VERACRUZ, Mexico, CMC:
TRINIDAD AND Tobago will be the first Caribbean Football Union (CFU) team in action when the 2006 CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Finals start today.
Trinidad and Tobago, runners-up to Jamaica in the CFU Finals in November, tackle highly rated Canada at the Luis Pirata Stadium where hosts Mexico will face Panama in the Group A opening double-header.
Group B, which starts tomorrow, has two Caribbean teams, Jamaica and Suriname, tackling El Salvador and the USA in Cordoba at the Rafael Murillo Stadium.
The tournament will advance three teams to this summer's FIFA World Championship for which no Caribbean team has ever qualified.
The odds are against Caribbean teams doing well here since the women's game in the region is less developed than some of its CONCACAF rivals, but the T&T vice-captain Maylee Attin-Johnson enters the assignment with a very positive approach.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
"To many people, it is crazy to think about qualifying against such tough teams, but based on what we learnt from our coach and the (Men's World Cup qualifying) Soca Warriors, nothing is impossible," she said.
The top three teams from this CONCACAF play-off series will advance to the 2006 FIFA Women's Under-20 World Championship in Russia from August 16 to September 2.
The winners and runners-up of each group will earn a place in the event's semi-finals on January 25, with the winners of the semi-final games earning a place as CONCACAF representatives in FIFA's Under-20 Women's World Championship.
The confederation's third spot in the FIFA event will be determined by a third-place play-off game between the two losing semi-finalists on January 27.
Group A - Canada, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago
January 18 - Canada vs Trinidad & Tobago - Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
January 18 Mexico vs Panama - Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
January 2 Panama vs Canada - Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
January 20 Mexico vs Trinidad & Tobago Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
January 22 Trinidad & Tobago vs Panama Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
January 22 Mexico vs Canada Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
Group B El Salvador, Jamaica, Suriname, USA
January 19 El Salvado vs Suriname Estadio Rafael Murrillo Vidal
January 19 USA vs Jamaica Estadio Rafael Murrillo Vidal
January 21 Jamaica vs El Salvado Estadio Rafael Murrillo Vidal
January 21 Suriname vs USA Estadio Rafael Murrillo Vidal
January 23 Jamaica vs Suriname Estadio Rafael Murrillo Vidal
January 23 USA vs El Salvador Estadio Rafael Murrillo Vidal
Semi-finals
January 25 A1 vs. B2 Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
January 25 B1 vs. A2 Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
Finals:
January 27 Third-plce game Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
January 27 Championship game Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes
