CONCACAF: U.S. to host 2005 U-20 qualifying group.

CONCACAF has unveiled the venues for the Under-20 and U-17 final qualifying stages that will take place in 2005.

The United States and Honduras have been selected as the host nations for the respective qualifying groups in winter 2005 for the U-20 competition that will lead four CONCACAF places into the World Youth Championship later in the year in the Netherlands.

The two countries will each stage a group of four teams with the top two finishers from each group qualifying to the FIFA event.

Joining Honduras and USA will be six other teams; Canada and Mexico from North America; two Central American teams; two from the Caribbean.

Canada and Costa Rica will each host a group for the final stage of CONCACAF U-17 qualification, where three teams will advance to the 2005 U-17 World Cup in Peru.

Games in the final qualifying event will take place in April/May 2005. Canada and Costa Rica will be joined by six other competing nations comprising of Mexico and the United States from North America, two from Central America and two from the Caribbean.

The group winners will qualify directly to the U-17 World Cup, while the two group runners-up will compete in a home-and-away playoff, with the winner earning the final CONCACAF berth to the FIFA event.