PAUL CLARKE, STAR Writer

A much-altered Mexican line-up were held 1-1 by Haiti in their last Group B CONCACAF Under-20 game here in Montego Bay on Thursday, but that was simply to rest players ahead of tonight's big clash in the championship final against Panama at 8 p.m.

Having waltzed through the group without a hiccup, the two-time defending champions will no doubt be up for what is their toughest test of this championship so far, when they tackle the sizzlingly hot Panama.

"This team plays well together; each game we do something better. But I think the challenge for this Mexico team is to continue challenging ourselves. We want to keep getting better with each moment and that is what we want to bring against Panama," Almaguer said.

As a result of winning their respective groups, the two countries qualified directly to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup to be staged in New Zealand from May 30, June 20 of this year.

The two finalists could be joined in New Zealand by Guatemala or Honduras, the United States or El Salvador, after two play-off games at 2:00pm and 5:00pm respectively.

These three matches are all compelling in their own right, but the prospect of the super impressive Panama going head-to-head with the mighty Mexico is simply mouth-watering.

After five respective matches there is little difference between the two group winners.

Panama topped Group A with maximum 15 points, scoring nine goals without conceding.

Mexico, meanwhile, marched through Group A for 13 points, scoring twice the number of goals as Panama, 18, but have conceded three.

Their only blemish is the 1-1 draw with Haiti, and even so, that was a game they should have won easily.

Mexico's largest victory margin was that 9-1 thrashing of Cuba in their first game. Panama's first outing resulted in an easy 4-0 victory over Aruba and both countries have scored one goal in their last group matches respectively.

That Panama hold the edge is no foregone conclusion, as explained by Leonardo Pipino, Panama's head coach.

gratifying

"To face Mexico is gratifying; it is an honour to face them because they are a great team that prepares to be world champions, not just to be in a World Cup but to win a World Cup, whereas we hope mostly to get to a World Cup, maybe getting to the next round."

"It will be a good test to face Mexico heading to the World Cup, and I hope we do well, but they are a very strong and difficult team," Pipino said.

Tonight's final will bring the curtains down on two weeks of taxing and in some cases engrossing football action in Kingston and Montego Bay and would have signaled another impressive hosting of top level football right here in Jamaica.