The 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship kicks off this weekend in Costa Rica and Portland Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse will be there as part of the U.S. U-20 Men's National Team as they aim to take on the best U-20 teams in the region. Founded in 1962, the tournament also serves as as a qualification platform for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
The tournament itself consists of an opening round robin format involving three groups. The top two teams from each group then advance to one of two, three-team groups. The top two of each of those groups earn qualification to the FIFA U-20 World Cup while the group winner of each will play each other in a final to decide the champion of the CONCACAF U-20 tournament.
Here's a schedule of the U.S.' initial group stage games in Costa Rica with all of them also streaming on CONCACAF's Facebook page:
Feb. 18 vs. Panama - 12:30pm PT - UDN, CONCACAF Facebook Live
Feb. 21 vs. Haiti - 2:30pm PT - UDN, CONCACAF Facebook Live
Feb. 24 vs. St. Kitts & Nevits - 2:30pm PT - UDN, CONCACAF Facebook Live
MLSsoccer.com has a good primer on the myriad MLS players joining Ebobisse in the tournament and gives an overview of the teams as well as the U.S.' chances to advance and qualify. (Read: Pretty good.)
U.S. Soccer also has a good primer on the World Cup qualification process for the U.S. and the CONCACAF tournament's role in it.
Meanwhile, TopDrawerSoccer.com gives a good preview of the tournament as a whole.
@ussoccer_ynt on Twitter is also providing updates throughout the team's journey in Costa Rica while Ebobisse himself (@kingjebo) has also be checking in on Twitter (see above).
