrying the ball and short, medium and long distance ball pass technique.

•Their play was entirely based on counter-attacks but their technical limitations led them to loose many balls die to inaccurate passes. The team did not have combination plays or ball possession in light of the opponent’s pressure. They did not execute first touch plays or back to back passes.

•They showed technical limitations on ball kicks and few good shots on goal.

•They had an inconsistent defensive heading.

Physical Condition •Soft warm-up. Low intensity at the beginning of the matches.

•Good overall physical condition, but some players did not resist the pace of the 2nd half of the game.

•Strong and fast players, mainly the forwards.

•Very strong in 1v1 ball dispute.

•Good fighting spirit and desire to win.

•More confident as more matches were played and the tournament progressed.

Tactica •The 1-4-5-1 basic system of play, with no change in defense and attack.

•They played with two defensive midfielders on midfield leaving open spaces between the lines and did not accomplish a compact play. Very open to counter-attack while on the offensive due to lack of defensive pressing and coverage.

•They conceded midfield spaces to the opponent •Their play was mainly based on counter-attacks with direct attacks and on its two attackers’ physical strength and skills.

•Limited ball possession and combination plays in the midfield.

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Defense

Deficiencies

•Their defense approach was a 4 player defensive line and 2 defensive midfielders. However, most of the time the defense was disorganized resulting in two 4 player defensive lines with a total of 8 players clustered in the defensive area.

•Lack of narrow defensive pressure and coverage in the defensive area. The central backs were slow.

•There was not a consistent compact play between the lines.

•Good in defensive heading for ball passes and corner kicks.

•Great spirit of victory.

•Low individual and collective technical level.

•Few good shots on goal and goal opportunities.

•Lack of quick combination plays on midfield and combination plays in general.

•Very disorganized defense. They did not have a compact play in attack and defense.

•Bad physical preparation of substitutes when player substitutions occurred during the match.

•Limited concentration and tactical stability of players during the match.

Attack •Their basic attack system was the counter-attack, using a deep lone striker with great physical power and speed to move around the field and dispute ball possession, creating problems to the opponent.

•The attacks were disorganized with too many inaccurate ball passes and few combination plays.

•Few goal opportunities and lack of technical accuracy in shots on goal.

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Outstanding players: #1 # 10

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This national soccer team was part of group (B), which also included Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. Costa Rica tied (1:1) against Canada and lost (2:0) against Trinidad and Tobago.

Costa Rica had an unstable play in these two games. The excess of inaccurate ball passes during quick counter-attacking combination plays while on the offensive was a fundamental elimination factor. In addition, there was an excess of deficient individual play and focused attacks through the center without an adequate open space. These factors contributed to Costa Rica’s (a high level country in the CONCACAF) inability to qualify to the World Cup.

Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-4-2

Technical Analysis

Tactical

•Good ball handling at individual and collective level.

Their strategy was to begin plays having ball control from the defense.

•Good technique on short distance ball passes, but deficient in medium distance and midfield (40) ball passes, mainly in attacking combination plays.

•They had skilled players at defense and attack, but sometimes there was unnecessary use of feint leading to ball losses.

•Good heading technique.

•The 1-4-4-2 basic system converted into 1-4-5-1 when defending.

•Good ball control in the defensive and midfield areas, with good ball possession in that area.

•The team had problems in organizing compact play between defenders and midfielders due to the defensive midfielders, mainly in the match against Trinidad and Tobago.

Physical Condition

•Good organization of the 4 player defensive line as well as during anticipating plays and coverage.

•In the first match, there were problems with the formation of two defensive midfielders who by abandoning the center of the field broke the compact play between the lines.

•Good in defensive heading on lob passes into the box and corner kicks, as well as coverage.

•Defensive pressing on midfield but not compact.

•Good physical level in general. However, two defensive midfielders decreased their performance capacity, especially in the first match against Trinidad and Tobago.

•They maintained a good pace of play throughout the match.

•Good team and fighting spirit.

Defense

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Attack •The team initiated attacking combination plays from the defensive line.

•They had problems with quick combination plays due to the excess of inaccurate ball passes.

•Limited depth and effectiveness in their attacking play.

•The attacks were generally through the center following combination plays from the left defensive positions.

Deficiencies •Technical limitations in attacking combination plays.

Many inaccurate ball passes between midfielders and forwards in attacking play.

•Excess ball passes onto goal area and long ball passes to forwards that were dominated by the opposing defense. More attack through the center where the opposing defense had narrow spaces.

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•Excess in individual play, causing unnecessary loss of balls.

•Disorganized defense area by the defensive midfielders as in the first match against Trinidad and Tobago.

•Limited deep and effective attacking play, with few goal opportunities Outstanding players: #11 # 3

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The Cuban national soccer team qualified for the Caribbean region, with an average player age of 16 years old. Cuba, together with the Barbados team, were the most modest teams of the tournament in terms of technical level. It was the last team to get into the tournament. Cuba was part of group (D), which also included Mexico and Honduras.

This group was characterized as having the highest standard and quality given its members (Mexico and Honduras).

The team was defeated by Mexico (5: 1), the tournament’s champion, and by Honduras (4:1), the 4th place winner. Their final result was 9 goals against and only 2 goals scored.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-5-1

Technical Approach •The team had serious technical limitations in individual and collective ball control under opponent pressure.

•They showed technical difficulties in ball passes during attacking combination plays. There were many inaccurate ball passes.

•They did not have ball possession and lacked clarity during attacking combination plays.

•The displayed a lack of depth on attacking plays and few creative offensive combination plays •The team was deficient in player movement and ball control by midfielders and forwards.

•There was no use of controlled advances or good ball possession from the defense.

Physical Condition •They had sub-par physical level. Many players had leg cramps and signs of exhaustion during the 2nd half of the matches.

•They had fast and strong players.

•Good jumping power into headers.

•They showed a lot of will, desire to win and even felt embarrassed, even though they scored 2 goals.

Tactical •They had only one basic system of play 1-4-5-1 for both attack and defense.

•They attacked by opening through the wings, especially the right side of the field with player#8; however, they lacked penetration and goal opportunities.

•Limited player movement and rotating positions between forwards and midfielders. They did not have ball possession in this area.

•Long counter-attacking plays and direct attacks.

Most of the time they had inaccurate ball passes or the opponent gained those balls.

•They did not have a compact defensive strategy. Very bad in 1v1 ball possession dispute and play anticipation.

•Bad in 1v1 marking of opponent strikers. There was a lot of freedom and lack of timely defensive marking.

•No compact play (although they tried to do it) between the lines and leaving open spaces for the opponent.

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Defense

Deficiencies

•The team showed organization problems, with deficiencies in 1v1 marking and ball possession dispute.

•While it was attempted, it was not possible to have a compact play between the lines due to the large spaces left between them. They did not use or were collectively late in marking when the opponent had ball possession, and there were deficiencies in 1v1 ball possession disputes •Excellent Cuban goalkeeper performance despite receiving 9 goals.

•Very slow in anticipating plays and in coverage. Lacked defensive player movement.

•Low competitive level. Lack of competitive experience and play routine.

•They did not have compact play between the lines during the attack and defense.

•They did not have ball possession or execute combination plays to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Too many inaccurate ball passes.

•Beside the 2 excellent goals that player#8 scored, the team did not have deep attacking plays or dangerous attacks.

•The team had serious technical problems in inaccurate short, medium and long distance ball passes.

•Their performance level significantly decreased in the 2nd half time of the matches.

Attack •Their attack system was based on deep individual counter-attacking plays, with a lone player isolated and without any support. Many inaccurate ball passes.

•As a result of the opponents’ pressure, there was no control or ball possession and hence they did not use combination plays to create goal-scoring.

•Very few midfielder and forwards’ movements in attacking play.

•Lack of confidence of the defensive line in ball control and handling.

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Outstanding players: # 1 y # 8

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The Guatemalan national soccer team was part of group (C), which also included the U.S and Haiti. Guatemala lost against the U.S (1:0) and defeated Haiti (3:1). The average player age was 16 years old.

Guatemala qualified to the quarterfinals, where the team faced and lost to the strong Mexican team (2:0).

Guatemala scored 3 goals and 4 against in three matches.

In our opinion, it was an unstable team in its tactical formation with very good individual players.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-4-2

Technical Analysis

Tactical

•Good individual and collective technical level at all lines.

•Good ball handling in narrow spaces. They used short and medium distance ball passes.

•They used ball possession in defensive mode and in the midfield with short distance and safe ball passes.

•Few midfield shots •They had 1v1 destabilizing players and forward incursions with good ball control.

•The 1-4-4-2 basic system converted into 1-4-3-3 when attacking and 1-4-5-1 when defending.

•Good defensive and offensive organization, but with limited depth in its attacking play.

•Good ball possession and rotating positions. Very good midfield combination plays by defensive wingers.

•They used the full breadth of the field and most of the time made deep long distance ball passes to a lone striker, who was isolated from the rest of the team.

Physical Condition •In the 1st half of the match, the team showed a good physical performance. Some players were able to maintain a compact play between the lines in the 2nd half of the match.

•Some players were fast although short in height.

Defense •A variable defensive system in the first match.

The team used 3 defenders with a fixed defensive midfielder. For the following matches, the team used a defensive line of 4 players and 1 defensive midfielder, grouping players in the midfield for intensive defensive pressure.

•Good defensive organization. In the 2nd half of the match, they did not have not compact lines as a result of their physical condition.

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Attack

Deficiencies

•They alternated two, three, and sometimes four players when attacking.

•Very good midline and attacking combination plays with players #11 and #10.

•Skilled and different players # 7, #10, #11 and # 7.

•They used deep ball passes through the center.

•There was a tactical position change of player#7, the player with the most organizational capacity and who was the best player during the first match. During the other two matches he played as a striker, was alone and isolated in the attack.

•Low physical level in the 2nd half of the matches, which disorganized the team.

•They did not have compact lines in the 2nd half of the matches.

•Lack of technical and tactical decisions.

•Few deep and effective attacking plays.

Outstanding players: # 17 # 7

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Haiti was one of the teams that qualified for the Caribbean region. The average player age was 16 years old. It was part of group (C), which also included the U.S. (3:0) and Guatemala (3:1), losing to both teams. The national soccer team proved to have excellent individual values among its players, but it also has serious problems with the tactical concentration and organization of the team within its system of play.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-4-2

Technical Approach

Tactical

•Good individual and collective technique (very skilled). Excellent quick forward incursions and feints.

•Technical problems in medium and long distance ball passes.

•Technical and accuracy problems in shots on goal (ineffective and few midfield shots).

•Good ball possession when pressured by the opponent and in narrow spaces.

•The 1-4-4-2 basic system of play converted into 1-43-3 when attacking and 1-4-5-1 when defending.

•They had compact play between the lines, both in attack and defense.

•Very good player movement and rotating positions, promoting more ball possession.

•Lack of tactical concentration in 2nd half of the matches affecting the team’s formation and organization. They tend toward individual play as first recourse.

•The coaches made wrong decisions on collective tactical approaches during the 2nd game.

Physical Condition •All players were in very good physical condition.

They were fast and strong in 1v1 situations. They maintained a compact play between the lines, with player movement and intensive defensive pressure.

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Defense

Deficiencies

•Defensive system with 4 defenders in the center back line and 2 defensive midfielders.

•Good in anticipating plays and in 1v1 mark. The players were fast and strong.

•Very good defensive heading.

•Good coverage and speed between the center backs.

Their defensive system was based on defensive pressure and pressing on midfield.

•During most of the 2nd half of the matches, the team had a disorganized defense. They gave priority to offensive strategies rather than defensive ones.

•Deficient technical level in shots on goal and midfield shots.

•Tactical management mistakes in the 2nd match.

•Technical deficiencies on ball kicks and deep long ball passes.

The team lost concentration and their defense was disorganized throughout the match. The team allowed 10 goals to get past them and they only scored 1 goal. They must work on achieving a tactical balance between their defense and attack strategies.

Attack •The system of play was sometimes based on counter-attacks and the team also used combination plays 1-4-4-2 and 1-4-3-3.

•Good support of the defensive wingers in the attack, mainly thorough the right side. Very skilled and fast players in the attacks.

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Outstanding players: #9, # 3, # 7

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The team qualified for the Caribbean region. The average player age was 17 years old. It was part of group (B), which also included Panama (1:1) and Barbados (2:2), having 2 ties with 3 goals scored and 3 against.

Jamaica was eliminated from the tournament in the match against Canada (4:2). The team showed an excessive amount of unnecessary fouls, and instability in its line-ups.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-4-2

Technical Analysis

Tactical

•The team had a sub-standard individual and collective technical level. Due to opponent pressure the ball was lost and forced passes had to be made.

•Limited ball possession with too many balls lost due to the use of feints during the attack.

•Technical limitations in medium and long distance ball passes.

•Deficient midfield shots and shots on goal.

•The1-4-4-2 basic system converted into 1-4-5-1 when defending, even in the attack, using deep ball passes and direct attacks over the center forward.

An essentially counter-attacking play with many inaccurate ball passes.

•Limitations in attacking combination play due to loss of balls in feints as a result of not using a collective attacking play.

•They did not maintain a stable and tactically organized play in all matches.

•They did not have good concentration or tactical discipline in the 2nd half of the matches.

•Many inaccurate ball passes in attacking combination plays.

Physical Conditions •Good physical levels. Fast, strong and tall players.

•The team was not able to maintain a compact play throughout the game, mainly between defenders and center midfielders in the 2nd half time of the match.

•Good in ball dispute when in 1v1 situations.

•Good in aerial play by using excellent jumping power.

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Defense •4 player defensive line at the back, with the support of a defensive midfielder.

•Good physical condition, fast and good defensive heading in ball possession dispute. Strong in 1v1 situations. The team used an unnecessary violent play.

•They were disorganized and did not have a compact play in the midfield line, leaving open spaces for the opponent.

•Very good fighting spirit and willingness to win.

Attack •Their attacks were based on quick counter-attack individual and isolated plays supported by the forwards. Deficient shots on goal and midfield shots.

•They were very disorganized in the counter-attack and with ineffective combination plays due to

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inaccurate short and long distance ball passes causing the loss of many balls.

They did not have stable attacking combination plays.

Limited ball possession.

Deficiencies •Many balls lost in the attack due to an excess of individual play.

•They could not maintain a tactically organized play.

•They did not have compact plays between both defensive and offensive lines. They showed limited technical resources to obtain counter-attacking combination plays.

•Few deep and effective attacking plays and shots on goal.

Outstanding players: # 10 # 6

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The national soccer team qualified for the Caribbean region. It was part of group (B), which also included Canada and Costa Rica. Trinidad & Tobago lost against Canada (2:0) and defeated Costa Rica (2:0), giving a pleasant surprise when it defeated one of the biggest UNCAF teams.

The average player age was 16 years old.

In quarterfinals, Trinidad & Tobago played against Panama, the hosting team, under great pressure and a stadium full of home fans. This game was a very close match and despite of losing (4:2), Trinidad & Tobago demonstrated a high spirit and willingness to fight for victory.

Its tactical stability and well-structured approaches were well recognized.

The team showed a very good team management. It was the most tactically organized team with respect to other participants from the Caribbean.

Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-5-1

Technical Analysis •Good individual and collective technical level in ball handling; however, the team had problems with opponent pressure in combination plays.

•They had skilled players with quick forward incursions and good feints.

•The team showed technical limitations in medium and long distance ball passes.

•The team showed technical limitations in shots on goal.

Physical Conditions •Good physical performance level throughout the match.

•Fast and powerful players who gained ball possession in the majority of plays when the possession of the ball was disputed, and in 1v1 situations.

•They maintained good performance capacity, enabling them to apply defensive pressure in the defensive and midfield areas throughout the match.

•Winning mentality and great fighting spirit.

•Good team management and correct use of player substitutions.

Tactical •The 1-4-5-1 basic system sometimes converted into 1-5-4-1 in defensive situations.

•They maintained stability of their line-up contributing to the team and tactical organization.

•Defensive compact play between their lines.

•Their combination play was based on counterattacks and striking attacks with technical difficulties due to inaccurate long distance ball passes. Player #9 was very dangerous in the attack.

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Defense

match.

•A 4 player defensive line supported by a defensive midfielder, contributing to a defensive compact play.

The team had tall, strong and safe players and a well-organized defense led by player #6, a center midfielder and captain of the team.

•Very good heading and accurate anticipating plays.

•Very strong in 1v1 situations, imposing physical strength and speed.

•Great fighting spirit and willingness to win.

Deficiencies

Attack •Their deep and fast counter-attacking combination plays was based on their forward #9 and supported by player #15 for heading.

•They opened the field with the support of the midfield wingers.

•Fast and strong players with good heading, mainly player #15.

•Technical limitations in quick attacking combination plays and shots on goal.

•Great physical capacity of forwards throughout the

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•Technical limitations in medium and long-distance ball passes, essentially in striking attacks.

•Lack of coverage and speed from the center back.

•At times the team lost tactical concentration during the match.

Outstanding players: #9 # 14 # 6 # 15

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The U.S. national soccer team was part of group (C), which also included Guatemala (1:0) and Haiti (3:0), convincingly defeating both teams, qualifying in first place of this group to the quarterfinals, with 2 victories and 6 points.

The average player age was 16 years old. The team had very good quality players with high soccer level.

In the quarterfinals, the U.S. lost against Honduras (3:1), missing many goal opportunities and ball passes for shots on goal.

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Tactical

Basic System of Play 1-4-5-1

Technical Analysis •The team had a good individual and collective technical level, outstanding and confident ball handling. It had ball control in the defense area with short and medium distance ball passes in narrow spaces, and opponent pressure.

•It showed good wing ball passes, with dangerous attacks in the left side of the field with support of the wingers.

•The team used precise player movement with combination plays leading to dangerous attacks with midfield shots.

•Skilled players at attack, capable to determine the course of the match.

Physical Condition •Good physical performance throughout the game that allowed them to both press on defense and generate attacks while keeping compact line formations for both gears (defense and attack) in most matches.

However, during the second half of the game against

Honduras, the team showed signs of exhaustion, thus the compact play between lines did not work in an organized way.

• Fast, strong and tough players that displayed power when disputing ball possession and during aerial play.

Tactical •The team used the 1-4-5-1 basic system, converted into 1-4-4-2 and 1-4-3-3 when attacking due to the physical capacity and the support of the midfielders and wingers.

•They maintained a compact play between the lines and organization in the midfield, using a full breadth in this area supported by the wingers and an essential attack through the left side.

•The team had an excellent center midfielder line, being players #8 and #6 good organizers and smart. There was a good relationship between these midfielders and forwards, supported by the steady work and movement of player #10, in combination play and attack penetration.

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Defense •Very effective in aerial play (heading), in the 4 player defensive line. Good anticipating plays and coverage with the assistance of the defensive midfielder.

•Very good compact defensive organization between the lines, defensive pressure and pressing on midfield.

Good spirit and will to fight.

•The team showed deficiencies in the 1v1 mark on skilled opponents, mainly in the 2nd half of the game against Honduras.

•The opponent did not have too many goal opportunities due to the good defenders’ coverage and confidence.

Attack •Their attacks were primarily by the wings, most of the time by the left side, with ball passes creating a constant threat. However, the effectiveness of those attacks, the capacity to result in goal opportunities and shots on goal was low.

•There was good attacking combination plays and communication between the midfielders and forwards resulting in goal opportunities and shots on goal.

Very good combination play by player #8, a creative midfielder.

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•The play was based on the goal opportunities made by player #7, who opened through the left side, and the permanent movement of player # 10 in the attack and the midfield line.

•When advancing by the wings, several players gather in search of bounced ball opportunities.

Deficiencies •Lack of accuracy in shots on goal after many goal opportunities and ball passes.

•They must improve the 1v1 mark on skilled and fast players.

Outstanding players: #20 #10 #7 #17 #1 #6 #5 #8

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Ten referees and ten assistant referees were selected for this twelve team tournament with representation from all three CONCACAF regions.

The breakdown of the referees and assistant referees by region is as follows:

REFEREES

ASSISTANT REFEREES

NORTH

NORTH CFU

UNCAF

The average of the match officials varied in each region. The overall average age for referees was 32.3 years (ages ranged from 26 to 36). The average referee age by region was: CFU: 33.75, UNCAF: 31.5, and North: 31. In terms of assistant referees, the average age of all participants was 32.2 (ranging from 25 to 38). Regionally, the average was: CFU: 33.5, UNCAF: 29.75, and North: 34.5.

In addition to the appointed referees and assistant referees, four assessors were appointed as nominated by the Head of Refereeing for their region. In this tournament, two assessors were appointed from CFU and two appointed from UNCAF.

CFU

UNCAF

As has been the case since the CONCACAF under-20 finals in Puebla, Mexico, a specialized training event was conducted for four less experienced assessors.

This training covered 5 days and was comprised of 2 trainees from CFU and two from UNCAF. This was the first CONCACAF tournament to utilize the Futline aerosol spray to manage the 10 yards/9.15 meters on ceremonial free kicks. The spray was put to use from the quarterfinals through the final with much success. Teams respected the required distance when the referee marked the distance with the spray. Further experience by referees and assistant referees is needed to streamline the usage and to speed up the process of establishing the wall.

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REFEREEING REPORT Technical Preparation

Fitness

The day prior to the first matches, all match officials and assessor participated in a technical, classroom training session covering the major issues associated with the tournament and the expectations of the referees. Much of the content was also presented to each of the competing teams as part of the Under-17 Team Summit conducted a month prior.

The Fitness Instructor was responsible for coordinating all aspects related to referee fitness.

These activities included: daily physical training (on the field, in the hotel gym, and in the hotel pool), warm-up prior to games, cool down after games, weight management, assistance with running and training technique, and feedback based upon the use of the Polar heart rate monitor system.

During the tournament, daily debrief sessions were led by the FIFA Technical Instructor and, as needed, by the assigned FIFA Fitness Instructor. Assessors assigned to matches would open the debrief session with their commentary on the referee performance as well as review critical match decisions via clips.

The FIFA Technical Instructor would then summarize each performance and provide the final analysis of additional situations that would benefit the performance of all match officials. Referees were encouraged to analyze their own performances as well as the performances of their colleagues in a critical but positive manner.

In addition to the classroom-based technical sessions, the Technical Instructor also conducted field sessions covering items that were raised in the classroom and observed on the field of play. On rest days, all match officials and assessor participated in the field sessions. On game days, the non-working officials and fourth officials for the day’s games attended the early morning field sessions.

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Weight control was conducted each day prior to and after training. Concurrently, match officials were weighed before and after games thereby giving referees a sense of weight control that can be used at home and during tournaments. On average, referees lost between one and two pounds per game. In extreme conditions, a few referees lost three pounds.

One of the biggest concerns of referee performance, during the tournament, was the lack of overall fitness of the match officials. The Polar heart rate monitor system was utilized to track the fitness levels of all officials during training sessions as well as during the games. The FIFA Fitness Instructor provided individual feedback to referees based upon the Polar results.

The following is an overall summary of the fitness levels of match officials as compiled by the FIFA Fitness Instructor:

Referees - Agility

Referees - Velocity

Assistant Referees - Agility

Assistant Referees - Velocity

As the graphs indicate, referees from the CFU region need more emphasis on physical fitness and game fitness preparation. Both agility (the ability to move around the field) and velocity (speed and acceleration) were a main consideration for improvement for all CFU referees as all four referees registered as “needing improvement.�

During games, fitness levels of several officials significantly declined as the game progressed.

With approximately half of the games being played on artificial turf, the heat index was significantly higher and this also impacted the stamina of many referees.

receive any further assignments in the tournament as it was determined that the injury was not fully healed and would be a detriment to his performance.

The second injury occurred after a match and was identified during a field training session. As a result, the referee was replaced as fourth official on his game that same evening.

There were two injuries suffered by referees during the Championship. One referee injured his ankle during his match but was able to finish the game but the injury was visually evident. This referee did not

This was the first CONCACAF tournament in which massage therapists were made available to the referees remaining after the quarterfinals. This was a significant positive stride. The weather conditions for the tournament were regularly hot and humid and half the games (prior to the semifinal) were on artificial turf. As a consequence, the match officials needed massage for recovery purposes.

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REFEREEING REPORT Performance Overall, there was significant improvement in performance as the tournament progressed. Match officials exhibited the ability to learn from the technical sessions that were conducted on the field and in the classroom. Not only did the officials learn from their own performances but they learned from the performances of fellow match officials.

Advancements were seen in positioning, use of the whistle, and foul selection/discrimination as the referees gained more experience in the tournament.

Through technical practice on the field and visual aids (video clips from the matches), the referees were able to improve and optimize their angles of vision. Additionally, referees exhibited the ability to pay more attention to detail (proper use of the whistle to restart play, tone of the whistle, use of the stretcher) as more games were played.

A significant area of improvement was noted regarding the approach of not running to the place where the foul was committed. Over the first several matches, many referees regularly ran to the location of the foul. This practice was mostly being utilized by referees from UNCAF. Constant movement to the spot of the foul prevented quick restarts and helped to fuel confrontations as the referee’s presence became a magnet for both teams to confront each other unnecessarily plus it often resulted in the referee being out of position for the next phase of play immediately following the restart.

Through classroom sessions and field technical work, the referees were able to adjust their practices and adapt to the methods taught. Modification resulted in visible improvement in the management and flow of the game.

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Qualification, discrimination and recognition of fouls were an issue for several referees (especially the referees without professional leagues). Normal contact was often penalized while harder fouls were not recognized nor punished.

Unfortunately, several referees arrived in less than top physical form. This lack of high-level conditioning impacted their ability to make clear decisions for 90 minutes. Physical fatigue led to mental fatigue and an increase in improper decisions as well as decisions from longer distances. The further from play, the more difficult it becomes to “sell� the decision.

In summary, there was a huge gap between the top five referees in the tournament and the rest of the referees. Most of this has to do with the professional approach and preparation and the challenges faced by the top referees on a regular basis in their country.

It is possible to analyze the performance of the match officials by assessment scores for the referees and assistant referees and to examine overall performances by each region. In total, there were 20 games (20 center referee positions and 40 assistant referee positions). The chart below provides a detailed summary of the performances by region. It is clear that the officials from the CFU are behind the rest of CONCACAF in terms of performances. In fact, CFU referees, on average, scored significantly lower than the combined scores of UNCAF and North region referees. CFU referee marks ranged from 6.5 to 8.0 whereas scores for UNCAF referees were in the range of 7.7 to 8.6 and North referees from 8.1 to 8.5.

UNCAF and North average referee scores: 8.22 (14 assignments) CFU average referee scores: 7.32 (6 assignments) Difference: 0.90 This is a significant difference and points to the need to provide more development and training opportunities to the referees in the CFU region.

Region

Number of Games for Referees

Referee Average Score

Number of Positions for Assistant Referees

Assistant Referee Average Score

CFU 6 7.32 14

7.87

UNCAF 9

15

8.23

North 5 8.26

11

8.24

Totals 20

40

8.11

8.20 7.95

Assessors The four assessors assigned to the tournament had varying degrees of experience. Two were relatively new assessors while two were experienced assessors with multiple CONCACAF Champions League assignments and World Cup qualification assignments.

The work of the assessors, in both written form and in terms of verbal feedback to match officials, continues to be an area needing improvement within all regions of CONCACAF. The assessors lack the ability to identify key issues and structure feedback in a manner that offers solutions for improvement.

Special assessor-specific sessions were held to provide assistance especially in report writing. A recent positive stride in assessing is the ability of the assessor to prepare clips from the match DVD. As a result, they can be more effective in following up with referees and in preparing match analysis videos as part of on-going training sessions in their Member Association.

Assessors In-Training Four assessors were invited as part of an initiative to train Member Association assessors and provide them with new experiences (through high level instruction and games) and additional tools to improve their contributions to referee development.

Each in-training assessor was required to complete

assessments on matches and then provide them to the Technical Instructor for review and feedback.

The assessors in-training were provided five days of training and guidance. Overall, their work continued to support the fact that assessment is an area that requires more work and focus at the Member Association level, the regional level (CFU, UNCAF and North) and at the highest level (CONCACAF).

Further training and work is required to prepare the participating assessors for top level CONCACAF games.

Recommendations • More controlled training activities and tournaments are needed for match officials.

The extended exposure to high-level instruction (technical and physical) is vital for continued improvement. Referees need more reinforcement of the proper interpretation of the Laws, positioning, practical refereeing skills, foul discrimination, and other key game management aspects. • A more professional approach is required.

- This is especially true for the match officials and assessors from the CFU. - Professionalism in training and in match preparation needs to be a priority and a requirement to be a FIFA referee or assistant referee.

- The mental approach to being a referee needs to be addressed as part of the referee selection process.

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REFEREEING REPORT • Improved fitness training techniques.

- Dedication to elite levels of fitness. The game at the international level is much faster and requires higher levels of stamina, agility, and velocity. Failure to prepare for this level results in reduced accuracy of decisions as the game progresses and mental fatigue. As a consequence, the referee’s game control and management is negatively impacted.

- Referees must improve physical training techniques and train for “worst-case” scenarios (for example: heat, humidity, altitude, speed of play) or conditions.

• Positioning.

- Especially during dynamic play, needs further attention. More technical sessions, on the field, must be conducted in Member Associations and during CONCACAF training events.

- Referees were managing the game on too strict a diagonal often times leaving too much responsibility to the assistant referee.

- Referees need to close down play and penetrate their corner of the field more often.

- Referees must learn to anticipate and read play.

They must learn to read the options available to the player with the ball and anticipate the next phase of play by moving before the ball is played/passed.

• Referees must be “students of the game.”

- Referees from many areas do not watch games on a regular basis. They only have a vision of the game in “their back yard” and not on a worldwide basis. As a result, referees are not striving to be elite. They are striving to be the best in their country and they lack the vision or knowledge of what it takes to be elite in CONCACAF let alone in other areas around the world.

- More time must be spent being a student of the game by analyzing referees and team tactics from around the world.

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• Practical refereeing techniques.

- Practical refereeing techniques (common sense refereeing concepts) need to be trained and discussed at an earlier stage of a referee’s career.

- Member Associations should include these type

of discussions and training in the training and development curriculum of referees.

• Fourth officials. Simple mistakes were made on a regular basis.

- Emphasis must be placed on being fourth officials in Member Associations utilizing the appropriate procedures.

- FIFA referees must have prior training and experience as fourth officials prior to being nominated for the FIFA list.

• Assessment.

- Assessors need more practice in Member Associations. Many Member Associations do not have formal assessment programs in which assessors can practice feedback and analysis as well as the proper manner in which to prepare the written assessment.

- Marking/scoring referee performance continues to be done on an inconsistent basis.

- The ability of assessors to recognize the important and critical performance issues, decisions and incidents was evident. Hence, more time reviewing FIFA and CONCACAF materials (training videos) must be done within Member Associations.

- Written assessment reports need to be more specific. They must draw a picture of the referee’s performance while offering recommendations for improvement. Reports must do more than specify the problem, they must provide solutions and assist the referee in analyzing the “why.”

• Provide more training and development opportunities for CFU match officials.

- Work must be done to close the performance gap between CFU officials and the officials from other CONCACAF regions.

REFEREE # Region Referee 1 CFU ANDERSON, William 2 CFU MORRISON, Kevin 3 CFU RUBALCABA, David 4 CFU STEWART, Christophel 5 UNCAF BEJARANO, Henry 6 UNCAF CASTRO, Armando 7 UNCAF PITTI, John 8 UNCAF POLANCO, Jonathan 9 North GUZMAN, Juan 10 North MORALES, Jesus Fabricio

Country PUR JAM CUB CAY CRC HON PAN GUA USA MEX

ASSISTANT REFEREES # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Region CFU CFU CFU CFU UNCAF UNCAF UNCAF UNCAF North North

Assistant Referee DOPICO, Hiran MARS, Venton POWELL, Kedlee ROCHARD, Ainsley GARCIA, Geovany LEMUS, Juan MENDOZA, Rey RAMIREZ, Christian LOPEZ CARRILLO, Mario de Jesus MANIKOWSKI, Peter

Country CUB GUY JAM TRI SLV GUA PAN HON MEX USA

ASSESSORS # Region Assessor 1 CFU FANEIJTE, Urvin 2 CFU MEIKLE, David 3 UNCAF JONES, David 4 UNCAF PERALTA, Elix

Country CUR JAM BLZ PAN

ASSESSORS IN-TRAINING # 1 2 3 4

Region CFU CFU UNCAF UNCAF

Assessor In-Training FRANCOIS, Clemroy RASS, Monique ARAYA, Mario Jose AVILA, Rafael

Country VIN ARU CRC PAN

STAFF # Role 1 FIFA Technical Instructor 2 FIFA Fitness Instructor 3 FIFA Referee Committee 4 Administration 5 CONCACAF Head of Refereeing

Staff PRENDERGAST, Peter SAMAYOA, Erick BATRES, Carlos WHITTAKER, Alfredo HALL, Brian

Country JAM GUA GUA CAY USA

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Luis Hernandez, Keith Look Loy and Luis Manuel Hernandez Technical Study Office, CONCACAF.