June was a month full of international football but before we switch our attentions to club business once again there is one last tournament to entertain us in the form of the Gold Cup, the equivalent of the European Championship for North and Central America. The tournament takes place in America which will increase its profile.
With the growth of Major League Soccer and many of the nations in this area emerging with their players dotting up around the world this is likely to be a higher quality tournament than we are used to.
Recent Winners
2015 – Mexico
2013 – United States
2011 – Mexico
2009 – Mexico
2007 – United States
2005 – United States
2003 – Mexico
2002 – United States
2000 – Canada
The Format
12 nations are involved in the tournament and they have been placed into three groups of four. Each team plays the others in their group once in the group stage with the top two guaranteed to go through and the two best third placed sides joining them in the quarter finals. From there the tournament becomes a straight knockout.
In the quarter finals and semi-finals if a match is level after 90 minutes it will go straight to penalties but if the final is level at full time extra time will be played before penalties if it remains deadlocked after 120 minutes.
Group A
Costa Rica are the leading side in this group but this very much looks the toughest of the three. Honduras represent robust dangers while Canada are former winners of the tournament. French Guiana make up the quartet and will hope they are not making up the numbers.
Group B
Tournament hosts USA are the headline team in this group and they will be expected to dominate it. Panama are the team most likely to follow them home in the group. The other two teams are Nicaragua and Martinique who look out of their depth.
Group C
The favourites and defending champions Mexico are in this group but they don’t bring their first choice squad to the tournament after they were in the Confederations Cup recently. Jamaica were the side Mexico beat in the final two years ago and they are also in this group with El Salvador and Curacao the other two sides.
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Betting
USA and Mexico are the favourites to meet in the final of this tournament in three weeks time but we saw two years ago that it isn’t always as straight forward as that. Indeed those two sides have only met in the final three times in the last nine stagings of this event so there could be room for a surprise along the way especially with the USA and Costa Rica on a collision course to meet in the semi-final.
With Mexico not sending their strongest side to this tournament they could be the vulnerable ones to target. I still think they will win their group so they will be in the bottom half of the draw where 3rd in group A/B, runners up in A and runners up in C will join them.
That means we are looking at potentially Honduras, Canada, Jamaica or Nicaragua. We can eliminate the latter and go at the other three. Honduras could go well but I fancy Canada could be the dark horses here. I would be more confident if Cyle Larin was around but the fact they have left him out might be a sign of their strength. They have a high quality midfield led by Scott Arfield of Burnley while Tosaint Ricketts is a goalscorer with bags of pace. Canada should qualify and if they end up in the bottom half a route to the final could be there for the 2000 winners. At 40/1 I’ll have a dabble.
Tips
Back Canada to win Gold Cup (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Betfred (1/3 1-2)
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