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Can the United States win the 2009 Gold Cup

They managed to turn some heads at the Confederations Cup in South Africa with convincing wins over Spain and Egypt to make it to the their first FIFA final before bowing out to Brazil in a hotly contested final. Whilst the United States didn’t get the trophy they were looking for, they did manage to gain some new found respect.

Tired and most likely a bit weary, United States coach, Bob Bradley, has decided to change things up a bit for the Gold Cup by sending a B squad comprised of young players to defend the CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy for a third straight year. Bradley’s squad will take the pitch against 11 other CONCACAF countries on 3 July in stadiums located around the United States.

This year’s tournament will also mark the fourth time the Gold Cup has been played without guests from other confederations. But even without the addition of guests, the field will still provide a stiff test for countries such as Guadeloupe, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States.

2009 Gold Cup Venues

13 venues — the largest in the history of the Gold Cup — will serve as hosts for this year’s event.

Carson, California

Home Depot Center, 27,000

Seattle, Washington

Qwest Field, 67,000

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus Crew Stadium, 22,555

Oakland, California

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, 47,416

Washington, D.C.

RFK Stadium, 45,596

Houston, Texas

Reliant Stadium, 71,500

Miami, Florida

Florida International University Stadium, 20,000

Foxborough, Massachusetts

Gillette Stadium, 68,756

Glendale, Arizona

University of Phoenix Stadium, 63,400

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lincoln Financial Field, 68,532

Arlington, Texas

Cowboys Stadium, 80,000

Chicago, Illinois

Soldier Field, 61,500

East Rutherford, New Jersey

Giants Stadium, 78,741

A large majority of the stadiums being used for the Cup are currently home to teams in the National Football League (NFL), therefore making it more accessible for large numbers of fans to come and watch the matches. At 80,000 seats, the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium will be the largest venue, while FIU’s stadium at 20,000 will be the smallest.

Based on the list of current stadiums, it’s safe to assume that all countries will have the best amenities possible during their stay in the States. The large number of venues were selected in an effort to give fans from all over the country the chance to watch some of the best teams in the world playing in the high profile event.

Gold Cup 2009 Fixtures

The Group Stage will begin on 3 July, followed by the knockout stage starting on 18 July. The final will be played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on 26 July.

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Canada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Costa Rica	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
El Salvador	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jamaica	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

7 July 2009 19:00 EDT	Jamaica	v	Costa Rica	Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus

7 July 2009 21:00 EDT	Canada	v	El Salvador	Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus

10 July 2009 19:00 EDT	Canada	v	Costa Rica	FIU Stadium, Miami

10 July 2009 21:00 EDT	El Salvador	v	Jamaica	FIU Stadium, Miami

Group B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Grenada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Haiti	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Honduras	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
United States	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

4 July 2009 16:00 PDT	Honduras	v	Haiti	Qwest Field, Seattle

4 July 2009 18:00 PDT	Grenada	v	United States	Qwest Field, Seattle

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

Group C

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 17:00 PDT	Costa Rica	v	El Salvador	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

Knockout Round

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

Quarterfinals

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

Semifinals

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

Final

3 July 2009 19:00 PDT	Canada	v	Jamaica	The Home Depot Center, Carson

(Credit: Wikipedia)

2009 Gold Cup Predictions

Rules: The top two teams from each of the three groups advance to the knockout stage. The two remaining spots in the knockout stage will be reserved for the third places countries from each with the best point total.

Group A: Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Jamaica

Group B: United States, Honduras, Haiti, Grenada

Group C: Guadeloupe, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama

In Group A I expect Costa Riva and Canada to advance to the knockout round. Both countries have great records in the Gold Cup, and I see no reason why that record should stop this year.

In Group B I fully expect the United States to advance to the knockout stage — even with a squad comprised mostly of B squad players (forward Brian Ching and right back Steve Cherundolo are the only regulars in the squad). I’ll take Honduras to pip the rest of the group and advance as well.

In Group C I’d say expect the unexpected. The group is loaded with quality and, as far as I’m concerned, is the group of death in the tournament. Guadeloupe was a semifinalist in 2007, so I’d look for them to get back to the knockout stage again this year. And whilst Mexico is the big name, I’m taking Central American champions, Panama, to move on to the knockout stage.

Look for Mexico and Jamaica to grab the final two spots in the knockout stage based on their point total.

Predicted Semifinals: Costa Rica v United States and Canada v Guadeloupe

Predicted Final: I fully expect the United States to get back to the Gold Cup final for the third straight year. I’d imagine the B squad of the United States will feel like they have something to prove to Bob Bradley and their CONCACAF counterparts.  I’ll take the youthful exuberance  over Costa Rica in the semifinal round. From there I’m expecting a tightly contested affair between Canada and Guadeloupe, two countries with strong French bloodlines. I’ll take Canada in AET.

We’ll see a fantastic final played out in East Rutherford, New Jersey, between the two neighbouring countries. I’d expect the United States to grab an early goal and go on to win their third straight Gold Cup.