Portland Timbers players David Guzmán (Costa Rica), Alvas Powell (Jamaica) and Darren Mattocks (Jamaica) are all set for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup which kicks off Friday, July 7 with two matchups at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
French Guiana will take on Canada at 4pm PT (FS2) to start the tournament, with David Guzmán and Costa Rica set to face Honduras at 6pm PT (FS2).
The biennial CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main soccer competition to determine the continental champion of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The tournament has been dominated by Mexico and the United States during its twenty-six-year existence, with either team winning the tournament twelve of thirteen times.
Mexico is favored to repeat their 2015 success and clinch the 2017 Gold Cup, however not without strong competition from the United States and Costa Rica.
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The group stage, which runs July 7-16, features the twelve participating teams split into three groups with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout stage, alongside the two best third-placed teams.
<strong>Group A</strong> |
Honduras |
Costa Rica |
French Guiana |
Canada |
<strong>Group B</strong> |
USA |
Panama |
Martinique |
Nicaragua |
<strong>Group C</strong> |
Mexico |
El Salvador |
Curaçao |
Jamaica |
Costa Rica will play three games in the group stage, facing Honduras (July 7, 6pm PT, FS2), Canada (July 11, 4:30pm PT, FS1) and French Guiana (July 14, 4:30pm PT, FS1). Jamaica’s three matchups will be against Curacao (July 9, 4pm PT, FS1), Mexico (July 13, 7pm PT, FS1) and El Salvador (July 16, 3pm PT, FS2).
Meanwhile, the United States will play Panama (July 8, 1:30pm PT, FOX), Martinique (July 12, 5:30pm PT, FS1) and Nicaragua(July 15, 4pm PT, Univision)in group-stage play.
The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-placed teams from the group stage.
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