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CONCACAF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP USA 2014 October 15 -26 The CONCACAF Women’s Championship will qualify its top three finishers directly to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, with the fourth-placed team earning the right to face a South American country in a playoff later this year. As host of the Women’s World Cup 2015, Canada has already secured its place in next year’s tournament. PPL Park in Philadelphia will host the semifinal matches on October 24, along with the third-place match and final on October 26. The top two finishers in each group will crossover for the semifinal matches, with the Group A winner playing the Group B runner-up and vice versa, for a spot in the final. FOX is the official English language broadcaster in the U.S. for the CONCACAF Women’s Championship. 2014 CONCACAF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE GROUP A
USA
GUATEMALA
HAITI
TRINIDAD
GROUP B
COSTA RICA
MEXICO
JAMAICA
MARTINIQUE
GROUP STAGE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014 6:00 PM - SPORTING PARK Guatemala vs Haiti 8:30 PM - SPORTING PARK United States vs Trinidad THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014 6:00 PM - SPORTING PARK Jamaica vs Martinique 8:30 PM - SPORTING PARK Costa Rica vs Mexico
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014 6:30 PM - TOYOTA PARK Haiti vs Trinidad 9:00 PM - TOYOTA PARK United States vs Guatemala SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2014 4:00 PM - TOYOTA PARK Costa Rica vs Jamaica 6:30 PM - TOYOTA PARK Martinique vs Mexico
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014 5:00 PM - RFK STADIUM Trinidad vs Guatemala 7:30 PM - RFK STADIUM Haiti vs United States TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014 5:00 PM - RFK STADIUM Martinique vs Costa Rica 7:30 PM - RFK STADIUM Mexico vs Jamaica
SEMIFINALS FRIDAY, OCT. 24, 2014 Game 1 - 4:30 PM - PPL PARK Game 2 - 7:30 PM - PPL PARK FINALS SUNDAY, OCT. 26, 2014 6:00 PM - PPL PARK Tickets are on sale now through CONCACAF.com
CONCACAF TO HOST “LET’S DEVELOP WOMEN’S FOOTBALL” SEMINAR Development Focused Meeting to Convene Experts in Philadelphia on Final Weekend of Regional Championship October 25 – 26 CONCACAF will host a top-level conference focusing on development in women’s football on October 25 and 26, 2014, in Philadelphia, coinciding with the semifinals and final of the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship. “Let’s Develop Women’s Football” is a unique two-day event designed with three main
goals in mind: educating stakeholders about the current status of women in football in the region and around the world; promoting the various opportunities that women’s football offers; and inspiring stakeholders to continue to invest in and improve the women’s game. The first day of Let’s Develop Women’s
Football will feature a series of five panels moderated by seasoned sports broadcaster Ann Schatz, the current voice of the Portland Thorns FC and a commentator on the Pac12 Network, whose previous broadcasting experiences include a wide variety of sporting events on ESPN, CBS Sports and more.
ON THE FIELD
ON THE FIELD
CANADA WINS FIRST-EVER CONCACAF GIRLS’ UNDER-15 CHAMPIONSHIP
OPENING DAY PROGRAMMING INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS:
August 28 - Cayman Islands
Football Changed My Life Elite Player Development Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup Football Pathways Women’s Professional Football Leagues
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS FOR THESE PANELS INCLUDE:
FOR INSTANT UPDATES: Twitter Official Twitter Hashtag: #LDWF @CONCACAF @jeffreywebb @MediaCONCACAF @CONCACAFEspanol Facebook www.facebook.com/OfficialCONCACAF www.facebook.com/CONCACAFOficial Instagram instagram.com/concacaf_official
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Cheryl Bailey (NWSL Executive Director), Sonia Bien-Aime (FIFA and CONCACAF Executive Committee, Turks and Caicos Islands FA President), Kathy Carter (President of Soccer United Marketing), Carol Anne Chenard (FIFA International Referee), Dr. Robert Contiguglia (Former USSF President), Sandra Gage (Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the National Organizing Committee of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015), Mike Golub (Portland Timbers and Thorns President of Business Operations), Monica Gonzalez (Former Mexican Women’s National Team Captain, ESPN and FOX Commentator), Tatjana Haenni (FIFA Deputy Director of Competitions, Head of Women’s Competitions), April Heinrichs (Technical Director for U.S. Women’s National Teams), Cedella Marley (Global Ambassador for Jamaica FF Women’s Football), Eugenia Monge (LOC for FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica ), Andrea Rodebaugh (Former Mexico Women’s U-20 National Team Coach), Kari Seitz (Retired FIFA International Referee), Kelly Simmons (The FA Director of the National Game and Women’s Football), Heike Ullrich (DFB Head of Technical Department/Women’s Football), and Linda Wijkstrom (Swedish Elitfotboll Dam (EFD) General Secretary). These five panels will be streamed live online via CONCACAF.com on October 25. The second day of Let’s Develop Women’s Football will include a Women’s Football Development Workshop led by Director of Development Hugo Salcedo, with each of CONCACAF’s 41 Member Associations sending a representative to discuss the issues and opportunities surrounding women’s football development.
“ The seminar will be a true celebration of women’s football and will further establish CONCACAF’s commitment to the women’s game by highlighting the success stories of our region and providing our Member Associations with new strategies and ideas.” - Jeffrey Webb, CONCACAF President
FACTS AND FIGURES • In 2013, Honduras captured the firstever CONCACAF Boys’ Under-15 Championship, also played in the Cayman Islands. That tournament and the girls’ version are key components of CONCACAF’s commitment to development that is aimed at providing competition for youth players aged 13-15. • Over 200 players participated in the inaugural CONCACAF Girls’ Under-15 Championship that consisted of 16 teams.
AWARD WINNERS: GOLDEN BALL Sarah Stratigakis (Canada) GOLDEN BOOT Chelsea Green (Cayman Islands) & Nerilia Mondesir (Haiti), 6 goal each GOLDEN GLOVE Lysianne Proulx (Canada) FAIR PLAY Honduras
Canada won the inaugural CONCACAF Girls’ Under-15 Championship, outlasting Haiti 4-1 on penalty kicks after their final ended 1-1 at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. The evenly matched sides, both of which officially completed the competition with undefeated records, played to the same scoreline in the last Group D game on August 11. Haiti took a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute, when Nerilia Mondesir poached the ball from the Canadian defense and thundered it home. It was the 15-year-old forward’s sixth goal of the tournament, giving her a share of the Golden Boot award with Chelsea Green of the Cayman Islands. Sarah Stratigakis netted the equalizer in the 64th minute, heading Shana Flynn’s cross past Haiti goalkeeper Magdala Macean. Canada pressed for the winner, but Macean thwarted Anyssa Ibrahim and Lauren Raimondo, while Nahida Baalbaki struck the post from a free kick and Mya Jones hit the top of the crossbar from a speculative long-range effort. Lysianne Proulx saved two penalties in the shootout. Third Place: Trinidad and Tobago Fourth Place: Honduras
“ For our Confederation to remain world champions in women’s football, we have to continue to develop, continue to challenge our athletes and continue to give them the opportunity to develop as a group.” -Jeffrey Webb, CONCACAF President
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FIRST FOUR QUARTERFINALISTS D.C. UNITED D.C. United clinched its first-ever berth in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over visiting Tauro FC at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
CENTENNIAL CUP AMERICA OFFICIALLY ADDED TO 2016 FIFA EVENTS CALENDAR Participating Nations Able to Field Best Teams Possible for Historic Tournament
COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO PARTICIPATING TEAMS
September 26 - Miami, FL CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and FIFA announced that the FIFA Executive Committee voted in favor of and officially added the centennial edition of the Copa America – the Centennial Cup America -- to the FIFA Events Calendar. The competition is set to be played June 3-26, 2016, in the United States. “With its addition to the FIFA Calendar, the historic Centennial Cup America in 2016 is now set to be the most important full national team tournament hosted in the Americas since this year’s FIFA World Cup,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “We want to thank FIFA, all Confederations and all others involved for their unconditional support in this process, making sure that this once in a lifetime celebration was treated with the respect that
the players, football fans around the world and participating countries deserve.” The addition of the Centennial Cup America tournament to the 2016 FIFA Events Calendar means that all countries participating in the event will be able to call upon the services of their players from any club around the globe, allowing them to field the best teams possible. “Knowing that Copa America is the oldest national team tournament in the history of football, it is an honor for us to have the event officially included in the international calendar and be able to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this event and the foundation of CONMEBOL,” expressed CONMEBOL President Juan Angel Napout.
CONMEBOL 1. Argentina 2. Bolivia 3. Brazil 4. Chile 5. Colombia
6. Ecuador 7. Paraguay 8. Peru 9. Uruguay 10. Venezuela
• The champion of the 2014 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup, the final round of which will be contested this November in Jamaica, will also earn a Centennial Cup America berth. • CONCACAF’s last pair of representatives will be determined through the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The four national
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teams advancing furthest in the biennial competition that had not previously confirmed their Centennial Cup America places will dispute playoff matches to decide the final two CONCACAF qualifiers to the Centennial America Cup. • The teams advancing to the playoff round will be seeded one through four according to their final Gold Cup placements. The highest seed will then face the fourth seed, and the second seed will face the third seed in a playoff doubleheader, with the winners qualifying for the Centennial Cup America. • If the winner of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup is a team not previously qualified to the 2016 Centennial Cup America, it will be awarded an automatic berth in the competition.
GROUP 1
CLUB 1 PACHUCA 2 MUNICIPAL 3 REAL ESPAÑA GROUP 2
CLUB 1 SPORTING KC 2 SAPRISSA 3 REAL ESTELÍ
HOME TEAM
AWAY TEAM
TOTAL
G W D L 3 2 0 0 4 1 0 1 3 0 1 0
W D L 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
W D L 3 0 0 1 1 2 0 1 2
GF GA 15 5 8 12 2 8
+/- 10 -4 -6
PTS 9 4 1
G W D L 3 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 4 0 2 0
W D L 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
W D L 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 2
GF GA 7 2 5 4 2 8
+/- 5 1 -6
PTS 7 4 2
GROUP 3
CONCACAF 1. United States (host) 2. Mexico (seeded) 3. Costa Rica (2014 Central American Cup champion) 4. TBD (2014 CFU Caribbean Cup champion) 5. TBD (winner of 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup – if not one of the already qualified teams, or 2015 Gold Cup Playoff 1 winner) 6. TBD (2015 Gold Cup Playoff winner)
FACTS AND FIGURES • In a 16-team field, CONMEBOL’s ten Member Associations – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela – will be joined by six competitors from CONCACAF, including host and 2013 Gold Cup champion United States, six-time Gold Cup champion Mexico and 2014 Central American Cup winner Costa Rica.
HEREDIANO Herediano earned a place in the CCL quarterfinals at the Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero with a 2-1 win over nine-man Leon to capture the Group 7 title.
GROUP STAGE SCHEDULE 2014-15
The last CONCACAF spot would then be settled through a single-match playoff as explained above between the next two best performing teams that had not already qualified. • Argentina hosted the last Copa America in 2011, as Uruguay claimed a record fifteenth title. The next edition is set to be played in Chile in 2015. • wematch, a partnership between three international leaders in the soccer industry -- Full Play, Torneos and Traffic Sports -- holds the commercial rights for this tournament.
CLUB G W D L 1 MONTREAL IMPACT 3 2 0 0 2 NY RED BULLS 3 1 0 0 3 CD FAS 4 0 1 1 GROUP 4
CLUB 1 DC UNITED 2 WATERHOUSE FC 3 TAURO
W D L 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
W D L 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 3
GF GA 5 2 2 1 2 6
+/- 3 1 -4
PTS 9 4 1
G 3 4 3
W D L 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
W D L 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2
W D L 3 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 3
GF GA 5 1 7 5 2 8
+/- 4 2 -6
PTS 9 6 0
CLUB G 1 PORTLAND TIMBERS 3 2 OLIMPIA 3 3 ALPHA UNITED 4
W D L 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
W D L 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2
W D L 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 4
GF GA 14 3 9 4 1 17
+/- 11 5 -16
PTS 9 6 0
G W D L 3 1 0 0 3 1 1 0 4 1 1 0
W D L 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
W D L 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 2
GF GA 3 2 4 2 2 5
+/- 1 2 -3
PTS 5 4 4
G W D L 4 2 0 0 3 0 1 0 3 0 0 2
W D L 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
W D L 3 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 3
GF GA 11 4 6 5 4 12
+/- 7 1 -8
PTS 10 4 0
CLUB G W D L 1 AMÉRICA 3 1 0 0 2 COMUNICACIONES 3 1 1 0 3 BAYAMON FC 4 0 0 2
W D L 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
W D L 2 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 4
GF GA 17 3 8 1 2 23
+/- 14 7 -21
PTS 7 7 0
GROUP 5
GROUP 6
CLUB 1 ALAJUELENSE 2 CRUZ AZUL 3 CHORRILLO GROUP 7
CLUB 1 CS HEREDIANO 2 LEÓN 3 ISIDRO METAPÁN GROUP 8
FAS, NEW YORK DRAW GIVES MONTREAL GROUP 3 TITLE The New York Red Bulls were eliminated from the CCL, playing CD FAS to a scoreless draw and allowing the Impact de Montreal to win the Group 3 crown. This is Montreal’s second qualification for the CCL quarterfinals, having played Mexican club Santos Laguna in 2009.
PACHUCA Four different players scored to help Pachuca clinch the top spot in Group 1 in the CONCACAF Champions League with a 4-1 win over Municipal at Estadio Hidalgo in September.
Central American Cup Tigo USA 2014 Best XI Goalkeeper: Jaime Penedo (Panama) Defender: Elias Vasquez (Guatemala) Defender: Oscar Duarte (Costa Rica) Defender: Roman Torres (Panama) Midfielder: Alexander Larin (El Salvador) Midfielder: Celso Borges (Costa Rica) Midfielder: Darwin Ceren (El Salvador) Midfielder: Marvin Avila (Guatemala) Forward: Marco Pappa (Guatemala) Forward: Jose Contreras (Guatemala) Forward: Rafael Burgos (El Salvador)
Award Winners: GOLDEN BALL Marco Pappa (Guatemala)
COSTA RICA WINS 8TH CENTRAL AMERICAN CUP TITLE September 24 - Los Angeles, CA Costa Rica captured a record eighth Copa Centroamericana TIGO USA 2014 (CCA) title, overcoming a one-goal deficit to register a 2-1 victory over Guatemala in the final at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Juan Bustos’ first career international goal broke a 1-1 tie in the 56th minute for the Ticos, who had an equalizing score by Bryan Ruiz. Carlos Ruiz’s penalty-kick conversion gave the Guatemalans an early lead. Guatemala’s Marco Pappa had the first opportunity, driving the ball over the crossbar after Ruiz dispossessed a defender of the ball in the eighth minute. Four minutes later, Costa Rica’s Ruiz tested Ricardo Jerez with a looping shot from distance that the goalkeeper slapped away with two hands. The Chapines drew first blood in the 25th minute, two minutes after defender Roy Miller was whistled for tripping Ruiz in the box.
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GOLDEN BOOT Marco Pappa (Guatemala), 4 goals
The Municipal star took the ensuing penalty kick, sending it up the middle as goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton dove to his left. It was Ruiz’s second goal of this competition and the seventh of his CCA career. The Costa Ricans equalized in the 28th minute after Sergio Trujillo knocked down Armando Alonso to set up a free kick. Ruiz had little trouble finding the target, firing a 28-yard shot that nestled into the upper right corner.
GOLDEN GLOVE Jaime Penedo (Panama)
By virtue of the win, Costa Rica also qualified for the 2016 Centennial Cup America (Copa America), which will also be played in the United States.
MAN OF THE MATCH TIGO- FINAL Bryan Ruiz (Costa Rica)
Third Place: Panama Fourth Place: El Salvador
GLUCOSORAL TOPS BORUSSIA AND IS CROWNED CHAMPION OF THE INAUGURAL CONCACAF FUTSAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP August 24 - Guatemala
FAIR PLAY Guatemala
Glucosoral was crowned champion of the inaugural CONCACAF Futsal Club Championship, overcoming Borussia 5-4 on penalty kicks after their final ended 4-4 in front of more than 4,682 fans at the Domo Polideportivo. In a match pitting Central American rivals against each other, Costa Rica’s Borussia rallied from a two-goal deficit, as Alonso Cordero netted twice in the last 10 minutes to level the score and force overtime. Neither team found the back of the net in either of two supplemental periods consisting of three minutes each. In the penalty kick shootout, goalkeeper William Ramirez stopped two attempts to give the Guatemalans the title.
Glucosoral jumped out to a 4-2 lead before halftime thanks to an Edgar Santizo brace, as well as single tallies from José Mansilla and Rafael González. Marco Lopez and Edwin Cubillo were are target for Borussia in the opening 20 minutes. For the tournament-deciding penalties, Borussia head coach Esteban Jimenez changed goalkeepers, inserting Alfred Lowe for Fabian Alvarado. Lowe made a save on Edgar Santizo, but it wasn’t enough. Six of the confederation’s member associations – Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico – participated in the tournament.
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FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT
FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT CONCACAF AND CONMEBOL REVIEW 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP TECHNICAL REPORT
FUTURO III REFEREE INSTRUCTORS COURSE HELD IN JAMAICA
Photo Credentials: FIFA
September 12 - Panama Representatives from CONCACAF and CONMEBOL met in Panama City to gather the most valuable insights from the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in order to nourish coaches and technical directors of the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL regions. The conference provided newfound facts within CONCACAF for the betterment of our beloved game. Among the officials were FIFA General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, and Director of Development, Thierry Regenass and the Presidents of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, Jeffrey Webb and Juan Angel Napout, respectively and President of the Panamanian Football Association, Pedro Chaluja. “The World Cup in Brazil was considered the best tournament in history and this was thanks to the quality of football. We were also able to test goal line technology and vanishing spray. Congratulations to both Confederations on all the great work and great performances on this tournament,” said Valcke.
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August 1 - Jamaica “We are in a great place with regards to the relationships between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF. The world is smaller now because we share the same vision,” said Napout. “Firstly, I would like to extend our utmost congratulations to all the national teams from the Americas for their outstanding performance throughout the World Cup. Representing our Confederation with impressive stature, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the United States displayed boundless passion and commitment to excellence. Undoubtedly, this World Cup set new records for the world of football,” said Webb during his opening speech. Emerging from this World Cup, confidence in CONCACAF teams is high, as is technical and tactical awareness. Nevertheless, improvements to technical aspects of the game will, no doubt, aid in CONCACAF’s continued triumph at international competitions for the future. Technical analyses and post-event
discussions of the forum, will provide a valuable opportunity to make enhancements for the future. It is the hope that other federations will find inspiration to reach into their own untapped potential. With a continued commitment from CONCACACF’s National Associations in the areas of player development, coaching and technical support, the region will successfully refine the game and take it to new heights.
A six-day FIFA Futuro III referee course for technical and fitness instructors concluded in Jamaica. The conference attracted 33 attendees (24 technical instructors, 9 fitness instructors) from seven CONCACAF member associations (Canada, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States). With the purpose of creating consistency
in instruction and interpretation, the event is one of three conducted annually throughout the Confederation sponsored by the FIFA Referee Assistance Program (RAP). The others are held for CONCACAF’s Spanishspeaking member associations and the smaller Caribbean countries. A distinctive feature this year was the Introduction of new digital platforms to help
generate more efficient ways of instructing and testing referees. Additional items requiring thorough review included the latest concepts on education and assessment, the expanded on-line database for use in preparing teaching materials, plus the updated FIFA Fitness Test Requirements.
FACTS AND FIGURES • For the first time in history, CONCACAF advanced three national teams beyond the World Cup group stage, capturing the second-highest success rate of all Confederations behind that of from CONMEBOL. • The Confederation has three teams in the top 20 FIFA rankings.
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FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT
FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT
WEBB SPEAKS ON WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN CONCACAF August 24 - Canada Women’s football remains top of mind in the CONCACAF region, as FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF President, Jeffrey Webb, welcomed members from a trio of the Confederation’s committees -- Championship, Gold Cup and Women’s Technical -- to the host country of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014.
Webb conveyed his positive sentiments on the increased level of play and abilities demonstrated in this year’s FIFA women’s tournaments in Costa Rica (under-17) and Canada (under-20), as well as a pair of CONCACAF competitions held in the Cayman Islands (under-20, under-15). As the host region for all of FIFA’s women’s
championships in 2014-15, CONCACAF teams have risen to the challenge and represented the Confederation with distinction. Webb also addressed the Canadian Soccer Association’s Board of Directors and congratulated them for a remarkable job in hosting and participating in the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2014.
GUATEMALA HOSTS FUTSAL SEMINAR, GRASSROOTS FESTIVAL August 25 - Guatemala Delivering another core objective of its holistic football development plan, CONCACAF conducted the first-ever Futsal Development Workshop and Grassroots Festival in Guatemala City. The three day-event, which came at the end of the inaugural CONCACAF Futsal Club Championship, opened with a Development Workshop for delegates from 13 nations within the confederation. At the seminar, the CONCACAF Development Department presented CONCACAF’s Futsal development plans to implement programs in coaching education, refereeing, grassroots development and competition. Fifty-five children received professional level instruction at Futsal Planet in Santa Catarina Pinula.
CONCACAF ORGANIZES FIRST LEAGUE DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR IN JAMAICA August 29 - Jamaica
“We are proud of our development of women’s football in the CONCACAF region, and the persistence of many of our members to improve this platform continually,” said Webb. “However, we must exercise vigilance within our programs to increase our level of global competitiveness and readiness for future international championships.”
“It was an honour to have President Webb, CONCACAF executives and committee members join us in Montreal, QC, to discuss and witness the growth of our sport. Canada is a proud member of CONCACAF and we are committed to becoming a leading soccer nation, in our region and the world. We look forward to continued collaborative efforts with CONCACAF in showcasing and promoting quality soccer for years to come.” - President of the Canadian Soccer Association, Victor Montagliani
CONCACAF, through its Club Licensing department, organized for the first time a League Development Workshop at the Jamaica Football Federation headquarters. The development seminar aligned with CONCACAF’s priority of strengthening our local football leagues and clubs in order to build a stronger Confederation. The one-day seminar featured presentations from top executives from three leagues in our region: • LigaMX/Ascenso MX: Mr. Javier Salinas, Marketing Director • MLS: Mr. Dimitrios Efstathiou, VicePresident Legal, and Mr. Ali Curtis, Senior Director, Player Relations & Competition • NASL: Mr. Bill Peterson, Commissioner The seminar in Kingston, Jamaica, proved
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to be a truly exceptional exchange of knowledge and one that CONCACAF trusts
will assist the Jamaican Premier League in its re-structuring efforts.
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HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS WEBB SHARES HIS GLOBAL VISION AT SOCCEREX
“I have a clear agenda that focuses on the field of play and on players, grassroots programs and development. We are building a Confederation in harmony with righteousness, prosperity and inclusiveness. And we are doing so with a passionate and vigorous approach with the hopes that new generations can be inspired to participate in the game.” – CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb
FACTS AND FIGURES • CONCACAF has turned its focus on developing the game in a region of approximately 540 million people, servicing all of its 41 member associations with a diverse group of programs aimed at creating sustainable platforms. • CONCACAF will be investing an estimated 70% of its budget over the next 12 months in some 80 development programs across the Confederation. Priority areas with the greatest opportunities: competitions, grassroots, Futsal, Beach and Women’s football. • The Confederation experienced a 110% increase in commercial activities in 2013, demonstrating the growing support for the sport. Across all areas, CONCACAF continues to recognize the importance of working together with one vision for the benefit all stakeholders. • In just the past 13 months, CONCACAF has had exemplary achievements, such as: Embrace Diversity, its regional campaign to promote integration within football; a record-breaking Gold Cup; inaugural Under-15 Championships for boys and girls; the 2016 Centennial Cup America announcement and hosting all FIFA Women’s tournaments during that period.
September 9 - United Kingdom During an in-depth interview session at the Soccerex conference in Manchester, England, CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb presented some of the key elements of his vision for the Confederation and the game. While the FIFA Vice President and Chairman of the Anti-Racism and Discrimination Task Force spoke with former FA CEO David Davies, he also shared the meaningful personal events as a player, administrator and fan that prepared him for his current leadership role at the Confederation’s helm. The conversation was ignited by CONCACAF’s successes at the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014, which were achieved as a direct result of vision and focused investment in youth and player development. For the first time in history, CONCACAF
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advanced three national teams beyond the World Cup group stage, attaining the secondhighest success rate of all Confederations. This feat helped unify the region’s fan base in support of all CONCACAF qualified teams in a way never previously experienced. Reminiscing on the past, since CONCACAF was founded in 1961, the region has successfully hosted three World Cups (Mexico 1970, 1986; USA 1994). In the past two years, CONCACAF has rebuilt its foundation and acted decisively to reform the Confederation. It continues to move forward by investing in its future. When addressing the topic of FIFA, Webb mentioned that the game is in a great place from a World Cup, competitions, revenues and commercial standpoints thanks to the
governing body. Nevertheless, the global landscape of the game has clearly changed. Based on the measures implemented so far, FIFA is in the process of accomplishing a successful reform plan and it will continue to adapt its structures and procedures where relevant and on the basis of the evolving needs of the organization and the game. It is imperative to look into the future to gain perspective on how this beautiful game will evolve. As some of the aspects to further expand FIFA’s reform process, Webb expressed the need to look closer into rebalancing the Executive Committee with proportionate representation, incorporating independent board members and open voting.
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HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
BVI CELEBRATES 40 YEARS
SAINT MARTIN FA CELEBRATES NEW HEADQUARTERS August 30 - Saint Martin The Saint Martin Football Association (SMFA) inaugurated new administrative headquarters with a ceremony that was well attended by members of the football family, government representatives and general public. This year, in addition to the construction of new offices, the SMFA initiated a rebranding project, unveiled a new logo and organized an International under-13 tournament. Fulfilling the promise as embodied by its
slogan – Better, Bigger, Beyond – the SMFA continues to demonstrate its readiness to advance football and play a positive role in the lives of Saint Martin’s youth. President Baly commented on the journey, stating that although it has been challenging to raise the profile of football in St. Martin, the training and development programmes offered by CONCACAF have been very valuable to the SMFA and has greatly assisted in garnering
more support for the Association. Since becoming a full member of CONCACAF in April 2013, the SMFA has implemented a strategic development plan to increase awareness of and participation in football, ultimately contributing to CONCACAF’s top priority of development in the region.
CONCACAF AND IMG INK DEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDIA RIGHTS August 28 - Miami, FL
September 14 - British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands Football Association (BVIFA) celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a myriad of events leading up to its Awards Ceremony. Guest speaker FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF President, Jeffrey Webb, congratulated the BVIFA on its solid foundation and further motivated them to focus on the
value and power of football on the Island. The awards ceremony, which honored 12 individuals for their services to football, was held at the A.O. Shirley Ground MultiPurpose Sports Complex. The facility is home to the BVIFA until completion of its new technical center made possible through a FIFA
Goal Project. As new members of FIFA’s Goal Program, the BVIFA will be able to improve technical capabilities and enhance overall development initiatives, steadily progressing under CONCACAF’s mandate to achieve regional excellence in football.
IMG secured an exclusive agreement to market the international media rights for all of the Confederation’s events from 2015, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 and the CONCACAF Champions’ League.
The deal, which also covers the CONCACAF Under-20 and Under-17 Championships in both men’s and women’s disciplines, the CONCACAF Women’s Championship USA 2014 and the UNCAF
Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA, will see IMG distribute worldwide media rights outside of CONCACAF’s pre-existing territories.
ELITE REFEREE/ASSESSOR COURSE IN FLORIDA September 19 - Miami, FL
“Our 40th Anniversary comes at a very significant time in the development of football in the BVI, as through the support of our first FIFA GOAL Project we are in the process of developing our own administration and technical facilities,” Bickerton said. “Allied with the ongoing success of our grassroots program the future looks very bright.” - BVIFA President Andrew Bickerton
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LAUNCHES PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE
CONCACAF Vice President Alfredo Hawit launched the confederation’s Elite Referee and Assessor Course during a ceremony that also honored those match officials who worked at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The annual gathering is comprised of 11 referees, 17 assistant referees, 25 referee assessors and seven instructors. Topics addressed on the four-day agenda included a comprehensive review of the World Cup, fitness, match analysis, plus integrity and diversity.
September 16 - Dominican Republic FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb endorsed the inauguration of the Dominican Republic Professional Football League at the Federación Dominicana de
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Fútbol’s gala event. Webb encouraged local stakeholders to “work together to write a new history” for the future of the Dominican game.
The league is scheduled to kick off in March 2015 with ten teams. Prior to this initiative, teams played on a local, grassroots level.
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INTEGRITIY CONCACAF FIGHT AGAINST MATCH MANIPULATION CONTINUES WITH MONITORING SYSTEM UPGRADE July 30 - Miami, FL New initiatives will continue to strengthen CONCACAF’s fight against match manipulation, by reinforcing the processes by which individual matches within Confederation competitions are monitored for potential match-fixing. MATCH-BY-MATCH MONITORING An important facet of the proactive approach in that fight will be match-by-match monitoring for potential manipulation in official matches such as those of the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League group phase. On the whole, CONCACAF continues to thoroughly monitor all of the matches played within its tournaments -- a vital step in safeguarding the integrity of our competitions. In addition, selected national team matches and friendlies of interest will now be subjected to increased
monitoring scrutiny. Match-by-match monitoring is one part of the newly unveiled CONCACAF Integrity Action Plan, in the fight against match manipulation. The program as a whole consists of a broad prevention and education program, in addition to efficient regulations including a recently implemented Code of Ethics, in-depth investigation, and the sanctioning of Member Association cases with zero tolerance. WHISTLEBLOWER SYSTEM The investigation of potential cases of match fixing by CONCACAF includes an important phase of gathering of all available information, including that obtained through the Confederation’s recently established whistleblower system, which is accessible via CONCACAF.com. To this end, CONCACAF
also continues to work together with established betting market monitoring companies, including FIFA Early Warning System and Sportradar AG – with which official partnership contracts have now been extended--, to assure that Confederation officials will be provided with all information relevant to potential match fixing. From a technical standpoint, monitoring systems are constantly scanning the betting market with their technological systems, to compare the market movements with the course of monitored matches with the end goal of finding irregularities which could be linked to manipulation. As soon as potential irregularities are detected, the CONCACAF Sports Integrity Department is informed, and a report with analysis of the specific match is forwarded.
CONCACAF, ESSA AGREE BETTING INTEGRITY MOU September 9 - Miami, FL CONCACAF and the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), the regulated betting industry’s integrity body, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an arrangement for the sharing of betting integrity information. The MoU builds on CONCACAF’s deep commitment to integrity and transparency,
while partnering with ESSA, an organization with an already robust information sharing base with many of the world’s major football authorities. From ESSA’s perspective, the relationship with CONCACAF demonstrates its and its membership’s increasingly global focus. The regulated betting industry’s integrity
body has recently published its annual integrity report which shows that its members reported 148 unusual betting patterns during 2013, with 30 of those events found to be suspicious and subsequently referred to the relevant sporting and regulatory authorities for further investigation.
UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS Oct. 27 Philadelphia, PA
Technical
Oct. 27 Philadelphia, PA
Administration
Oct. 28 Philadelphia, PA
Referees
Oct. 28 Philadelphia, PA
Sports Medicine
UPCOMING EDITION IN NOVEMBER 2014 For additional information: visit www.concacaf.com
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