The CONCACAF Gold cup has begun! This tournament of soccer, or football, playing nations from North America, Central America and the Caribbean has been held under its current title since 1991. Previous to that it was known as the CONCACAF Championship, beginning in 1961 following the merger of the two former soccer federations of Confederación Centroamericana y del Caribe de Fútbol and the North American Football Confederation. It is hosted biennially or every two years.
The Tournament began on June 5th, 2011, with the initial game being played between Costa Rica and Cuba. Since then all of the teams have played their first game.
Who's Hosting?
This year the host nation is the United States of America. The matches will be hosted throughout the country in a large variety of venues ranging from as far north as Detroit, Michigan, and across the south including: Miami, Florida, Houston, Texas, Arlington, Texas, and Pasadena, California. The final match in California will be hosted at the Rose Bowl (stadium) which has a capacity of over 91,000 people.
Competing Nations
The tournament consists of twelve teams from CONCACAF. They are: Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, The United States of America, Cuba, and Guatemala. These twelve teams are divided into three groups which are; Group A: Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba and El Salvador; Group B: Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Grenada; and Group C: United States, Panama, Guadeloupe, and Canada.
Brief History
Since its inception in 1991, there have been only three nations to become the Gold Cup champions. Mexico ranks first with five title wins, followed by the United States with four, and Canada who holds only one title to its name.
Heavy Favorites
The United States are believed to be the heavy favorites heading into this tournament, as they rank the highest, 22nd, in FIFA's world rankings. Mexico is not too far behind ranking 28th overall, and Honduras is in a far third, ranking 43rd worldwide. This does not mean that the results are a foregone conclusion, as the other nations will not want to miss a chance to increase their status as formidable footballing opponents, and can use this tournament both as a means to improve their reputations and their footballing abilities.
Chance for Exposure
The game of football, or Soccer as it more commonly referred to in North America, is still a growing sport in this portion of the world. Although it is well recognized as the world's most popular game, it is still a fledgling activity here. There has been great progress over the last decade to increase its' popularity and recognizable talent, events such as the Gold Cup can only aid in the development of young minds in the future of a wonderful game. This game has taken so many people in, captivating generations, and mesmerizing billions, so it is no surprise that many people in the part of the world get excited for the largest competition CONCACAF engages in short of the world cup. If you are curious, with even the slightest inkling to watch, I suggest you do. You may not know all the names of the players, but the game will surely be familiar. And, it is always an immense joy to watch.
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