With the Gold Cup the USA becomes the home of soccer for the foreseeable future
The 17th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off on Saturday. As tradition dictates, the tournament will take place in the United States, with one match scheduled to be played in Toronto, marking Canada's debut in the tournament against Guadeloupe.
The United States will be without stars Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sergino Dest, Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah, Brenden Aaronson, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah, relying heavily on a squad where 16 out of the 23 selected players compete in the MLS.
USMNT clinches Concacaf Nations League title and dazzles with musical talent
Canada are also missing top players such as Cyle Larin, Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies and Tajon Buchanan, while Mexico will be without Raul Jimenez and Hirving Lozano, among others. Furthermore, Costa Rica will have to do without Keylor Navas, in what would have been his last Gold Cup.
The USA becomes the home of soccer
This tournament may not have the star names of previous editions, but it is the first of several big soccer events that United States will host, along with 2024 Copa America, the 2025 Gold Cup and the 2026 World Cup.
Additionally, FIFA confirmed on Friday that the US will host the inaugural major Club World Cup in 2025, solidifying their position as a football superpower.
AP
Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami also adds momentum to a league that must put its best foot forward for the crucial years ahead.
The US men's national team, under the interim coach B. J. Callahan, has just been crowned CONCACAF Nations League champions after defeating arch-rivals Mexico with a convincing 3-0 victory in the semi-finals before triumphing over Canada 2-0 in the final, securing their second Nations League title.
With a team devoid of big-name stars, the United States now aim to match El Tri in terms of the number of Gold Cups won. Mexico holds the record with eight titles, one more than the Americans.
Qatar to feature as guests once again
The Gold Cup reserves a spot for a guest team and, just like in 2021, Qatar will participate with their main squad following their World Cup campaign.
In the previous edition of the Gold Cup, they reached the semi-finals, only to be defeated 1-0 by the USA.
Furthermore, this edition will feature a remarkable debutant: St. Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean country with a population of less than 50,000, as they will be making their first appearance in a major tournament after qualifying.
Post a Comment