After watching the U.S. capture the Women's World Cup in dominating fashion on Sunday night, do you suddenly find yourself yearning for more soccer?
Well, if that's the case, you're in luck. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup tournament begins Tuesday night (July 7), with Panama taking on Haiti and the United States men's national team hosting Honduras in opening-round action. From there, the U.S. will continue its opening group-stage play by facing Haiti on Friday night (July 10) and Panama on Monday night (July 13).
The CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament works like the World Cup in that it starts with a pool play stage before teams advance to a sudden-death quarterfinal. The exception is that the Gold Cup is played every two years instead of four. The Americans won the Gold Cup in 2013 and are looking for a repeat.
Tech Times took liberty to outline the who, what, when, where and why for the CONCACAF tournament and the perfect storm of events that make this year's installment must-see soccer.
Who/What: The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup tournament includes the following 12 teams: U.S., Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. Just like the World Cup of CONCACAF's parent organization, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), this tournament begins with group play.
When: The CONCACAF's group stage opens with the U.S. hosting Honduras at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. on Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. EST.
Television: Fox Sports 1. A complete CONCACAF schedule can be found here.
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go.
Social Media: The tournament will be offering live tweets from its official Twitter account, @CONCACAF.
5 Players to Watch
Michael Bradley, U.S.
A two-way midfielder who is capable of taking over games on either side of the field, Michael Bradley will be counted on to lead the U.S. men's national team to victory in the Gold Cup tournament. Hoisting the Gold Cup by tournament's end would be a good early birthday present for newly-named American captain, who turns 28 on July 31.
Joel Campbell, Costa Rica
At 23, the forward has already shown some brilliant flashes and the ability to draw oohs and ahhs. If he can put together a complete body of work this tournament, then that'll make him and his Costa Rican squad ones to watch for sure.
Giovani Dos Santos, Mexico
A 5'10" raging bull of energy and relentless attack, Giovani Dos Santos' striking ability on goal makes him one of the best players in the world. That and lingering rumors of him negotiating a move to Major League Soccer definitely make the midfielder one to watch.
Ariel Martinez, Cuba
Ariel Martinez can strike with the best that this CONCACAF tournament has to offer. As he goes, Cuba will go in this tournament.
Blas Perez, Panama
Physically imposing as a forward, Blas Perez, at 34, is still a big striking target for Panama, making them a dangerous team this tournament, especially for the U.S. in their shared Group A.
Must-Win For U.S.?
The U.S. men's national team is well aware of what the American women just accomplished in the World Cup. Some fans may look at the women's win as inspiration for the men, while others may view it as added pressure. However, there's no doubt that they took notice.
"What our women's team did was absolutely amazing," Klinsmann told ESPN about the ladies winning their first World Cup in 16 years. "It gives the game here another big push, and they inspired millions of kids with their achievement."
Just like the women, the American men are counted on to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup, entering their first match as the tournament's heavy favorite. Not only is the U.S. the host country, but it has made strides dating back to last summer's World Cup until now. So, no pressure guys.
What they want to absolutely avoid is its opening-round match with Honduras to be a trap game, a possible scenario considering the Americans are 5-0-1 against Honduras in CONCACAF play dating back to 1991 and that the Hondurans are now coached by Jose Luis Pinto, a Colombian strategist who led Costa Rica to the World Cup quarterfinals at Brazil in 2014.
"It's crucial in any tournament that you start on the right foot with a good result, because you want to build on that and therefore the first game is always very, very important," Klinsmann told ESPN. "Obviously we know that the tournament is a little bit different to the World Cup. We are not in the group of death right now like we were in Brazil. But you want to get started with three points, there's no doubt about it."
Tournament Amid Scandal
When feds cracked down on FIFA's $150 million-plus bribe-kickback scandal this past May, CONCACAF wasn't exactly in the clear. With FIFA being CONCACAF's parenting body, CONCACAF officials were guilty of a multitude of corruption and illegal activities themselves, including money laundering, racketeering and bribery, according to the New York Times.
So much so that CONCACAF is preparing to kick off its 2015 tournament Tuesday night, a day after announcing its reform package for change ... if you could believe that. Announcing reforms while launching a tournament doesn't exactly bode well for business or reputation, but that's the spot that CONCACAF has put itself in with FIFA.
"This Reform Framework reflects CONCACAF's commitment to strengthening our governance, management, and operations," the tournament organizers wrote on its website Monday. "These reforms are intended to apply best practices for sound corporate governance to CONCACAF's business operations. In implementing the Reform Framework, the Confederation will demonstrate to its fans, sponsors, member associations and other stakeholders that CONCACAF is resilient and devoted to managing, developing, and promoting the game with accountability and transparency."
To check the list of suggested reforms, click here.
Despite trying to right its wrongs, the Confederation knows it has long ways to go.
"People are right to be skeptical," Sam Gandhi, the head of corporate practice at the law firm Sidley Austin, which is advising CONCACAF, told the New York Times. "We know we're not asking people for a second chance; we're asking them for a third chance. So we get it. We're not thumping our chests. We want people to watch what we do and judge us then."
Tech Times Prediction: The U.S. men's national team gets by group play en route to winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup and repeating as the tournament's champs.
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