United States to host CONCACAF Women’s Championship on road to World Cup Canada 2015

Canada (pictured) celebrates after winning the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo: Mexsport)

MIAMI (May 16, 2014) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) today announced that the United States will host the CONCACAF Women’s Championship 2014, which also serves as the finals of the Confederation’s qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015.

A record 31 nations from across the region have indicated interest in participating in the preliminary qualifying process, from which eight teams will emerge to play in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship 2014, to be played in the U.S. in the fall of 2014. Venues and exact dates of that event will be announced in the near future.

“Given our region’s historically outstanding results in women’s competition, CONCACAF is proud to call itself the world’s home of women’s football,” said Confederation President Jeffrey Webb. “Today, we have further evidence of that, in the record number of potential entrants seeking to join Canada — host of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup — at the Finals in 2015.”

“The number of teams set to participate in our regional qualification process demonstrates the growth of the women’s game across the Confederation – especially in the Caribbean and Central America,” said Webb. “We know we have some of the strongest women’s teams in the world right here in CONCACAF, in two-time world champion United States, along with Canada and Mexico. We are looking forward to seeing some of our other Member Associations join those illustrious ranks very soon.”

CONCACAF’s qualifying tournament will award three direct tickets to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015. A fourth CONCACAF team will reach a playoff with a South American rival, with yet another World Cup ticket on the line.

“We at CONCACAF couldn’t be more pleased to see our Member Association, Canada, set to host the largest edition ever of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, as the tournament expands to 24 nations in 2015,” said Webb. “We know Canada is prepared to put on a great show, both later this year for the FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup and next year for the World Cup. Taking into account also the successful FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup recently completed Costa Rica, there’s no doubt that CONCACAF has earned the title of ‘Women’s World Cup Central.’”

CONCACAF Member Association Costa Rica hosted the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup during March and April, commencing a period of just over one year during which the CONCACAF region will host all three of FIFA Women’s World Cup events.

Related story 1:

UNCAF’s Central American Cup to be Held in the United States in Late Summer 2014

In celebration of UNCAF’s 25th anniversary, tournament to be played Sept. 3-13, serves as qualifier for 2015 Gold Cup and Centennial Cup America 2016

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (Tuesday, May 20, 2014) – The Central American Football Union (UNCAF) today officially confirmed that it will play the Central American Cup in the United States from September 3-13, 2014. In addition to providing a series of berths in important international tournaments, the Central American Cup USA 2014 will serve to celebrate UNCAF’s upcoming 25th anniversary.

This edition of the tournament – the region’s championship for national teams and a qualifying competition for the CONCACAF Gold Cup – will include unique details and features as Central American countries begin their quest towards the prestigious FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 (six continental champions, reigning World Cup champion and tournament host) and the Centennial Cup America 2016 (10 nations of CONMEBOL in South America, plus six teams from CONCACAF).

The Central American Cup will once again decide several teams that will qualify for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, a biennial tournament that determines the champion of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The champion of the 2015 Gold Cup will then participate in a play-in match against the 2013 champion United States for a spot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

In addition, the Central American Cup will also hand its champion a direct route to the recently-announced Centennial Cup America 2016, also be played in the United States.

The Central American Cup 2014 will initiate the next World Cup cycle, with an eye towards Russia 2018, meaning the competing teams will be looking to use the event as a springboard to begin the four-year period with a strong performance. The Central American Cup is sure to be highly competitive, since it will include two teams arriving with their full complement of star power, fresh from competition in the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Costa Rica and Honduras.

Costa Rica is the current Central American Cup champion and has lifted the trophy a record seven times. Honduras is next with three titles, while Guatemala and Panama have won one apiece. Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua round out the list of participants.

The Central American Cup has been contested 12 times, starting in 1991. Costa Rica and Honduras have hosted it three times each, while it has been played in El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama twice.

Last February, the Executive Committee of UNCAF revised in detail the possible date options for the event, in order to allow Central American national teams to call on their top stars for this tournament. The match dates have been selected to coordinate with FIFA’s international calendar, so that all teams can play the tournament with their “A” teams.

The event’s Organizing Committee, headed by CONCACAF and Soccer United Marketing, expects to announce host cities for this historic event in the coming weeks.

About CONCACAF

CONCACAF — the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football — is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and serves as the governing body of football in this part of the world. It is comprised of 41 national associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Surinam and French Guyana in the south.

About UNCAF

The Central American Football Union is one of the three regions that comprises CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), and serves as the administrative body for football in Central America. It includes seven national associations: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

About Soccer United Marketing

Founded in 2002, Soccer United Marketing (SUM) is the preeminent soccer business company in North America. SUM holds the exclusive rights to the most important soccer properties in the region, including: all commercial rights to Major League Soccer; the United States Soccer Federation; promotional and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States, and the CONCACAF Gold Cup™. SUM also manages promotional and marketing rights in the United States for Mexico’s most popular sports team, Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas).

In 2009, SUM announced the creation of the MLS Digital Properties, the only soccer advertising network of its kind, covering all facets of the sport in the U.S., and which allows advertisers to reach millions of soccer fans via online advertising and sponsorships campaigns. These global properties are represented by SUM’s slogan: One Sport. One Company. ™ For more information, please visit www.SUMworld.com

Related story 2:

CONCACAF salutes Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for efforts in raising cancer awareness through sport

As part of its broad Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the Confederation of North and Central America and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF) recognizes the important work of New York-based non-profit organization the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), which will host the first-ever LLS Soccerfest in the South Bronx this weekend.

CONCACAF supports initiatives which leverage the power of soccer, and sport in general, to promote causes such as social justice, the fight against racism and discrimination, and education on a range of topics including cancer awareness.

“We are proud to recognize the vital work of the good people at LLS, who are fighting daily the on-going battle in the search for a cure for blood cancers,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “We wish them the best of luck with the upcoming Soccerfest, which is sure to prove an important event in promoting a vital cause through shared love of our beautiful game.”

The Soccer fest event, which will cap Bronx Week 2014, enlists the power of soccer to shine a spotlight and educate the Hispanic community on blood cancers. CBS “Survivor” winner, two-time lymphoma survivor and former professional soccer player Ethan Zohn will be on hand as the master of ceremonies.

“The global power that soccer has to educate and inspire change around the world is being brought to the South Bronx to help this amazing community learn about blood cancers and healthy lifestyle choices,” said Zohn. “It’s time we give cancer a red card.”

In addition, professional soccer teams will lend support, with guest appearances from members of the New York Red Bulls (MLS), the New York Cosmos (NASL), Sky Blue FC (NWSL), as well as legendary players from the national teams of the United States and Mexico.

“This event is important for LLS as we continue our efforts to reach the Latino community,” explained LLS Interim President & CEO and Chief Mission Officer, Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D. “Outreach is vital because we know that, in children and adolescents under the age of 20, leukemia rates are highest among Hispanics.”

LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancers. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Families can register their children and learn more about LLS Soccerfest by logging on to lls.org/soccerfest