Might as well start the catch-all thread with a couple updates: Panama's #1 Jaime Penedo will sit out this edition to help his club with Europa League qualifying. And Dr. Machnik of FOX Sports is vouching for the refs (?!)...unless he meant something else by "performances". May the best cash cow win!
Blas Pérez is also opting out, as he deals with the more pressing issue of unemployment (leaving Blooming in Bolivia, whom he's accused of owing him back pay). On another note, my family and I will be attending the games in Tampa because damnit, I want to see the US win a game in person for once (0-for-2 so far ). It would have been even better if Haiti had made it...
Panama's squad Jaime Penedo, the aforementioned Blas, Luis Tejada, Román Torres and Alberto Quintero all sitting this one out...
Soccer and MLB have players with the same names including Carlos Ruiz. I didn't know Panama had an Alex Rodriguez.
Worth noting that for the first time (at least since I can remember), there will be no extra time in the quarterfinals or semifinals. We'll be playing it just like the last Copa América: ties after 90 minutes go straight to penalties. The final will have extra time if necessary, though, with both sides able to make a 4th sub.
I watched Fox Sports this morning and no mention of the Gold Cup despite the games being on FS1 and FS2. Even they aren't interested in hyping it up.
If it's anything like their Gold Cup promos during the Confed Cup, they're deliberately pretending the thing doesn't exist until the US kicks off tomorrow.
To be honest my main motivation in watching this tournament is to watch the teams that I normally wouldn't get to see: French Guiana, Martinique; Curacao; Nicaragua. Other than that, I have little interest in watching. It's a rigged tournament stacked against every team other than U.S. and Mexico.
I'd have loved to have seen matches being played at soccer specific stadiums at Sacramento, Edinburg (Rio Grande), Phoenix and St Louis, rather than Red Bull Arena. 6,000 for single matches in Phoenix and St Louis would be preferential, and generate more revenue, than 10,000 for a double header at Red Bull Arena (my attendance predictions are notoriously bad).
I heard a bunch traveled from DC as well but from the TV pictures there seemed to be a lot of Ticos, as in previous tournaments in the US and abroad.
It may be because I'm instantly suspicious of anything CONCACAF-related, but f*ck me, that second Martinique goal against Nicaragua was a bit easy wasn't it?
Not really - Martinique could've hit them for a touchdown if they had their shooting boots on. If anything, this just brings into better relief the utter collapse by Haiti in the playoff - we shoulda been here
Absolutely - the big question is which side of the bracket they'll climb (depending on whether they finish first or second in their group).
CONCACAF keeps on being most pathetic organization in world of football. Why did they allow FG to put Malouda on squad while he is ineligible to play? Why, God, why? I like this Guiana's joke with Malouda, btw, they are making fun of them.
I was thinking the same exact thing. How can they hold French Guiana to FIFA standards when they aren't FIFA members? He absolutely deserves to play. Either these teams shouldn't be allowed to play in any competitive international (only friendlies), or they should be allowed to become FIFA members with all the benefits of funding. Even before the tournament an article in World Soccer mentioned French Guiana was considering leaving CONCACAF for CONMEBOL.
CONCACAF would probably sign off on it, but no way in hell CONMEBOL would ever accept. No economic benefits or footballing upside for bringing in a département whose greatest ever accomplishment (outside of Malouda in the French NT) is finishing 3rd in a Caribbean Cup...
Forgetting about how poorly French Guiana would do playing in CONMEBOL, adding an eleventh team would require breaking World Cup qualifying into two groups or adding 4 matchdays to make 22.