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Houston Kick-Off Soccer Magazine

May - 2009 Page 12

CONCACAF GOLD CUP 2009 - MEXICO VS PANAMA

The 2009 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) Gold Cup is set to kickoff on July 3 and without a clear favorite. While in years past the region’s national team championship was hosted by a limited number of venues that had multiple nights of games, CONCACAF has, to use a popular phrase, decided to “spread the wealth” this go around. An astounding thirteen U.S. cities will play host to the Gold Cup. Included in that list for the third consecutive tournament is Houston, Texas.

Another twist in the scheduling is that each stadium will only be used for one night; however, fans will be able to see two back-to-back games at each stadium as every site is scheduled for a double-header, the championship site notwithstanding. The Gold Cup caravan makes its stop at Reliant Stadium on July 9, with Mexico performing as the headlining act. The other 12 cities that will be involved in Gold Cup action are Carson, Calif. (Home Depot Center), Seattle, (Qwest Field), San Francisco (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum), Columbus, Ohio (Crew Stadium), Washington, D.C. (RFK Memorial Stadium), Miami, Florida (Florida International University Stadium), Boston (Gillette Stadium), Phoenix (University of Phoenix Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), Dallas (Dallas Cowboys New Stadium), Chicago (Soldier Field), and New York (Giants Stadium). Philadelphia and Dallas will host the quarterfinals, Chicago will host the semifinals, and New York will host the championship match – the only site to have a single game. All other locales will host the opening round, group matches.

The USA will be going for its third consecutive and fifth overall Gold Cup title after winning the inaugural event in 1991, and going on to win the 2002, 2005 and 2007 editions. Mexico has also won four Gold Cup titles, including three consecutive tournaments in 1993, 1996, and 1998 as well as in 2003. The only other team to have won the regional championship is Canada, winning its country’s only international soccer trophy in 2000. Now organized to be a bi-annual event as to not conflict with any World Cup finals’ years, every other Gold Cup will determine CONCACAF’s representative at the FIFA Confederations Cup. With the US having won the 2007 Gold Cup, it will head to South Africa for this year’s Confederations Cup.

With the first round of games for the US at the Confederations Cup being played between June 15 and June 21, it is very likely Head Coach Bob Bradley will use two completely different line-ups for the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup. Being that the Confederations Cup is played in the same country and stadia that will host the World Cup, most American soccer pundits are assuming that Bradley’s roster for South Africa will very much resemble the US team that will be seen at the 2010 World Cup. What’s more, since this summer’s Gold Cup crown does not come with a Confederation’s Cup berth, there are rumors circulating that Bradley will use the Gold Cup as a means of getting younger and players-on-the-fringe more international experience. If that is the case, it is difficult to label the reigning Gold Cup championships as the 2009 favorite.

Thursday, July 9th - 7pm at Reliant Stadium

The other usual favored side to win the Gold Cup may not have earned the “favorite” label as well, albeit for a completely different reason. Obviously, that would be Mexico.

El Tri has had a tremulous World Cup qualifying campaign, having only advanced to the final round of qualifying based on a superior goal difference over Jamaica. Currently, Mexico sits in fourth place out of six teams, having been upset by Honduras 3-1 and losing 2-0 to the US. Mexico’s only win in the final phase thus far came while playing at home inside the confines of the highly elevated Estadio Azteca against Costa Rica, shutting out the island side 2-0. To put it another way, if World Cup qualifying were to end today, the US, Costa Rica and Honduras would all qualify directly for the finals while Mexico would have to play the fifth-place team from South America in a two-game, total goals playoff series for a place in South Africa. Rightfully so, Mexico fired then head coach Sven Goran Ericksson in early April and a few weeks later brought in the man who coached Mexico to the 2002 World Cup, Javier Aguirre. Aguirre is doing all he can to get his players to understand the magnitude of Mexico’s situation, having recently told concacaf.com, "This year’s Gold Cup is key for the Mexican national team." Aguirre continued, "Apart from being the most well-known competition in the region, it will be part of a very important summer for our team, which has not only the Gold Cup, but also two World Cup qualifying matches."

While Javier Aguirre has a decent track record as a former coach of El Tri, the Mexican players will need to adjust to Aguirre’s style and find the confidence in themselves that has been lacking throughout World Cup qualifying. Until that happens, Mexico’s case for being labeled a Gold Cup contender will be lacking.

Javier Aguirre, Newly appointed head coach of Mexico

Perhaps this is the year that Dwayne De Rosario and Canada capture the country’s second Gold Cup title, having lost in controversial fashion on an erroneous offside call in the 2007 semifinals versus the US. Perhaps Costa Rica, arguably CONCACAF’s third best team on a consistent basis, will capture its first title since the tournament moved to its current format in 1991. Or maybe, just maybe, this is the year that one of the so-called minnows breaks from the school and shocks everyone by hoisting the Gold Cup trophy.

Although the US and Canada squads will not be making a stop in Houston during Gold Cup play, Houston-area soccer fans can judge the Mexican side for themselves as El Tri will take on Panama at 9pm CDT on July 9 at Reliant Stadium. To wet their appetite, fans can check out surprise Gold Cup qualifier’s Guadeloupe before the Mexico/Panama match as they take on Nicaragua at 7pm CDT.

It’s Mexico in Houston for an international trophy and for one night only – get your hands on tickets as they will undoubtedly go fast.

May
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