Valparaiso incoming freshman Alvaro Betancourt will be captaining the Puerto Rico U-20 National Team this week as it competes in CONCACAF Under-20 Championship qualifying.

Betancourt and Puerto Rico will open qualifying on Wednesday, July 25 against Barbados.  Friday, July 27 sees Puerto Rico take on Bermuda, while qualifying concludes on Sunday, July 29 versus Haiti.  The top finishing team from Puerto Rico’s group will advance to the second round of Caribbean zone qualifying in November, where five of six teams will qualify for the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, with the ultimate goal being to advance to the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Betancourt, who signed with the Crusaders this past February, has already earned a pair of caps for the Puerto Rico senior national team, debuting for the senior team at age 17 in a World Cup qualifier against St. Lucia last November.