CONCACAF names host cities for 2015 Olympic Qualifying Championship

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has revealed the four U.S. cities that will host the 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, scheduled to be played Oct. 1-13.

Denver, Kansas City and Los Angeles will serve as hosts for group stage matches, while Sandy, Utah, will be the site of the decisive semifinals on Oct.10, as well as the final and third-place match on Oct. 13.

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team, along with Canada and Mexico, will be joined by three nations from the Central American region and two from the Caribbean, with qualifiers in those regions scheduled for August. The draw for the championship is scheduled for mid-August, and will set the complete tournament schedule and kickoff times.

The eight qualified nations will be divided into two groups of four. The U.S. is seeded in Group A, which kicks off at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, on Oct. 1. Defending champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Mexico will head Group B, set to begin play the next day at StubHub Center in Carson, California.

“One of the great things about all of these venues has been the amazing support the fans have given the National Team,” U.S. U-23 MNT head coach Andi Herzog said. “We have seen how much of an impact our fans have, and we need them more than ever as we strive to represent the United States in the 2016 Olympics.”

Kansas City and Los Angeles will also stage the second round of group matches on Oct. 3-4, while Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, hosts all eight teams for the final games of the group phase on Oct. 6-7.

The top two finishers in each group after round-robin play will advance to the semifinals. The two finalists qualify directly to the 2016 Olympic Football Tournament in Rio de Janeiro, while the winner of the third-place match will earn the right to face South American Olympic qualifying runner-up Colombia in a playoff for an additional spot.