The following is a look at the three opponents the United States will face in CONCACAF Under-20 Qualifying this week in Carson, Calif.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (Jan. 12). T&T's only appearance in the World Youth Championship was in 1991, when it was led by Dwight Yorke, already a star in the English League. T&T coach Anton Corneal will be counting on the experience of a pair of U.S. college players to lead his team's backline: former U.S. U-18 Kareem Smith (South Florida) and captain Makan Hislop (South Carolina), who is the nephew of T&T senior Shaka Hislop. Forwards Abiola Sandy (Bowling Green) and Kevin Crooks (Young Harris Junior College) round out T&T's college connection.
PANAMA (Jan. 14). Two years ago, the U-20s became the first Panamanian team to play in a world championship. Coach Victor Rene Mendieta says the opener against Costa Rica is the key match. Mendieta's U-20s traveled to Brazil for training in December and split with Ecuador (0-1) and Canada (2-1) during last week's Copa de Pacifico in Panama City. Armando Gun, who scored Panama's lone goal at the 2003 World Youth Championship, had both goals against Canada. Gun, the U-20 captain, is one of three returnees from the UAE '03 team, along with Cristian Vega and Hanamell Hill. Gun and fellow Panamanian U-20s Roman Torres and Miguel Castillo will join Uruguayan club Danubio in February.
COSTA RICA (Jan. 16). The Ticos have played in five World Youth Championships, more than any other Central American team. Coach Carlos Watson plans on sticking with the 4-4-2 formation he used with the U-20s when they went to Nigeria in 1999 and Argentina in 2001. Injuries are a concern. They've cost Watson the services of three key players: forward Bryan Ruiz, midfielder Yosimar Arias and defender Pablo Rodriguez. The Ticos include two foreign-based players: Jose Garro and Yherland MacDonald, both with Fredrikstad in Norway.