The 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup groups are officially set.
Wednesday’s draw saw all 16 teams learn their fate for the group stage which kicks off in June 15th.
The U.S. Men’s National Team was paired with Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, and Guyana in Group D of the tournament. It was a tough draw for Gregg Berhalter’s side who will kick off play against Guyana on June 18th in Minneapolis.
Four days later will see the USMNT try to exact revenge against T&T in Cleveland before closing out group stage play against Panama in Kansas City on June 26th.
Meanwhile, Mexico and Costa Rica were handed favorable draws in Group A and B respectively. The Gold Cup Final will take place at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 7th.
Here’s all of the four groups for the Concacaf Gold Cup:
Group A: Mexico, Canada, Martinique, Cuba
Group B: Costa Rica, Haiti, Nicaragua, Bermuda
Group C: Honduras, Jamaica, El Salvador, Curacao
Group D: USA, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana
Anything other than 3 wins is a direct reflection on GB. Even with mix of young, old, MLS and European players should do the job. This team should be chomping at the bit to hit T&T in the mouth and take Panama who benefited from a bullshit goal vs CR in the last qualifying game. Sour grapes sure but had we benefited from a bs goal I can only imagine the lengths Concacrap would go to review and petition FIFA for either replay or rescind that goal. I can’t tell you how much I detest playing in this region in the shit we have to deal with makes me almost want to go to a game with batteries or a sack of dog shit and her at opposing fans and players we’ve always been on the highroad can’t say that about our fucking neighbors.
https://youtu.be/Wf_p52MmDuo
We are in the toughest group, I guess, but still should top the group. Best part of the draw is not having to face Mex or CR until the final. On a side topic, I wish concacaf would just pick one or two locations to host this tournament. Seems silly to have every team play every game at a different city, usually in a different time zone. So much extra travel for players and $ for teams/federations. I bet there would be better performances on the pitch without the extra travel.
Trinidad: Last 5 matches 1-0-4 GD 2-4
–Wales 0-1, Iran 0-1, Thailand 0-1, UAE 2-0, Panama 0-1
Panama 0-2-3 (2-4-12 since beating CR to qualify for WC)
–Brazil 1-1,US 0-3, Ecuador 1-2, Honduras 0-1, S.Korea 2-2
Guyana 3-2 (I included FIFA ranking of the teams they played)
–Belize 2-1 (163), French Guyana 1-2 (NR), Turks and Caicos 8-0(208), Barbados 3-0 (161), Indonesia 1-2 (159)
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None of these three are especially exciting. TnT will be a big game as the US tries to put away some demons and the Soca Warriors try to prove they are the team from October 2017, not the team that has won just twice since then. Panama is trying to find the next generation but reverted to the old guard and got a bunkered draw against Brazil’s not really A team but with some stars. All three of these teams are going to sit back and try to defend and foul anything that has a chance of breaking through. Ecuador was probably a good test for this group. If we have our first pick of players I think we get three relatively controlled wins, if some of the Euro players opt for rest we will have trouble. I’m hoping to be in KC.
Brazil had their A team what are you talking about? Only person they were missing were Neymar and Marcelo. That was a hard fought match by Panama no need to downplay the game calling it a lop sided draw. Smh
“bunkered draw” was the quote. Possession was 72 to 28. They also only had 5 guys that played against Belgium in the WC so a couple more than Neymar and Marcelo, but as good of a squad as blasted the US.
This draw will hopefully force the issue with player selections. We didn’t get a cake walk into the knockout rounds, so GB will be forced to compile an “A” Team squad for the hole tournament instead of trotting out a bunch of scrubs for the group round before switching thing up in the knock-out rounds.
There’s no room for error so bring in the best options from the get go….and use the exchange in the event someone is injured or playing poorly.
I believe they changed the rules. No roster changes after the group stage like last time.
So who should be in the first team that isn’t there right now?? Our fans seem to be so caught up.in the immediate present when it comes to who they think should be in the first team instead of thinking logically about how a team is built. Several of the players being called up for friendlies and possibly the GC won’t be apart of he first team going forward, but considering how detailed Greg’s system is and how little many of our promising younger players are playing at club level many of his decisions are warranted. The USMNT can absolutely win the GC with the roster that hes used for 2 months, and with several youth tourney’s approaching(U-20 WC, Olympic Games, Pan-Am Games)it may me sense to give those promising players great international tourney experience while also developing in the process at that level.
I could absolutely see players like Nagbe, Altidore, Duane Holmes and a few others added to the fray for the GC and beyond. Many of the younger options we all want to see probably won’t touch the first team until the CCF Nations League in September
At least the toughest group historically speaking. I think it’s good to get as many quality games as possible. I’m not sure we’d get much out of Haiti, Nicaragua, and Bermuda.
This is sad but I’m actually concerned.
Relax, my man.
Panama – beat them in second to last WC qualifier 4-0. January – beat them 3-0 with our Jan camp team.
T&T – game in ’16 was a fluke. Our heads were up our arses. New manager that knows how to coach with players that have energy. We are playing them at home, not at a crappy cricket field with obstacles.
Guyana – relax. prob will be a tight first half as we get our feet underneath us in tourney play.
You can get concerned when we play CR or Mexico.
Bro Panama is hot and cold. Remember when Casey cellar was goalkeeper and we played them in the finals and they took us to penalties and we won. Also too they gave Brazil run for their money mostly A team. Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico, Jamaica a tiny bit we should be worry about.