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USMNT to face Costa Rica, Belize and Cuba as CONCACAF Gold Cup Schedule announced

Carlos Bocanegra, Afredo Talavera, Israel Castro

By IVES GALARCEP

The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup schedule was announced on Wednesday and the U.S. Men’s National Team was placed in a group alongside Costa Rica, Belize and Cuba.

The Americans will face Belize at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland on July 9th before traveling to Salt Lake City to take on Cuba on July 13th. The finish group place on July 16th in East Hartford, Connecticut when they meet Costa Rica in a clash of HEX participants.

As reported by SBI in February, the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup final will be held at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 28th.

The U.S. Team’s tournament opener in Portland at Jeld-Wen Field will mark the first time the USMNT has played in Portland since May 24, 1998.

Here are the groups for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup:

GROUP A:  Mexico, Panama, Canada, Martinique
GROUP B:  Honduras, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti
GROUP C: USA, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba

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The quarterfinals will take place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and M&T Bank Arena in Baltimore on July 21st, while the semifinals will be held at Cowboys Stadium on July 24th.

The teams taking part in the HEX (Mexico, USA, Costa Rica and Honduras) are likely not to send full-strength teams to the Gold Cup due to the fact all are playing three World Cup qualifying matches in June (and Mexico is taking part in the Confederations Cup as well).

Here is the complete Gold Cup Schedule:

2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup Schedule

(local time followed by EDT time)

First Round
Sunday, July 7 – Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)
Canada vs. Martinique, 2:30 p.m.  (5:30 p.m. EDT)
Mexico vs. Panama, 5:00 p.m.  (8:00 p.m. EDT)

Monday, July 8 – Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)
El Salvador vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 7 p.m.  (7 p.m. EDT)
Haiti vs. Honduras, 9:30 p.m.  (9:30 p.m. EDT)

Tuesday, July 9 – JELD-WEN Field (Portland, OR)
Costa Rica vs. Cuba, 5:30 p.m.  (8:30 p.m. EDT)
Belize vs. USA, 8 p.m.  (11 p.m. EDT)

Thursday, July 11 – CenturyLink Field (Seattle, WA)
Panama vs. Martinique, 5:30 p.m.  (8:30 p.m. EDT)
Mexico vs. Canada, 8 p.m.  (11 p.m. EDT)

Friday, July 12 – Sun Life Stadium (Miami, FL)
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Haiti, 7 p.m.  (7 p.m. EDT)
Honduras vs. El Salvador, 9:30 p.m.  (9:30 p.m. EDT)

Saturday, July 13 – Rio Tinto Stadium (Salt Lake City, UT)
USA vs. Cuba, 1:30 p.m.  (3:30 p.m. EDT)
Costa Rica vs. Belize, 4:00 p.m.  (6:00 p.m. EDT)

Sunday, July 14 – Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver, CO)
Martinique vs. Mexico, 2 p.m.  (4 p.m. EDT)
Panama vs. Canada, 4:30 p.m.  (6:30 p.m. EDT)

Monday, July 15 – BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, TX)
El Salvador vs. Haiti, 6 p.m.  (7 p.m. EDT)
Honduras vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 8:30 p.m.  (9:30 p.m. EDT)

Tuesday, July 16 – Rentschler Field (Hartford, CT)
Cuba vs. Belize, 5:30 p.m.  (5:30 p.m. EDT)
USA vs. Costa Rica, 8 p.m.  (8 p.m. EDT)

Quarterfinals
Saturday, July 20 – Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA)
Group A runner-up vs. Group B runner-up, TBD (x)
Group A winner vs. Group B/C third-place, TBD (x)
x-matches scheduled for 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. local (3 p.m. and 6 p.m. EDT) with order TBD

Sunday, July 21 – M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, MD)
Group B winner vs. Group C runner-up, TBD (y)
Group C winner vs. Group A/B third place, TBD (y)
y-matches scheduled for 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. local (4 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT) with order TBD

Semifinals
Wednesday, July 24 – Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, TX)
X quarterfinal winners, TBD (z)
Y quarterfinal winners, TBD (z)
z-matches scheduled for 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. local (7 p.m. and 10 p.m. EDT) with order TBD

Final
Sunday, July 28 – Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m. (4 p.m. EDT)

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What do you think of the U.S. match-ups? Think the Americans can reach the final given the likelihood Jurgen Klinsmann will send a B team?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. tickets go on presale tomorrow. Is there a special password to get presale tickets? I have a group of US sopporters who’d love to buy tickets for the final tomorrow (forever optimistic?). How do I go about doing this? Thanks.

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  2. I’d like to see JK call in his preferred “Back 4” and get them additional game time together….assuming the USA’s WCQ campaign isn’t in the toilet by then.

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  3. Beckerman isn’t needed, also like Wondo or Davis, they had their chances before.

    Rest Dempsey and Bradley for Group stage, give players like: Gyan, Gatt, Mix, O’Brian, Pontius, Morales, Aguedolo, Boyd, Wooten, Wood, Shea, maybe Jonson or Hoyos (if wants to be part USNT), Besler, and Orozco, or any new surprise of MLS season.

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    • I get crucified every time I even suggest it……but, in the JK era the team has looked its best when beckerman was in the midfield. His performance in the last gold Cup is a large part of why he became a consistent call up. He’s the exact opposite of Jozy, when he plays for usmnt he steps up his game. He had 1 bad game against guatemala, but I dare say he was more consistent and disciplined than any other midfielder…yes that includes jones and bradley

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  4. THE NIKE US CUP. BRING IT USSF. IT WAS CRITICAL TO OUR DEVELOPMENT IN THE 90S . IRELAND BRAZIL MEXICO DENMARK AND MANY OTHER CAME HERE. IT WOULD DO WONDERS NOW FOR THE UP AND COMMING PLARERS.

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  5. i really am looking forward to the gold cup so we can hopefully see a team of U-23 players with some older players. i would LOVE to see some of our U-20 players, but they’re going to be in Turkey. players like Gatt, Gyau, Boyd, Agudelo, Mix, Holden, Bedoya, Kitchen, Morales, Pontius, Ream, Fiscal, Feilhaber, Adu, Wood, Wooten, Spector, Beasley, Beckerman, etc. are likely to all be serious options. this team could be very interesting to watch.

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    • It’s a bit melodramatic…but I think the gold Cup team could very well play better than many of the lineups/formations JK has chosen

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      • Yah. But there’s no risk. So he can experiment. No more I have to put certain guys on the field even if they are out of position and completely don’t fit the system

      • right, i agree. i guess i was just pointing out that JK will also be selecting the Gold Cup rosters. i think i just misread what you were saying because it did not say “before” after:

        “…play better than many of the lineups/formations JK has chosen”

        almost like you didn’t realize JK would chose the Gold Cup rosters.

        in any event, i agree that the Gold Cup roster could be very exciting.

    • …freddy Adu is not playing professional soccer, it would be a slap in the face to those you call(even more to the players you don’t call in) in if he was called in as well. We need to stop the Freddy Adu posts until he he finds a club and gets consistent minutes.

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      • yeah i know…but that was a list of players who have the potential to be called in. Adu is nowhere near the rest, but who knows. things change. kid still has talent. he has the ability to turn it around. but i still don’t anticipate that happening.

      • I am not denying he has talent, but his work ethic has made him not worthy of another call up. Honestly, IF and that’s a huge IF JK calls in a young lineup like we are all hoping to see then I will be really excited but I am terrified he is going to call in Wondolowski, Evans, Beckerman, Bruin bla bla. You would think he will use the GC to see what his pool looks like for the “next cycle”. As listed above, Agudelo, Yedlin, Boyd, Gatt, Mix, HOLDEN!!! Feilhaber, and please God…Brooks gotta get the majority of minutes. I think it will be a good indicator of where JK feels his job security is at, if he brings in these guys and uses this as a teaching opportunity he probably feels comfortable with where he is at but if he brings in the veterans listed above with more of the older fringe US players I would imagine he is looking for someone to help us qualify and put a good result up in the GC.

      • look, i’m with you on Adu. the kid has a major attitude issue. it’s a massive “if”, i know. but he’s the type of player who could find a good spot and then do well enough to warrant a look. that’s all. as of right now, no, he shouldn’t be in the conversation, so my bad listing him.

        i think this squad will be very heavy with U-23s mixed in with veterans like Spector, Goodson, Beckerman, Beasley, etc.

        players like Gyau, Gatt, Agudelo, Morales, Kitchen, Pontius, Mix, Feilhaber, etc. are basically locks to go. the only way they don’t go is they play well enough to make the A team.

        Brooks will be with the U-20s in Turkey, no U-20 player who was worth watching will be on the Gold Cup team. which is too bad, but at least they’ll be in the World Cup.

        this will be pretty close to an Olympic team i think. but probably with a few more “overage” players. also, Will Bruin is 23 years old, so he’s not old. he’s pretty close to a lock, i think, for the Gold Cup.

        personally, i hope players like Evans, Wondo, Davis, etc. are left home. Beckerman i could go either way on. with Morales, Spector, Kitchen, and some others all capable of playing that position, Beckerman could be left home. but we all know JK won’t do that and honestly, it’s probably best that he is there.

      • Good point on Bruin, dont you think they might try to bring JAB for the Gold Cup to cap tie him to the US? I can see him turning down that to play in the u20 because that won’t make his decision final, but if that’s why he is choosing to play for the u20s (to be able to play for Germany later if they call him) then I would rather him not go at all as much as it hurts me to say that. I know he has said he wants to play for the US in Turkey but clubs don’t have to release their players for that so I am not sure he will be there. To be honest, with as few CB’s as we have getting minutes right now I don’t think it’s a stretch to say JAB will be called in for at least one match in the Hex eventually. I know people keep saying we can’t experiment, but that usually goes when your starters are getting quality minutes and we simply don’t have any CBs besides Gonzalez and Bessler (neither of which I think anyone is sold on) playing consistently for their club right now.

      • i honestly think there is no chance of him at the Gold Cup. i think Fiscal, Ream, Goodson, Besler, etc. are the guys that JK will turn to. we know how JK feels about players playing outside of their age group, so i don’t think Brooks will be any different. especially when the U-20s could really use him. anything is possible, but i’d be surprised if Brooks is at the Gold Cup now that the US is going to the U-20 World Cup. and i’d be surprised if Hertha Berlin said no. BUT, if JK finds out that they will say no, then yes, he should think about Brooks for the Gold Cup. no doubt.

  6. how do semi finals work when they are in the same stadium. Do you just buy 1 ticket to see both or are they sold separately?

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    • Lol they will definitely be missing at least 1 or 2 players that’s for sure. The WBC was smart and put them over in Asia for their pool play and they didn’t end up making it to Miami.

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  7. good venues for all the games. Portland to SLC to Hartford to Baltimore (hopefully) to Cowboy Stadium to Chicago… sounds good to me.

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    • They open with a home game as well.

      But let’s face it, there are very few places in the US where the Mexico doesn’t have home field advantage.

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  8. The siting is amusing because it is so obviously stacked for the two superpowers, Mexico and the USA. Mexico gets to play in big football stadia that in most cases will be filled with their fans, and the US gets to consistently play in the cooler (climate terms) locations. [Cuba in Miami would have been awesome. Hint, hint.]

    Net result for, say, Houston (which offers neither cool July climate nor a big football venue this time) is we got a rather tame doubleheader, ES-Haiti and Honduras-T&T. It’ll probably sell alright to local central americans but still feels like punishment for that crap Canada crowd.

    In theory it’s a decent draw but since this may be an experimental or B/C side I think you throw that out the window. For the umpteenth time I will say that we should use the lengthy regional tournament combined with European and Mexican breaks to try out all these prospects everyone always wants to suit up. Corona, Lichaj, Brooks, Morales, Cunningham, Wood, Wooten, Gyau, Gatt, Boyd, et al. Take a look at the bigger talents who haven’t gotten a chance yet. Wondo, Beckerman, Evans, and all the other mediocrities will still be there if we need effort players. We need to be looking for an edge.

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      • And then we hold a MLS draft…..some decent players have come from these Gold Cup trips, Yordany Alvarez, Osvaldo Alonso, Maykel Galindo. Why fight it?

    • idk could Canada do something ridiculous in Seattle? no question that Mexico is the best team, very deep and the biggest draw however their the Gold Cup should be everyone else’s best shot a beating them.

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    • I like the young names but Wondolowski and Evans shouldn’t be called. I won’t even bother saying Beckerman shouldn’t because we all know JK is going to bring him in for the GC anyways…even though they should let Edu or someone with some upside have that spot.

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  9. As Steve Martin might have said, “Every four years makes sense, but we do it every two years because it’s more . . . money.”

    Ives’s spell-checker turned “They finish group play” into “The finish group place.”

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    • What, to imitate Europe? I think it’s quite useful to be able to do this twice a cycle.

      What could be done to lend this more credibility and bite is make everyone qualify for Gold Cup, adding a few more meaningful games to the US schedule outside WC qualifying. Right now some teams have to qualify and others are exempt.

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      • why is the MLS-snob response always reactionary against Europe?

        Having the Gold Cup every two years actually harms the Gold Cup brand. How is this you say? Because only the Gold Cup with the Confed cup tie-in is taken seriously, thus creating confusion about the tournament. Questions like “is this the Gold Cup that matters or is it the next one is not good”

      • i really don’t think it’s that big of a deal. either way, Sunil recently confirmed that CONCACAF will be deciding if the two Gold Cup winners will have to play each for a birth to the Confeds Cup.

    • cuz it makes $$$, for all of concacaf, personally i think they could make a lot more money in the third year with different tourny; like an expanded Copa America or a bigger US/Nike Cup like thing.. but any improved tournament wouldn’t include Cuba, Martinique, El Salvador, etc which is why Concacaf turns down that idea..

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      • I agree with your assessment, although I think twice a cycle is also of sporting utility to us, not that that’s the reason it happens.

        However, after certain recent scandals you’d think we’d be confronting some of the money-dripping aspects of how CONCACAF handles things. Instead of complaining about the number of tourneys per cycle, I’d complain that it’s been a US-based tournament as long as I can remember (with rare dual host exceptions), while U23 and U20 and everything else can apparently travel. That screams money also, and I think it would be soccer-useful for the US to have to go play someplace else and still get results.

    • It is every two years for: 1) all the countries that don’t make the Hex get quaity games, thus hopefully elevating the level of the entire region (If you were Canadian, Trinidadian, etc…, you would be very excited to have an opportunity to get young players some experience), and 2) MONEY.

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    • I love how people can simultaneously whine about how MLS should put more emphasis on developing young players and that the gold cup should be every 4 years

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  10. Crush them. Kill them all.

    Assuming that we can right the ship on qualifying (big assumption, I know) the GC is the chance for young guys to make their case for 2014. I want to see some guys back in the fold and I want to see kids get senior team minutes, like Villreal (Galaxy) and ShockTop Yedlin (Sounders).

    That said, Group A could be tough. With nothing else to play for, Canada should send it’s top team. Could be interesting

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    • I think regardless of our qualifying situation, you’ll see youth played. If we go completely bust, we’ll be looking for new faces anyway.

      There are a lot of young players really pushing for B-team time. Moreso than I can remember in the past.

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  11. Panama is also in the Hex, no? Which reminds me: “HEX” is not an acronym, and it looks goofy to capitalize the whole thing as if it is.

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  12. July? USMNT may be well on their way to not qualifying for the World Cup given their recent form. Gold Cup may be the least of their worries.

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