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CONCACAF Gold Cup Preview: American Title Defense Contested By Brazil, Mexico & Colombia

http://www.soccerage.com/en/13/o6086.html

07/08/2003. 2003 COPA DE ORO (GOLD CUP) PREVIEW

Twelve nations will be competing in the sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup when North America's premier event kicks off on Saturday, July 12th. The two guest teams, Brazil and Colombia, will be joining one of the tournament's co-hosts, USA, in a quick turn-around following last months sad Confederations Cup in France. Among the nine other CONCACAF teams are the Americans' rivals for continental hegemony, Mexico and Costa Rica, and the delightful surprise from the 2002 edition, Martinique.

A quick scan of the groups sees last year's finalists Costa Rica's (Group D) and USA's (Group C) spots in the quarterfinals nearly assured. The Ticos enjoy the company of Canada, who seemed to lose their way on the international scene after winning the 2000 Gold Cup and Cuba, who just upset Jamaica at The Office in Kingston. The defending champions, meantime, drew tiny Martinique and El Salvador, who upset Mexico 2-1 in California on Sunday. It will mark the debut of former USA coach Steve Sampson on the international stage in serious competition with his adopted side, Costa Rica. Sampson's quite successful heir of the American helm, Bruce Arena, has named several of the land's top players, such as Kasey Keller, DaMarcus Beasley and Brian McBride. A meeting between these two countries is possible in the finals or even before then and would make for one of the most intriguing matchups in this region since the USA-Mexico clash in the last World Cup.

Brazil and Mexico are joined in the group of death (Group A) by Honduras. Carlos Alberto Parreira called in a largely domestic and inexperienced side for this competition, including a trio each from Brasileirao leaders Cruzeiro and Libertadores Cup runners-up Santos--yes, that does mean the dynamic duo of Diego and Robinho will be donning the canary uniform of the pentecampeo. Ricardo La Volpe is bringing a seasoned Mexican side, but they will need to go far if the fans of the Tricolores are going to soon forget the loss to lightly-regarded El Salvador. Honduras are not without many of their top players, including Suazo from Cagliari and Pineda of River Plate.

Colombia are in Group B and should advance as one of the top two despite Francisco Maturana reshuffling his roster after the Confederations Cup. The South Americans will do battle with feisty Guatemala, who boast perhaps the

tournament's top striker in Carlos Ruiz, and the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica. Carl Brown has not messed around with his squad selection, calling upon the services of country's more skillful players like attackers Ricardo Gardner and Andy Williams, and emerging defensive talent Craig Ziadie.

Stay tuned to SoccerAge.com for complete coverage throughout the fortnight.

Defending Champions: United States of America (2002)

Group A: Brazil, Honduras, Mexico

Group B: Colombia, Guatemala, Jamaica

Group C: USA, El Salvador, Martinique

Group D: Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba

Andrew Giffen

-------------------------

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,

None but ourselves can free our minds..."

Redemption Song - Bob Marley

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I don't see what the big deal is with the article is. We complain about the lack of Gold Cup coverage, and then rip apart the only international article on the internet about the event. Sure, the article is very elementary and not very indepth, but it gives an overview of the tournament. Also, to say soccerage sucks isn't fair because they at least put some effort into their Gold Cup coverage. They have a link on their main page to their Gold Cup page. I went to sportsnet.ca and was dissapointed with its coverage of the event. The same goes for soccernet.com and canoe.ca/slam and thestar.com.

-------------------------

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,

None but ourselves can free our minds..."

Redemption Song - Bob Marley

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CONCACAF Gold Cup

Twelve nations dig in for Gold Cup glory

(FIFA.com) 11 Jul 2003

http://www.fifa.com/en/display/article,70722.html

The US poses with the Gold Cup after the final against Costa Rica at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, 02 February 2002. The US won 2-0. AFP PHOTO

LUCY NICHOLSON

From 12 to 27 July, 12 teams (ten from CONCACAF and two invitees from South America) will descend upon Foxboro, Massachusetts, Miami, Florida and Mexico City for the biannual CONCACAF Gold Cup competition. The co-host United States will be looking to defend their regional crown, but will have their work cut out for them coming off a disappointing FIFA Confederations Cup.

According to the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, the United States recently became the top team in the Caribbean and North American zone for the first time in their history.

But, in order to get their hands on the region’s top prize for a third time since the competition’s inception in 1991, they will have to see their way past some stiff competition, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.

Brazil await great things from Robinho

América and Independiente Medellin spearhead Colombia’s renaissance

Following a group phase comprised of four groups of three, the top two finishers in each group advance to the quarter-finals.

Join FIFA.com as we take a group-by-group look at the participating nations.

GROUP A

Mexico City

July 13-17

Mexico, Brazil, Honduras

Mexico:

The Tricolores will be looking to reassert their quickly fading dominance in the region. Frenzied home support at the fabled Azteca Stadium will surely do no harm to the cause as they hunt for a fourth Gold Cup crown and a first since 1998. Ricardo Lavolpe’s men, including 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ veterans Jesus Arellano and Jared Borgetti come into the competition with heavy heart after a demoralising 1-2 friendly defeat to fellow participants El Salvador on 6 July in California

Brazil:

FIFA World Cup holders Brazil will only be recognisable by their trademark yellow jerseys. U-23 coach Ricardo Gomes (filling in for Carlos Alberto Parreira) is using the Gold Cup as opportunity to gamble on youth. Among the most notable additions to the squad are Santos’ teenage duo Robinho and Diego. Brazilian striker Robinho © runs during a practice session in Mexico City. REUTERS

Henry Romero

The two have set the South American scene abuzz over the past two seasons with telepathic vision and scintillating ball skills, at once reviving the fortunes of Pele’s old club and offering the hint of a bright future for Brazilian football.

Honduras:

Always a formidable foe in the CONCACAF region and loaded with natural ability, the Hondurans will be looking to prove their failure to qualify for Korea/Japan after being tipped for success was nothing but bad luck. With a competent combination of foreign and domestically based stars, the Central American side with a reputation for inconsistency may be the underdogs in the competition’s Group of Death, but they will surely prove no pushover.

GROUP B

Miami, Florida, USA

July 13-17

Colombia, Guatemala, Jamaica

Colombia:

Colombia will be looking to continue their footballing renaissance with a respectable showing at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Quick on the heels of a fourth-place finish at last month’s FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003, Francisco "Pacho" Maturana’s talented eleven hails largely from the city of Cali, with four players from resurgent domestic giants Deportivo Cali, and five from rivals America de Cali.

Guatemala:

Coach Víctor Manuel Aguado hopes to get the most out of a stable of largely unknown but undeniably talented players. In Carlos Ruiz though, he may have one of tournament’s top poachers and one already well known in the United States. The Los Angeles Galaxy striker was the 2002 MLS top scorer and is a pure striking talent to be reckoned with. Juan Jose Gomez of El Salvador punches the ball in a friendly match against Guatemala in Texas, July 8, 2003 REUTERS

Carlos A. Martinez

Opposition defences will have their work cut out to contain this natural-born finisher. The Guatemalans can take heart in a 2-1 win over El Salvador on 9 July in Houston, Texas.

Jamaica:

From the heart of the Caribbean, the Reggae Boyz are out to re-establish themselves since a dramatic slip in form and consistency after qualifying for France 98. With a smooth blend of European-based, domestic and MLS players in the squad, the Jamaicans will want to prove their regional doubters wrong. A recent 1-2 loss to fellow participants Cuba had the islanders wondering about their chances, but a heartening 2-0 over Paraguay in Kingston on 10 July surely helped soften the blow and raise spirits in the camp.

GROUP C

Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA

July 12-16

USA, El Salvador, Martinique

United States:

The U.S. have the advantage of playing their group matches at home just outside of Boston in what has proven a good-luck region for the Yanks. With Brian McBride and the long-injured Claudio Reyna back for duty, the Americans will be looking to retain their Gold Cup crown. Claudio Reyna drapes himself in an American flag in Ulsan after the quarter-final against Germany at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. AFP PHOTO

GREG WOOD

A clinical 2-0 victory over Paraguay in Columbus, Ohio had head coach Bruce Arena in buoyant mood, “As we move into the Gold Cup, I think we're going to go into the tournament with confidence.”

El Salvador:

The Central Americans will have to go it alone without the aid of just-retired star Mauricio Cienfuegos. The pint-sized team leader bowed out of international competition following El Salvador’s sensational 2-1 win over Mexico in California on 6 July. The victory had the typically inconsistent side swimming in self-assurance. However, a 1-2 loss to Guatemala in Texas just days later had the old doubts rising to the surface.

Martinique:

Surely the out-and-out minnows of the twelve-team field, the tiny Caribbean nation known more for its beaches than its football will be hunting more for experience than scalps as they are drawn among tournament favourites the USA.

GROUP D

Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA

July 13-17

Costa Rica, Canada, Cuba

Costa Rica:

The Ticos, led by former U.S. boss Steve Sampson are a shining example of CONCACAF on the rise. Climbing steadily up the FIFA/Coca-Cola World ranking following an eye-popping, but eventually ill-fated romp at Korea/Japan 2002, the Central Americans will be looking to spoil the party for the other big names on the block. Wright leaps for the ball during the first half of Costa Rica’s friendly against Chile at Ricardo Saprissa stadium in San Jose, June 8, 2003. REUTERS

Juan Carlos Ulate

With FIFA World Cup veterans Mauricio Wright, Rolando Fonseca and Winston Parks picking up the slack for injured icon Paulo Wanchope, the tiny nation and finalists at the latest instalment of the Gold Cup will be out for respect, and maybe some revenge for their popular coach.

Canada:

The side from the Great White North, led by ultra-experienced boss Holger Osieck, feature a group of foreign and domestic journeymen that will prove no pushover. A recent 1-4 loss to Germany will have the boys down in the mouth as their title-winning heroics of 2000 -- they beat Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago and Colombia along the way -- become more of a fading memory than a spur.

Cuba:

Cuba come to Boston with a chequered footballing tradition. Associated more with the baseball diamond than the football pitch, the Caribbean islanders fired a recent warning to the more established nations as Reisander Fernandez and midfielder Jeniel Marquez scored to put the upstarts past Jamaica in Kingston on 7 July.

-------------------------

"Underneath the fading sun,

The silent sum of a businessman

Has left us choking"

Half Day Closing - Portishead

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quote:Originally posted by Massive Attack

Also, to say soccerage sucks isn't fair because they at least put some effort into their Gold Cup coverage.

First off, Massive Attack, please don't take our negative comments as a suggestion that you shouldn't have posted the article. Thanks for doing so.

I said that SoccerAge sucks not based on this article but rather on the many, many articles I've read from them over the last few years. I find that they often report rumour as fact, and tend to be unfair and rather hasty in their evaluations. That being said, their coverage is broad, and I find the non-subjective content on their site to be very useful.

Okay, so "sucks" may be overly harsh. I actually still read some of their articles and it doesn't hurt to consider their point of view --- as long as you know a bit about them first (which helps to keep you from getting upset, because some of their stuff is much more irritating than this).

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I don't really know why I got upset. I go to soccerage enough to know that they are not the world's greatest source of information. I often check out soccerage for news because its one of the few english websites with lots of stories on the Serie A. Yes, most of these stories are often rumours, but, a lot of those rumours become true and once you realize that nothing on that site is true until it is officially announced, the site is manageable. I'm probably more upset with the media in general for its lack of coverage on the Gold Cup and Canadian soccer in general.

-------------------------

"Underneath the fading sun,

The silent sum of a businessman

Has left us choking"

Half Day Closing - Portishead

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Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Massive Attack

I don't really know why I got upset.

I can understand your reaction. We were overly harsh.

quote:I often check out soccerage for news because its one of the few english websites with lots of stories on the Serie A.
True. I don't know if you know about this one, but it is very good:

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/

And here is an interesting approach, a site that constantly monitors a whole bunch of news sources for whatever topic you want, in this case Italian soccer:

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Italian+Football

But now I've gone off topic! [:I]

quote:Yes, most of these stories are often rumours, but, a lot of those rumours become true and once you realize that nothing on that site is true until it is officially announced, the site is manageable.
True again. I just don't like when writers use the type of language that makes what is really a rumour sound like a fact, and SoccerAge does this a lot. Anyway, what I usually do is keep a mental list of the rumours, then the more often a particular one is repeated over a long period of time, the more likely it is to be true. The really crazy ones disappear quite quickly.

quote:I'm probably more upset with the media in general for its lack of coverage on the Gold Cup and Canadian soccer in general.
Aren't we all. [V]
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