Thomas Rongen's U-20s benefitted from the luck of the draw on Friday as they will join Panama and Suriname in Group B for the opening stages of next month's CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.
The Americans will compete in arguably the weakest of the four groups, avoiding defending champions Costa Rica and five-time winners Mexico.
The format for the tournament is the same as the U-17 championship that kicks off on Monday. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals with the four semifinalists earning World Cup spots.
Should the US reach the elimination stage, they would play either Honduras, Guatemala or Jamaica.
Canada, Costa Rica and Guadeloupe will battle in Group C, while Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba round out the field.
The regional championship will be held in Guatemala and runs from March 28 to April 10.
Noah Davis covers the United States national team for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on Twitter at @noahedavis.
