# 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship

The 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship was the 9th edition of the CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, the biennial international youth football championship organised by CONCACAF for the women's under-20 national teams of the North, Central American and Caribbean region. The tournament was hosted by Trinidad and Tobago and took place between 18–28 January 2018, as announced by CONCACAF on 31 October 2017. A total of eight teams played in the tournament.
The top three teams of the tournament qualified for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France as the CONCACAF representatives. The tournament also determined which three Caribbean nations participate in the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games.
Mexico defeated defending champions United States in the final to win their first title.

## Qualification

Regional qualification tournaments were held to determine the teams playing in the final tournament.

### Qualified teams

The following eight teams qualified for the final tournament.
| Team | Qualification | Appearance | Previous best performances | Previous FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup appearances |
| North American Zone (NAFU) |||||
| Canada | Automatic | 7th | Champions (2004, 2008) | 7 |
| Mexico | Automatic | 9th | Runners-up (2010, 2014) | 7 |
| United States | Automatic | 9th | Champions (2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015) | 8 |
| Central American Zone (UNCAF) qualified through Central American qualifying competition |||||
| Costa Rica | Classification stage winners | 6th | Third place (2004, 2010, 2014) | 2 |
| Nicaragua | Classification stage winners | 2nd | Group stage (2008) | 0 |
| Caribbean Zone (CFU) qualified through Caribbean qualifying competition |||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Hosts | 8th | Fourth place (2014) | 0 |
| Jamaica | Final round winners | 9th | Fourth place (2006) | 0 |
| Haiti | Final round runners-up | 4th | Group stage (2002, 2012, 2015) | 0 |

## Venues

All matches of the tournament were played at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
| Couva | Couva |
| Couva | Ato Boldon Stadium |
| Couva | Capacity: 10,000 |

## Draw

The draw of the tournament was held on 7 November 2017, 10:00 AST (UTC−4), at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain.
The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four teams. Tournament hosts Trinidad and Tobago were seeded in position A1, while defending champions United States were seeded in position B1. The remaining six teams, including the two teams from the Caribbean Zone whose identity were not known at the time of the draw, were allocated to pots 2–4, and drawn to the remaining six positions.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
| Trinidad and Tobago (Position A1)  United States (Position B1) | Canada  Mexico | Costa Rica  Nicaragua | Jamaica  Haiti |

## Squads

Players born on or after 1 January 1998 are eligible to compete in the tournament. Each team must register a squad of 20 players, two of whom must be goalkeepers.

## Group stage

The top two teams of each group advance to the semi-finals.

### Tiebreakers

Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:
* Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in all group matches;
* Goals scored in all group matches;
* Drawing of lots.
All times are local, AST (UTC−4).

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Canada | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 9 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | Haiti | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 6 | Knockout stage |
| 3 | Costa Rica | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 3 | |
| 4 | Trinidad and Tobago (H) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 0 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | Mexico | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 6 | Knockout stage |
| 3 | Nicaragua | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 | |
| 4 | Jamaica | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 1 | |

## Knockout stage

In the semi-finals, if the match is level at the end of 90 minutes, no extra time is played and the match is decided by a penalty shoot-out. In the third place match and final, if the match is level at the end of 90 minutes, extra time is played, and if still tied after extra time, the match is decided by a penalty shoot-out.

### Bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 26 January – Couva | 26 January – Couva |
| United States (p) | 1 (3) |
| United States (p) | 1 (3) | 28 January – Couva | 28 January – Couva |
| Haiti | 1 (0) | 28 January – Couva | 28 January – Couva |
| Haiti | 1 (0) | United States | 1 (2) |
| 26 January – Couva | 26 January – Couva | | United States | 1 (2) |
| 26 January – Couva | 26 January – Couva | Mexico (p) | 1 (4) |
| Canada | 1 (3) | Mexico (p) | 1 (4) |
| Mexico (p) | 1 (4) | | |
| Mexico (p) | 1 (4) | Third place | Third place |
| | | 28 January – Couva | 28 January – Couva |
| | | Haiti | 1 |
| | | Canada | 0 |

### Semi-finals

Winners qualify for 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

### Third place match

Winner qualifies for 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

### Final
## Winners

* 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship
* Mexico First title

## Qualification for international tournaments
### Qualified teams for FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup

The following three teams from CONCACAF qualified for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
| Team | Qualified on | Previous appearances in FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup |
| Mexico | 26 January 2018 | 7 (2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016) |
| United States | 26 January 2018 | 8 (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016) |
| Haiti | 28 January 2018 | 0 (debut) |
    $^1$ Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

### Qualified teams for Central American and Caribbean Games

The competition was used to decide the three teams from the Caribbean Football Union which would qualify for the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games. As only three Caribbean teams participated in the final tournament, they all qualified:
* Haiti
* Jamaica
* Trinidad and Tobago

## Goalscorers
### 5 goals

* Jordyn Huitema

### 4 goals

* Nérilia Mondésir

### 3 goals

* Gabrielle Carle
* Shana Flynn

### 2 goals

* Hillary Corrales
* Dennecia Prince
* Dayana Cázares
* Belén Cruz
* Katty Martínez
* Jaelin Howell

### 1 goal

* Tanya Boychuk
* Daniela Coto
* Catalina Estrada
* Fabiola Villalobos
* Melchie Dumonay
* Roseline Éloissaint
* Sherly Jeudy
* Nelourde Nicolas
* Olufolasade Adamolekun
* Jazmin Grant
* Jadyn Matthews
* Jimena López
* Jacqueline Ovalle
* Yessenia Flores
* Jaclyn Gilday
* Kédie Johnson
* Aaliyah Prince
* Tierna Davidson
* Abigail Kim
* Civana Kuhlmann
* Ashley Sanchez
* Sophia Smith
* Taryn Torres

### 1 own goal

* Chyanne Dennis (playing against Mexico)

## Awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament.
| Golden Ball | Golden Boot | Golden Glove |
| Miriam García | Jordyn Huitema | Emily Alvarado |
| CONCACAF Fair Play Award |||
| Mexico |||

### Best XI

* Goalkeeper: Emily Alvarado
* Right Back: Kiara Pickett
* Center Back: Miriam García
* Center Back: Maya Antoine
* Left Back: Jimena López
* Right Midfielder: Jordyn Huitema
* Center Midfielder: Jaelin Howell
* Center Midfielder: Melchie Dumonay
* Center Midfielder: Savannah DeMelo
* Left Midfielder: Jacqueline Ovalle
* Forward: Nérilia Mondésir