2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup - July 7th Quick Glance

The 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup begins tonight with Group A match play opening the 13^th edition of the Gold Cup since its formation in 1991.  This group features a field of team’s headlines by the United States.  Rounding out the group is Panama, Honduras and Haiti.  Here is a look at tonight's matches...

Panama vs. Haiti 

Panama enters the tournament 54^th in the FIFA rankings. Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo will feature in goal for a squad that features two other key players who play in Major League Soccer.  Blas Perez, FC Dallas, and Gabriel Torres, Colorado Rapids, will be tasked with supplying the majority of scoring opportunities.  Panama has an all-time tournament record of 10-9-9 and finished as the 2013 runners up.  This was the second time the nation had fallen to the USA in a Gold Cup Final.

Haiti ranking 75^th in the FIFA rankings will look to midfielder Jeff Louis to engineer an early tournament upset.  The exciting 22-year-old plays for Standard Liege of the Belgium first division.  Joining him is forward Kervens Belfort, who has scored an impressive 10 goals in only 18 international appearances.  Haiti will look to improve on their all-time Gold Cup record of 3-4-3, having finished in 4^th of Group B in 2013.   

USA vs. Honduras  

The second match features a 2013 Gold Cup Semi-Final rematch.  On July 24^th 2013, the United States defeated Honduras 3-1 at AT&T Stadium.  However, this matchup has even deeper historical roots.  The tournament’s inaugural edition, held in 1991, saw them meet in the Gold Cup final with the US emerging victorious.  This game has the potential to be one of the best of the entire group stage.  

 

Midfielder Michael Bradley will lead the United States, currently 27th in the FIFA rankings.  This match will be Bradley’s 100^th appearance for the United States.  The roster contains 17 players who featured on the 2014 World Cup roster and 6 who were a part of the 2013 Gold Cup roster.  In their 12 Gold Cup tournament appearances, the US has an all-time record of 48-6-7, having won the most titles in its history.

Honduras who ranks 75^th in the FIFA rankings, has made it the Semifinal in four of the five past Gold Cups.  The Honduran roster features three players with over 100 national team appearances.  Leading this trio is goalie Noel Valladares who has been capped 129 times, followed by Maynor Figueroa (117) and Óscar Boniek García (105).   Historically, Honduras has played in 11 Gold Cups with a record of 18-6-17.