U.S. soccer team to open Gold Cup against Panama on July 8
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The U.S. will open this summer’s Gold Cup tournament against Panama before going on to meet Martinique and the winner of a Haiti-Nicaragua playoff in group play of the biennial regional soccer championship.
The first-round U.S. games will be played in Nashville on July 8, Tampa, Fla., on July 12 and Cleveland on July 15.
Group A is made up of Honduras, Costa Rica, Canada and French Guiana. Those teams will play in Harrison, N.J.; Houston; and Frisco, Texas, beginning July 7. Mexico headlines Group C and will open play July 9 against El Salvador in San Diego.
Also in that group is Jamaica and Curacao. The July 13 meeting between Mexico and Jamaica in Denver will be a rematch of the last Gold Cup final, won by Mexico. The final Group C games will be played in San Antonio, Texas, on July 16.
The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage, as do the top two third-place teams. The quarterfinals will be played July 19 in Philadelphia and July 20 in Glendale, Ariz. The winners of those games will advance to semifinals in Arlington, Texas, on July 22 and at the Rose Bowl on July 23.
The Rose Bowl game could feature Mexico; the U.S., if it wins its group, would play its semifinal in Texas, should it advance that far. The U.S. finished fourth in this tournament two years ago.
The final will be played July 26 in Santa Clara.
2016 Gold Cup schedule
Group A
July 7, Harrison, N.J.
Honduras vs. Costa Rica; French Guiana vs. Canada
July 11, Houston
Costa Rica vs. Canada; Honduras vs. French Guiana
July 14, Frisco, Texas
Costa Rica vs. French Guiana; Canada vs. Honduras
Group B
July 8, Nashville
U.S. vs. Panama; Martinique vs. Haiti/Nicaragua winner
July 12, Tampa, Fla.
Panama vs. Haiti/Nicaragua winner; U.S. vs. Martinique
July 15, Cleveland
Panama vs. Martinique; Haiti/Nicaragua winner vs. U.S.
Group C
July 9, San Diego
Mexico vs. El Salvador; Curacao vs. Jamaica
July 13, Denver
El Salvador vs. Jamaica; Mexico vs. Curaco
July 16, San Antonio
El Salvador vs. Curacao; Jamaica vs. Mexico
Quarterfinals
July 19, Philadelphia
Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up
Group B winner vs. third place group A/C
July 20, Glendale, Ariz.
Group C winner vs. third place Group A/B
Group C runner-up vs. Group A runner-up
Semifinals
July 22, Arlington, Texas
Winners of Philadelphia quarterfinals
July 23, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Winners of Glendale, Ariz., quarterfinals
Final, July 26
Santa Clara
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