CONCACAF 2012 OLYMPIC QUALIFYING

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CONCACAF announce 2012 Olympic qualifying draw



CONCACAF announced the groups and schedule for Olympic qualifying after the draw, which took place at the federation’s headquarters in New York.


Porter’s Yanks were drawn into Group A along with Canada, Cuba and El Salvador. Group A play will take place at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn., home of several US national team contests over the past half-decade.

Group B’s draw pitted defending champions Honduras against Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago. Those games will take place in Carson, Calif., at the Home Depot Center.

www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/12/06/concacaf-announce-2012-olympic-qualifying-draw

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CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Finals

FIRST ROUND
All times U.S. Eastern (local times in parentheses)
Group A (Nashville, Tennessee): Canada, Cuba, El Salvador, United States
Group B (Carson, California): Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago

Thursday, March 22
At Nashville, Tennessee
El Salvador vs. Canada, 6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m.)
United States vs. Cuba, 9 p.m. (8 p.m.)

Friday, March 23
At Carson, California
Honduras vs. Panama, 9 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Mexico, 11:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m.)

Saturday, March 24
At Nashville, Tennessee
Cuba vs. El Salvador, 4:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m.)
United States vs. Canada, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.)

Sunday, March 25
At Carson, California
Panama vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 4:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m.)
Mexico vs. Honduras, 7 p.m. (4 p.m.)

Monday, March 26
At Nashville, Tennessee
Canada vs. Cuba, 6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m.)
United States vs. El Salvador, 9 p.m. (8 p.m.)

Tuesday, March 27
At Carson, California
Honduras vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 9 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Mexico vs. Panama, 11:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m.)

SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 31
At Kansas City, Kansas
Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up, 6 p.m. (5 p.m.)
Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up, 9 p.m. (8 p.m.)

CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, April 2
At Kansas City, Kansas
Semifinal winners, 8 p.m. (7 p.m.)

www.sportingkc.com/news/2011/12/concacaf-unveils-olympic-qualifying-tournament-schedule

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Olympic Qualifying:
USA, Mexico favored for London berths


The Stakes
The two finalists of this tournament will receive the two allotted CONCACAF berths at the 2012 Olympics. The winner of the final will also win the U-23 CONCACAF Championship.

The Players
Each qualifying nation sends a U-23 team to the CONCACAF tournament. Per FIFA rules, players must be born on or after Jan. 1, 1989.

The same rules apply for the actual Olympic Games; however, each team may include three players over the FIFA-mandated age-limit when the London games roll around.

The Teams
The United States, Mexico and Canada all qualified automatically to the final CONCACAF round. The other five nations — Honduras, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador and Cuba — qualified for the tournament through a group-play elimination process that began in August 2011.

The Favorites
As is usually the case, the USA and Mexico are favorites to qualify. The US roster chosen by coach Caleb Porter boasts 14 players from MLS, including Philadelphia’s Freddy Adu, Dallas’ Brek Shea and Sporting KC’s Teal Bunbury.

There are also six players from abroad, including Gent’s Mikkel Diskerud and Tijuana’s Joe Corona. Having decided to play the same attacking 4-3-3 formation used by Jurgen Klinsmann at the senior level, the U-23s come into the tourney on a high note, after beating the NASL's Atlanta Silverbacks in a scrimmage on Sunday and topping Mexico, 2-0, in a friendly in Dallas late last month.

www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/21/olympic-qualifying-usa-mexico-favored-london-berths

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CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
22 March 2012
LP Field, Nashville

El Salvador 0:0 Canada
United States 6:0 Cuba

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CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS

23 March 2012

Honduras 3:1 Panama
Trinidad and Tobago 1:7 Mexico

Home Depot Center, Carson

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CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS

24 March 2012

Cuba 0:4 El Salvador
United States 0:2 Canada

LP Field, Nashville[/B]

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CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
25 March 2012

Panama 1:1 Trinidad and Tobago
Mexico 3:0 Honduras

Home Depot Center, Carson

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Olympic Qualifying:
Canada's youth exposed in Cuba tie


www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/26/olympic-qualifying-canadas-youth-exposed-cuba-tie

Olympic Qualifying:
El Salvador tie US 3-3, through to semis


www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/26/olympic-qualifying-el-salvador-tie-us-3-3-advance-semifinals

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CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS

Olympic Qualifying:
Mexico, Honduras into semifinals


Honduras got the night started with a professional 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. They opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a header from forward Eddie Hernandez, and got the capper in the 69th courtesy of fellow front-runner Anthony Lozano.

In the nightcap the already-qualified Mexicans trotted out a predominantly reserve squad and spent much of the game being bossed by a feisty Panamanian side before eventually winning 1-0. Midfield ace Marco Fabian was subbed on for the final 29 minutes, and was on the field to see Erick Torres knock home the winner in second half stoppage time.

Semifinals
31 March 2012
Mexico v Canada
El Salvador v Honduras
Livestrong Sporting Park, Kansas City

www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/28/olympic-qualifying-mexico-honduras-semifinals

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Olympic Qualifying:
Mexico dash Canada's London hopes


KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Canada’s attempt to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 1984 failed at the last hurdle as they fell to a powerhouse Mexican side, 3-1, in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament semifinals on Saturday

www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/31/olympic-qualifying-mexico-extinguish-canadas-london-hopes

Olympic Qualifying:
Najar delivers Honduras' tix to London


KANSAS CITY, Kan. – D.C. United's Andy Najar delivered the setup, and Gerson Rodas made it count in extratime. And Los Catrachos are headed to London

Rodas headed home Najar's cross in the 115th minute to give Honduras a 3-2 victory over El Salvador in the first semifinal of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament on Saturday. It was Rodas' second goal of the extratime period, which also saw El Salvador get a goal through Edwin Sánchez.

The win gives Honduras, the Group B runners-up to Mexico, their second straight Olympic berth and third overall. El Salvador, the surprise Group A champions, have not qualified since 1968.

www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/31/olympic-qualifying-najar-delivers-honduras-ticket-london