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USMNT facing tough group after Gold Cup draw revealed

USMNTGoldCUp (ISIPhotos.com)

By RYAN TOLMICH

The U.S. Men’s National Team faces a tough road through this summer’s Gold Cup.

CONCACAF announced the locations and groupings for this summer’s tournament, with the U.S. Men’s National Team drawn into a group with Panama, Haiti and the winner of Honduras and French Guiana. The USMNT will open the tournament July 7 in Frisco, TX against the winner of that play-in game on July 7 before taking on Haiti on July 10 at Gillette Stadium. The U.S. will round out the group stage July 13 against Panama in Kansas City.

If, as expected, Honduras qualifies for the Gold Cup, the Americans will be facing a potentially tricky group. They will still be expected to advance, but it can certainly be argued the U.S. will be facing the toughest group in the draw.

In addition, CONCACAF revealed that the tournament’s finale will be played at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on July 26, while the third place game will be played at PPL Park the day before.

In total, the tournament will be played in thirteen cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Toronto. The tournament’ quarterfinals will be played in Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium and New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, respectively, before the semifinals are played at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome on July 22.

“We are anticipating an exceptional Gold Cup in 2015, with a grand finale weekend to be played right here in Philadelphia, a city with a special affinity for the world’s game,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “The sport has never been more popular throughout the Confederation, and this year’s Gold Cup – the crown jewel of regional soccer – will certainly demonstrate like never before our region’s passion for the game.”

Check out the full groupings and schedule below:

2015 CONCACAF GOLD CUP

GROUP A: USA, Panama, Haiti, Winner Play-in Series (Honduras or French Guiana)
GROUP B: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Canada, Jamaica
GROUP C: México, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba

July 7, 2015
Toyota Stadium (Dallas, TX)
5:00 PM Panama vs. Haiti (FOX Sports 2/UDN)
7:30 PM USA vs. Honduras/French Guiana (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)

July 8, 2015
StubHub Center (Los Angeles, CA)
8:00 PM Costa Rica vs. Jamaica (FOX Sports 2/UniMas)
10:30 PM El Salvador vs. Canada (FOX Sports 2/UniMas)

July 9, 2015
Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)
7:00 PM Trinidad and Tobago vs. Guatemala (FOX Sports 2/UDN)
9:30 PM Mexico vs. Cuba (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)

July 10, 2015
Gillette Stadium (Boston, MA)
6:00 PM Honduras/French Guiana vs. Panama (FOX Sports 2/UniMas)
8:30 PM USA vs. Haiti (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)

July 11, 2015
BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, TX)
6:30 PM Jamaica vs. Canada (FOX Sports 2/Univision)
9:00 PM Costa Rica vs. El Salvador (FOX Sports 2/Univision)

July 12, 2015
University of Phoenix Stadium (Phoenix, AZ)
6:30 PM Trinidad and Tobago vs. Cuba (FOX Sports 2/Univision)
9:00 PM Guatemala vs. Mexico (FOX Sports 2/Univision)

July 13, 2015
Sporting Park (Kansas City, MO)
7:00 PM Haiti vs. Honduras/French Guiana (FOX Sports 1/UDN)
9:30 PM Panama vs. United States (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)

July 14, 2015
BMO Field (Toronto, CAN)
6:00 PM Jamaica vs. El Salvador (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)
8:30 PM Canada vs. Costa Rica (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)

July 15, 2015
Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
6:00 PM Cuba vs. Guatemala (FOX Sports 2/UniMas)
8:30 PM Mexico vs. Trinidad and Tobago (FOX Sports 2/UniMas)

July 18, 2015
M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, MD)
5:00 PM & 8:00 PM
1A vs. 3B/C* (FOX/Univision)
2A vs. 1B*(FOX Sports 2/Univision)

July 19, 2015
Met Life Stadium (New York, NY)
4:30 PM & 7:30 PM
1C-3A/B*(FOX Sports 1/Univision)
2C-2B*(FOX Sports 1/Univision)

July 22, 2015
Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA)
6:00 PM SF 1* (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)
9:00 PM SF 2* (FOX Sports 2/UniMas)

July 25, 2015
PPL Park (Philadelphia, PA)
4:00 PM 3rd Place (FOX Sports 2/Univision)

July 26, 2015
Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
7:30 PM Championship Final (FOX Sports 1/Univision)

Comments

  1. I think they’ll get out pretty easy, the knockout rounds are where things are worth watching. What I really want to know is how things are going in Suriname with their new dual national bill. It could make qualifying a lot more complicated with Netherlands B in the Hex instead of Jamaica or T&T

    Reply
  2. I don’t understand these locations, I assume games won’t be played on artificial grass, or is that wishful thinking. I know it gets hot in the summer but do we need so many games to be played indoors.

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  3. I ran the number for every, single possible combination of groups of teams.
    These are the fairest groups.

    USA 828
    Panama 557
    El_Salvador 378
    Jamaica 463

    Total 2226

    Haiti 454
    Mexico 935
    Trinidad_and_Tobago 553
    Cuba 288

    Total 2230

    Honduras 433
    Costa_Rica 1095
    Canada 266
    Guatemala 425

    Total 2219

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  4. I don’t see why Costa Rica ranked 13th in the world is in group B. Not only (Assuming they finish first in the group) would they be the only group winner to play a 2nd placed team in the next round. But they also (Assuming US/Mexioc finishes 1st in their Group) will have to play both US & Mexico to win the cup. With that said, we welcome the challenge.

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    • Costa Rica, Mexico, & USA are in the first pot of the draw to decide who is Group A, B, & C. All the rest of the teams are in Pot # 2 to be distributed across the 3 Groups.

      Reply
  5. 1A Quarterfinal on regular FOX. I have to imagine that’s contingent on US appearance. Too bad the final is still relegated to cable.

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  6. “July 13, 2015
    Sporting Park (Kansas City, MO)
    7:00 PM Haiti vs. Honduras/French Guiana (FOX Sports 1/UDN)
    9:30 PM Panama vs. United States (FOX Sports 1/UniMas)”

    WyCo/Kansas is going to be upset they gave Sporting Club 100 million dollars only to have the stadium moved to Missouri.

    Reply
  7. If US soccer is getting so much better these games should be a breeze, unfortunately I don’t think that’s been what has happened.

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    • Yes, they’ve improved significantly, especially over the past 5-10 years. If you’ve been paying attention to soccer in this country then you’d know that the USMNT exposure and fan support has increased, as well as the talent in our player selection pool. US Soccer is on the up, soccer is never a breeze. Just because you’re “better” than the other team on paper doesn’t mean a thing, just ask England.

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    • There is no such thing as “a breeze” in this kind of Tournament soccer.

      Ask Italy and England.

      All of these teams are perfectly capable of putting ten men behind the ball and then getting a lucky break here or there.

      Reply
  8. When will I be getting FOX SPORTS 2 in Chicago? Anyone have any clue?
    I would like to watch all of these games but cannot.
    Very frustrating.

    Reply
      • The games on UniMas and Univision should all be providing SAP access to give us an English telecast option.

      • Only for MLS not internationals unless they buy English language rights which are held by FOX Sports

    • doubt it’s a city thing…unless no cable providers in the Chicago area provide it. but usually it comes down to the cable provider you have and if they are willing to offer it.

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      • yeah exactly…luckily AT&T offers it and has from the beginning. always in HD too which i know some people didn’t have for a long time.

    • Because it has 3 of the top 5 teams from the last hex? (The 6th, Jamaica, was the only squad that wasn’t competitive.)

      The format is forgiving, but that has nothing to do with how tough the group is.

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    • Of the 3 groups, it’s the most difficult… After Mexico and Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama are the toughest opponents for the US in the region. 2nd is Costa Rica’s draw with Jamaica and Canada. Mexico has a sleepwalk first round… But that’s not always the best thing in a tourney when you have to wake up for a tough match and start pushing. But, semantics because, yeah…. playing in your own country, with this format, you simply HAVE to advance.

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    • Well … first you have Panama, who was runner-up to the US in the last GC (and had a WC playoff with New Zealand in the bag until 2nd half stoppage time in their last WC qualifier … against the US). Next, you have Honduras, who qualified for the last WC. Finally, you have Haiti, who is ranked above Honduras, and always seems to punch above their weight at this thing.

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      • 2013 Gold Cup was a reserve team tournament and isn’t really relevant. Haiti shouldn’t get a point from their three games. Honduras is actually ranked ahead of them in the latest rankings but clearly Honduras is a lot better. I guess it is the most difficult I just don’t think it’s that hard, especially with the US playing at home where we won 5 out of 5 in the hex without conceding a goal.

      • Panama had a full strength team last GC i believe and we beat them twice. so that’s good but they’ll be looking for revenge.

      • Not really a reserve team. Bedoya, Beasley, and Beckerman were World Cup starters and standouts. Wondolowski, Diskuruud and Rimando were also part of the WC 23. Add a rejuvenated Landon Donovan. Arguments could have been made Goodson, Corona, Holden, Parkhurst, and Orozco could have made the 23, would have if not for injury, or at least could have been in the conversation.

        Don’t get me wrong, it was the best team would could have assembled, but labeling a reserve squad does not do it justice.

    • Group B looks harder, Mexico got a super easy draw. Nothing here should be that difficult until the knockout stages.

      our QF matchup vs a B group team; El Salvador, Jamaica or Canada could be tricky

      all about the final tho. Looking forward to Costa Rica or Mexico in Philly!

      Reply

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