[This is the second article in a four-part preview. In the previous article I went over the stadiums, and overall set up of the tournament. In this article I will be breaking down the first two groups. In the articles following, I will go more into detail of the other two groups, who I think the favorites are to win, and how I think the Gold Cup will play out.]
Group A
Where the favorites to make it are Mexico and El Salvador
- Guatemala
- El Salvador
- Mexico
- Trinidad and Tobago
Mexico are the reigning champions, defeating the USA 1-0 in the 2019 edition. They have won the Gold Cup eight times, which is more than any other team. They most recently made it to the finals of the CONCACAF Nations League where they came up short, losing 3-2 to the USA in the final. They are the favorites going into the tournament with the USA being their only main competition.
Group B
Where the favorites to make it are the USA and Canada
- Canada
- Haiti
- Martinique
- USA
The USA has won the tournament six times before, winning it more times than any other team except for the reigning champs, Mexico. The USA recently won the CONCACAF Nations League and are making a name for themselves with a new generation of players.
However, USA coach Gregg Berhalter, has decided not to use any of his stars such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Giovanni (Gio) Reyna, etc. He has decided to give new players a chance, and to see where the rest of the squad stands before the final round of World Cup Qualifiers. This could affect their chances of winning the tournament, but with players like Paul Arriola and Gyasi Zardes, they are still among the favorites.
Canada has only won the tournament once, making them one of only three teams to ever win the Cup since its birth in 1991. They are the third favorites to win and have won all six of their previous matches leading up to the tournament.
Stay tuned for my next article where I will be discussing groups C and D.
Photo: Cotton Bowl, Wikipedia, Creative Commons
