US to hosts CONCACAF men's Olympic qualifying

Posted February 11, 2015 10:00 pm

The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) - The United States will host men's Olympic soccer qualifying for the third straight cycle.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football said Thursday the tournament will be played in the U.S. from Oct. 1-13.

Eight nations will be split into two groups of four. The top two teams advance to the semifinals, and the semifinal winners qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The third-place finisher goes to a playoff against Colombia, which was second to Argentina in South American qualifying, and the playoff winner qualifies.

Defending Olympic champion Mexico will be joined in qualifying by the U.S., Canada, three Central American nations and two Caribbean countries.

Sites will be announced later. In March 2012, qualifying took place in Nashville, Tennessee; Carson, California; and Kansas City, Kansas. The U.S. was eliminated in the group stage of qualifying when goalkeeper Sean Johnson allowed Jaime Alas' 25-yard shot to bounce in off his hand in the final seconds of stoppage time during a 3-3 tie against El Salvador.

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