The USMNT learned what it's 2017 Gold Cup group schedule will be today, as CONCACAF released its host sites list. The Yanks will be the seeded team in Group B in the tournament starting July 7. Here is the Group B schedule: Saturday, July 8 - Nashville, Tennessee (Nissan Stadium) Wednesday, July 12 - Tampa, Florida (Raymond James Stadium) Saturday, July 15 - Cleveland, Ohio (FirstEnergy Stadium) A lot of travel, but some places that should produce decently pro-US crowds. These will obviously be double-header situations as well. We'll know our opponents soon, but we know Trinidad, Jamaica, Martinique, Curacao and French Guiana have qualified through the Caribbean region. Mexico are the seeded team for Group C; Group A's seeded team will be determined after Central American qualifying.
Trinidad and Tobago hasn't qualified yet. The second link says: "The three best second-place finishers from the third round of Caribbean Cup play -- Haiti, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago – will compete against each other in January 4-8, 2017, with the winner facing the fifth-place team from the Central American Cup to determine the final Gold Cup qualifier."
think i had read that the five venues for Knockout Stages were: Dallas, Phoenix, Pasadena, Philadelphia and Santa Clara last time around there were 2 venues for quarters, 1 for semis, 1 for finals and 1 for 3rd place game...not sure if that will follow as all these stadiums are LARGE and nothing small on the docket for the 3rd place game but i would say that Pasadena is likely the final
is there a third place match again? i thought i remember hearing something about that being scrapped...if so i think it lines up nicely as 2 quarterfinal venues, 2 semifinal and 1 final in which case id guess that the Group C winner would likely play in Dallas then Phoenix while the Group B winner would be Philadelphia and Santa Clara, not sure in which order. but thats just guessing
2015 Baltimore/NYC Atlanta Philadelphia 2013 Atlanta/Baltimore Dallas Chicago 2011 DC/NYC Houston Pasadena 2009 Philadelphia/Dallas Chicago NYC 2007 Foxboro/Houston Chicago Chicago CONCACAF also announced that AT&T Stadium, Levi’s Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, the Rose Bowl and University of Phoenix Stadium will host Knockout Round matches. Historically there's only been four stadiums, guessing the third place game is a fixture from here on out in a separate venue. Guessing based on past history....... SF/Phoenix - quarters Dallas - Semis Philadelphia - 3rd Pasadena - final
Possibly they make the semis single-game events and scrap the 3rd-place game. The 2015 3rd-place game was the first since 2003, and I thought it was added only because it was potentially relevant to Copa America qualification. (In reality it was not relevant.)
i think this is most likely. if i remember, the 2015 3rd place game was in the MLS stadium in Philly so a smaller venue...none of those 5 would be half full for a 3rd place game!
This is a good point. I'm guessing that concacaf has decided that USA fans can fill a stadium enough on their own at this point. It makes sense. Why essentially sell out a Mexico game, with a USA game thrown in for free. When you can still sell out the Mexico game and sell a bunch of tickets to another USA game. I'm thinking like Houston in 2011 where it was 90% Mexican fans and you could scalp a ticket for $400. You still sell that game out. But now you have a USA game in philly or whatever. Probably doesn't sell out but at least 30-40k depending on ticket prices.
agreed....so with that being said. dont think its going out on a limb to say Pasadena is the Final. so then youve got Philly, Dallas, SF and Phoenix for the quarters and semis. feel like they separate Philly and Dallas and SF/Phoenix with the Mexico path going through Dallas and Phoenix and the US path through Philly and SF although the order of both of those are anyones guess
Why hasn't the schedule and the venues for the knockout games been announced? Only the group games are announced. I haven't followed Gold Cups seriously until now, so I don't know how this is usually done. Do they wait to see who wins the groups before making these decisions? When did they announce in previous Gold Cups? I'll go to the Santa Clara game, and probably the final if it's in Pasadena. For most tournaments, like the World Cup or the Copa America, they announce all the venues, group and knockout at the same time.
I don't know when they'll announce the knockouts. Concacaf is pretty haphazard with this stuff. This year seems a bit different with the extra venue. Usually you knew pretty clearly okay Mexico will play their quarters here. The US will play their quarters here. Now we kind of have to just sit and wait.
The MLS schedule release made me realize that the Gold Cup final is on a Wednesday. That most likely eliminates the Pacific Time venues for the final, leaving Dallas (or Philly). The Union have a home match on 7/26, so Philly is out for the final. The Semi's will be on the weekend, so I'd guess one at the Rose Bowl (set up for Mexico) and one at Levi's (set up for the US), leaving QF doubleheaders at Philly (US) and Phoenix (Mexico). That's my best guess. I think the Rose Bowl frowns upon mid-week matches. You could switch Dallas and Philly; Phoenix and Levi's. I think the organizers want the US to have some sort of advantage, so I'm sticking to: Quarterfinals (7/19): Philly (US) Quarterfinals (7/20): Phoenix (Mexico) Semifinals (7/22): Santa Clara (US) Semifinals (7/23): Pasadena (Mexico) Finals (7/26): Dallas
interesting....the midweek thing is a new wrinkle. that plan does match up quite nicely, now we are just left to wonder!