2018 NORCECA U19 Boys' Continental Championship Preview

2018 NORCECA U19 BOYS’ CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

June 6-10, 2018
San Jose, Costa Rica | Gimnasio Nacional
NORCECA Homepage

The 2018 NORCECA U19 Boys’ Continental Championship begins tomorrow and is to be played in Costa Rica featuring a seven-team field. Cuba will be looking to defend their crown as two tickets to the age-group related 2019 FIVB World Championship will be punched in the event.

All matches can be viewed on NORCECATV at https://www.internetv.tv/ for $8.00 USD.

The Format:

The top two teams will earn a bid to the 2019 FIVB U19 Boys’ World Championship
The seven teams are distributed into two pools – one featuring 3 teams with the other holding 4
The top three ranked teams in each pool will advance to the quarterfinals on June 9
- 2nd in Pool A vs. 3rd in Pool B; 3rd in Pool A vs. 2nd in Pool B
  - Winners advance to the semifinals against the pool victors
- That will be followed by a First and Third-Place match

Pool A:

World Rankings: #22 Nicaragua, #31 Puerto Rico, #32 Costa Rica

The first pool is a bit different than the second, being that there are just three teams as opposed to four. Still, it will be a round-robin, meaning just two matches per team in pool play. That slate could very easily set-up a three-team 1-1 tie. That could create chaos, especially among three teams that seem pretty equal in terms of competition level.

Costa Rica will be looking to continue a trend where the last two hosts of this tournament have gone on to take gold. That home court advantage should benefit them well as the lowest ranked team in the pool, although none look significantly better than the other. Nicaragua might serve as the best chance of the four teams in this event to try and win their first medal.

Schedule:

June 6

19:00 Puerto Rico v Nicaragua

June 7

19:00 Costa Rica v Nicaragua

June 8

19:00 Costa Rica v Puerto Rico

Pool B:

World Rankings: #7 USA, #9 Cuba, T-#69 Guatemala, T-#69 Honduras

Cuba is the reigning champion in this event from the 2016 version that was played in their home country. Of course, in the U19 classification, roster turnover from a two-year span can lead to a completely different team.

Prior to that, the United States won the event in 2014, although the two previous tournaments went Cuba’s way as well and are sandwiched in between another American victory in 2008. The rosters change, but the base line for success is there for the top two nations in this event who happen to be in the same pool. They are likely to claim the pair of bids to the semifinals.

Beyond that, the youth team for Team USA has never won the tournament when it’s been played away from U.S. soil, something they will be looking to accomplish this go around. The full 12-man roster for the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team can be seen here.

Schedule:

June 6

15:00 Guatemala v United States

17:00 Cuba v Honduras

June 7

15:00 Cuba v Guatemala

17:00 Honduras v United States

June 8

15:00 Honduras v Guatemala

17:00 United States v Cuba

History:

We’ve brought up some of the latest winners and successes, but in terms of the full-on history of medals in this event, a breakdown can be seen below. This will be the 11th rendition of the tournament that began in 1998 and should present a great chance for a new country to emerge on the list with at least a bronze.