CONCACAF News & Notes, April 12, 2011

Mexico wins U-20 Championship

Ulises Davila scored a goal in each half and led Mexico to its 11th CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Sunday, pacing a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica in the title game.

Davila scored in the 19th minute to equalize after Joseph Mora had given Costa Rica the lead a minute and a half earlier, and then added insurance in the 52nd.

It Mexico’s first CONCACAF U-20 crown since 1992 and came after the 2009 team finished last in its group without so much as a victory. El Tri won all five matches in the championship, outscoring its opponents 18-2.

Earlier in the day, Guatemala outdueled Panama 7-6 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to win third place, claiming the region’s last place in the Pan American Games. Jose Lemus converted the winning kick, sending his shot left while Panamanian keeper Kevin Melgar dived the opposite way. Guatemalan keeper Jose Carlos Garcia set up Lemus for his winning penalty, dropping low to his left to block Jairo Jimenez’s last try for Panama.

Mexico will lead the CONCACAF contingent to the U-20 World Cup in Colombia July 29-August 20, joined by Costa Rica, first-time qualifier Guatemala and Panama.

Monterrey, Salt Lake face off for Champions League crown

For the first time in CONCACAF Champions League history, a MLS team will face a Mexican team for the title.

Monterrey, which drew 1-1 with Cruz Azul in Mexico City on Wednesday to win its semifinal series 3-2 on aggregate, will host Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the finals on May 20. A week later, Real Salt Lake will host the second in Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

RSL became the first MLS team to reach the Champions League finals and first U.S. club to reach the title match in the CONCACAF club championship since the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2000 when it prevailed over Saprissa on April 5 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 loss in San Jose.

It also will be the first U.S.-Mexico clash for the crown since D.C. United defeated Toluca in 1998.

2011-12 CCL draw will be held on May 18

The draw for the 2011-2012 CONCACAF Champions League will be conducted May 18 at the confederation’s New York headquarters.

With the first leg of the 2011 finals set for next week between Monterrey and Real Salt Lake, the field for next season’s competition is nearly half full. The draw will set the pairings for the eight Preliminary Round matches as well as the assignments for the four league-stage groups.

The 2011-2012 Champions League will begin July 26-28 with the first leg matches of the Preliminary Round. The second legs are set for the following week.

The Group Stage will commence August 16-18 and include six rounds, concluding October 18-20. The Championship Round is set to begin with the first leg of the quarterfinals March 6-8, 2012.

Less than a week following the draw, qualified teams will gather in Miami Beach, Florida, for the annual Champions League Team Summit.

Representatives from the clubs will meet with confederation officials May 23-24 to be instructed on and ask questions regarding the tournament’s procedures, operations, obligations and protocol.

Israel is new manager of El Salvador

Ruben Israel was introduced Wednesday as latest man to take the helm of El Salvador, replacing interim manager Jose Luis Rugamas.

The 55-year-old Israel comes to El Salvador after 16-year club coaching career, starting with Club Sportivo Cerrito in his native Uruguay in 1995.

He also has coached in Paraguay (Libertad), Colombia (Santa Fe) and most recently Union Espanola in Chile besides numerous Uruguayan clubs.

National association matches

3.25.2011: Panama City:

PANAMA – BOLIVIA 2:0

3.24.2011: Havana, Cuba:

CUBA – EL SALVADOR 0:2

3.25.2011: Seoul:

SOUTH KOREA- HONDURAS 4:0

3.25.2011: Montego Bay, Jamaica:

JAMAICA – VENEZUELA 0:2

3.26.2011: San Jose, Costa Rica:

COSTA RICA – CHINA 2:2

3.26.2011: Bassaterre, St. Kitts and Nevis:

ST. KITTS & NEVIS – GRENADA 0:0

3.26.2011: New York:

UNITED STATES – ARGENTINA 1:1

3.26.2011: Oakland:

MEXICO – PARAGUAY 3:1

3.26.2011: Havana, Cuba:

CUBA – PANAMA 0:2

3.27.2011: San Salvador, El Salvador:

EL SALVADOR – JAMAICA 2:3

3.28.2011: Mazatenango, Guatemala:

GUATEMALA – BOLIVIA 1:1

3.29.2011: San Jose, Costa Rica:

COSTA RICA – ARGENTINA 0:0

3.29.2011: Nashville:

UNITED STATES – PARAGUAY 0:1

3.29.2011: San Diego:

MEXICO – VENEZUELA 1:1

4.1.2011: St. Georges, Grenada:

GRENADA – ST. KITTS & NEVIS 0:0

5.22.2011: TBD:

CAYMAN ISLANDS – BELIZE

5.28.2011: Seattle:

MEXICO – ECUADOR

5.28.2011: Houston:

EL SALVADOR – HONDURAS