MIAMI, Florida – WEBWIRE – Friday, December 22, 2023
National team tournaments were as present as ever in the Concacaf region in 2023, with six competitions spread across senior and youth levels.
At the senior team level, it was a standout year for both the United States and Mexico.
2022-23 Concacaf Nations League
A busy national team summer started in mid-June with the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Panama all on the hunt for the crown.
In the semifinals, Canada defeated Panama 2-0 to clinch their place in the Final, while in the nightcap a breathtaking performance from Christian Pulisic, who scored two goals, earned the U.S. a 3-0 victory over long-time rivals Mexico.
Mexico would rebound in the Third-Place Match to defeat Panama, 1-0, while in the Final another strong defensive performance, coupled with two first half goals, paved the way for a 2-0 victory for the U.S. against Canada.
It gave the U.S. their second consecutive Concacaf Nations League crown in two editions of the tournament. Pulisic would also collect the Best Player Award honor for his performance.
2023 Concacaf Gold Cup
That same week, the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup kicked off across 15 cities in the U.S. and Canada with 25 teams taking aim at the 17th edition of the tournament.
Saint Kitts and Nevis participated in the group stage for the first time in their history, while another first was recorded when Guatemala won two matches in the group stage for the first time ever.
An exciting knockout stage eventually yielded a final between Mexico and Panama, who had defeated 2021 Gold Cup champions U.S. in a penalty shootout in the semifinals.
In front of a sold-out SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Mexico won their ninth Gold Cup title thanks to an 88th minute goal from Santiago Gimenez.
Despite coming up just shy in the Final, Panama MF Adalberto Carrasquilla took home the Best Player Award in helping lead Panama to their third Gold Cup Final.
Mexico also enjoyed triumphs at the youth national levels in both mens and womens football.
Concacaf Mens Under-17 Championship
In February in Guatemala, Mexico collected their ninth title in the Concacaf Mens Under-17 Championship, defeating the U.S. 3-1 in the Final. Stephano Carrillo won the Golden Boot with eight goals, while Gael Alvarez was named winner of the Golden Ball as the tournaments MVP.
In addition to Mexico, the U.S., Canada and Panama qualified for the 2023 FIFA Under-17 Mens World Cup in Indonesia.
Concacaf Womens Under-20 Championship
The Concacaf Womens Under-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic in May/June had a similar story, with Mexico downing the U.S. 2-1 to claim their second title.
The hero was Fatima Servin, whose goal in the 88th minute of the Final served as the winning score. Mexicos Alice Soto earned Golden Ball honors, while Costa Ricas Sheika Scott claimed the Golden Boot (6 goals). Mexico, U.S., Canada and Costa Rica qualified for the 2024 FIFA Womens Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.
2023 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship
At the 2023 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship in the Bahamas last May, it was the U.S. earning all the spoils, as they defeated Mexico 5-0 in the Final to win their third Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship title. The U.S. and Mexico each qualified for the 2024 Beach Soccer World Cup.
2023 Boys Under-15 Championship
Rounding out the list of national team tournaments in the Concacaf region in 2023 was the Boys Under-15 Championship played in both the Dominican Republic and Curacao. It ended with the U.S. topping rivals Mexico 4-2.
VIDEO: Canada 0-2 United States | HIGHLIGHTS | 2023 Concacaf Nations League Finals