CHICAGO (July 12, 2024) - Chicago Fire FC today announced that Homegrown midfielder Sergio Oregel Jr. And Chicago Fire FC II defender Romain Blake have been called to represent their respective countries at the 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. Oregel Jr., will be representing the U.S. U-20 Men’s Youth National Team, and Blake will be playing for the Jamaican U-20 Men’s National Team in the upcoming competition.
The 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship will take place from July 18-Aug. 4 in Celaya and Irapuato, Mexico. Both Oregel Jr. and Blake will look to lead their respective countries for a chance to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
For Oregel Jr., this will mark another appearance under U-20 USMYNT Head Coach Michael Nsien, after previously appearing in the 2023 Pan American Games. In the competition, Oregel Jr. was a part of a United States side that recorded a fourth-place finish.
Oregel Jr. and the U-20 USMYNT were drawn into Group A of the competition, opening their tournament against Jamaica on Friday, July 19 at 9:00 p.m. CT. Three days later, the U.S. will face Cuba on Monday, July 22 at 9:00 p.m. CT before concluding group stage play against Costa Rica on Thursday, July 25 at 9:00 p.m. CT. All three matches will take place at the Estadio Sergio León Chávez in Irapuato, Mexico.
Blake, 18, will represent the Reggae Boyz once again after various national team callups since his arrival to Chicago in 2023. In his most recent callup, Blake led Jamaica to a Group F victory in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifiers last February. With a 3-2 victory over Bermuda, Jamaica clinched a spot in the competition as they search for their first U-20 Championship title.
After beginning their competition against the U.S., on Friday, Jamaica will face Costa Rica on Monday, July 22 at 6:00 p.m. CT before playing their final match of the group stage play against Cuba on Thursday, July 25 at 6:00 p.m. CT. Similar to the U.S., all three group stage matches for Jamaica will take place at the Estadio Sergio León Chávez in Irapuato, Mexico.
All matches of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship will be broadcast in the United States. English broadcasts can be streamed on FOX Sports networks. Spanish broadcasts can be streamed on TelevisaUnivision networks. A full broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
