This February, Eddie Jiminez, the assistant men's soccer coach at Stetson University, is leading the Puerto Rico's U-17 men's soccer team as they compete in the 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men's Qualifiers in Honduras. With Puerto Rico aiming to secure its first-ever spot in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Jiminez is leading a team full of promise in a crucial round of matches that could put them on the map for the first time in a global youth tournament.
The 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men's Qualifiers, which run from February 7 to 16, are crucial for the 35 national teams participating. The tournament will determine the eight teams from the region that will advance to the 2025 FIFA U-17 Men's World Cup. For Puerto Rico, this represents a golden opportunity to make history.
The competition uses a single-round format in which the 35 teams are divided into eight groups. Each team will play every other team in their group once, and the eight group winners will qualify for the World Cup.
This is not Eddie Jiminez's first time working with Puerto Rico's national soccer program. In the fall of 2023, Jiminez was called on to serve as an assistant coach for the Puerto Rico National Team in the CONCACAF Nations League. His role there was diverse, encompassing everything from player management and assisting coaches to running training sessions. Off the field, Jiminez worked tirelessly to identify and recruit the right type of players for the team, seeking experienced professionals playing across the world to strengthen Puerto Rico's roster.
Jiminez's emotional connection to Puerto Rico runs deep—having played for the country from youth levels all the way to the senior team. His firsthand experience of representing Puerto Rico on the field adds a layer of passion and commitment to his coaching approach, making this opportunity even more personal.
Puerto Rico is placed in Group D alongside Honduras, Bonaire, and Saint Martin. Jiminez, who has made an impressive impact as an assistant coach with Stetson's men's soccer program—helping lead them to an ASUN regular season championship—brings that winning mentality to the U-17 squad. His coaching experience at the collegiate level, where he helped build a championship-caliber team, will be crucial in navigating the challenges ahead in Honduras. With a focused and motivated squad, Puerto Rico hopes to top their group and advance to the next stage of qualification.
Puerto Rico's schedule begins with their match against Bonaire on Monday at 5:00 PM at Estadio Francisco Morazán. On Wednesday at 5:00 PM, they'll face Saint Martin, before concluding group play with a key matchup against host nation Honduras on Friday at 8:00 PM. Jiminez and his squad are focused on topping their group and advancing to the next stage of qualification.
