Sports
Battery’s Fidel Barajas leads Mexico to win Concacaf U-17 Championship title
Battery winger Fidel Barajas helped lead Mexico to win the Concacaf U-17 Championship in a 3-1 victory over the United States in the final on Sunday, capping off an impressive tournament for Fidel.
Barajas was a tour de force throughout the competition, starting all seven of Mexico’s matches while tallying three goals and five assists. His five helpers ranked second-most overall in the tournament. Fidel’s goals came against Curacao, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
The Mexico No. 11 played a full 90 minutes in the final and had a hand in setting up two of their goals to lift the trophy in Guatemala City. His cross-field pass in the 8th minute drew a foul inside the box that then led to a converted penalty kick to put El Tri ahead early. In the second half, Fidel played a short corner kick in the 51st minute that resulted in a cross and headed goal to add to Mexico’s lead.
The title is Mexico’s fifth consecutive in the Concacaf U-17 Championship.
As a result of reaching the semifinals, Barajas and Mexico earned qualification for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru. They’ll look to add another piece of silverware to their 2023 cabinet when the U-17 World Cup, which El Tri have won twice, kicks off in November.
Barajas is now slated to rejoin the Battery ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season, which starts on Saturday, March 11, at Patriots Point against Phoenix Rising FC. Tickets for the game are available now via SeatGeek.