The tournament aimed to crown the best beach soccer nation on the continent and also served as the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualifier for teams from North, Central America and Caribbean which are members of CONCACAF, where the top two teams qualified for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup also to be held in the Bahamas.[2]
In a shock turn of events, the considerably inexperienced Panama thwarted all four of the nations who have dominated the tournament historically to surprisingly claim their first title. Panama's group stage victory all but condemned 2015 runners up Costa Rica to their earliest ever exit, their defeat of two-time winners, the United States, in the quarter-finals also ensured the Americans' most premature departure. They then defeated former World Cup semi-finalists El Salvador in the semi-finals and three time and defending champions Mexico in the final.[3]
As the finalists, Panama and Mexico qualified for the World Cup, the former for the first time (and the first new North American World Cup debutants since 2009), the latter for the fifth time.[4]
This was a groundbreaking CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship; it marked only the second time in the seven championships to date (other than in 2006) that the quartet of Costa Rica, El Salvador, the United States and Mexico did not all finish together in some combination in first through fourth place.
Bahamas has already qualified for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup as hosts.
Guadeloupe is not a FIFA member and thus ineligible to qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Should Bahamas and/or Guadeloupe advance to the final, the next eligible highest-placed team would qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
On 28 October 2016, FIFA suspended the National Football Federation of Guatemala for political interference by the Government of Guatemala. Until the suspension is lifted, Guatemalan teams are not permitted to participate in international competitions.[5]CONCACAF had set the deadline of 16 December 2016 for the suspension to be lifted, otherwise by rule, Guatemala would be disqualified from the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, and any replacement team or revision to the tournament format would be discussed once the deadline had passed.[6] On 23 December, CONCACAF announced that Barbados would take the place of Guatemala.[7]
The draw of the tournament was held on 17 October 2016, 10:00 UTC−4, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Doral, Florida.[8] The 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four teams, with the following seeding based on the BSWW Beach Soccer rankings:[9]
The draw started by selecting from a separate pot, which contained the five teams (Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guadeloupe, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands) with the same exact ranking (38). These teams were drawn and placed into Pots 3 and 4 respectively to complete the distribution of the teams into those Pots.
Guatemala were initially part of the draw, but were replaced by Barbados afterwards.
Group stage
Each team earns three points for a win in regulation time, two points for a win in extra time, one point for a win in a penalty shoot-out, and no points for a defeat. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals, while the bottom two teams from each group enter the placement stage for 9th to 16th place.
Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Total goal difference; 6) Total goals scored; 7) Number of red cards; 8) Number of yellow cards; 9) Drawing of lots (Regulations XVIII A.8).[2] (H) Host
Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Total goal difference; 6) Total goals scored; 7) Number of red cards; 8) Number of yellow cards; 9) Drawing of lots (Regulations XVIII A.8).[2]
Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Total goal difference; 6) Total goals scored; 7) Number of red cards; 8) Number of yellow cards; 9) Drawing of lots (Regulations XVIII A.8).[2]
Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Total goal difference; 6) Total goals scored; 7) Number of red cards; 8) Number of yellow cards; 9) Drawing of lots (Regulations XVIII A.8).[2]
1 No qualifiers took place as the representatives were selected by the confederation. 2 CONCACAF and CONMEBOL held a joint championship for qualification. 3 Qualification was achieved through the Euro Beach Soccer League. (p) This indicates an additional play-off round, supplement to the main qualification event.
Bahamas
Panama (1st title)
Mexico
El Salvador
Guadeloupe
Marlon Meza
Jamal Haynes
Canada
