CONCACAF Gold Cup Preview: Group C

Led by Mexico, Group C will likely produce the heaviest-attended games of all three groups. Doubleheaders will be played in Oakland, Houston and Glendale, Ariz. El Tricolor is expected to contend for the title while the Gwada Boyz, Canaleros and Los Pinoleros will likely fight it out for second place.

Guadeloupe
Gold Cup Appearances: 2 (2007, 2009)
Gold Cup Titles: None  
Top Finish: Semifinalist (2007)

Key Players
F Michael Antoine-Currier (Dundee)
F Alexandre Alphonse (FC Zurich)
D Ronald Zubar (Marseille)

Update: Guadeloupe made it to the 2009 Gold Cup by getting into the semifinals of the Digicel Caribbean Championship where it edged out Cuba on penalties for third place. Although the overseas French department provides top players to the French national team, the Gwada Boys aren’t allowed to take part in the World Cup or qualifying since they are not a member of FIFA.

Outlook: Guadeloupe is placed in a difficult group, but is a likely candidate to advance past the group stages of the Gold Cup. They’ve had a good showing in previous games and in the last edition gave their opponents a tougher time than anticipated. Now, the team is expected to produce a similar run in the 2009 edition.

Mexico
Gold Cup Appearances: 10 (1991, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009)
Gold Cup Titles: Four
Best Finish: Champions (1993, 1996, 1998, 2003)

Key Players
F Carlos Vela (Arsenal)
M Giovani Dos Santos (Ipswich Town)
M Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)

Update: Mexico have struggled terribly in 2009 and sacked Sven-Goran Eriksson in April. Javier Aguirre joined the team afterward but lost in his first match with El Tri, a 2-1 setback in El Salvador in a World Cup qualifying match. Instead of calling in El Tri's top players for the tournament and using it as an extended preparation time to set up for qualifying, Aguirre instead sent a youth-laden squad with the hopes of building up Mexico's depth.

Outlook: Mexico will be hard-pressed to win the Gold Cup, despite players' confidence levels. Aguirre has not been in charge for very long, the players cannot be expected to come together in a system that has not been playing together for long. Vela and Dos Santos continue to be great hopes but must blossom in this tournament if Mexico is to succeed. Mexico should not have a problem advancing out of this group, though, but the July 26 final might be out of reach for this squad.

Nicaragua
Gold Cup appearances: 1 (2009)
Gold Cup tittles: None
Top Finish: N/A

Key Players
M Daniel Reyes Avellan (Tigres do Brasil)
GK Denis Espinoza (Walter Ferreti)
M Amado Collado (Real Esteli)

Update: Nicaragua qualified for the Gold Cup by earning the fifth and final spot in the Central American Nations Cup. They beat Guatemala 2-0 to earn that spot; it was their first win over Guatemala in 17 tries. Nicaragua was also the last nation to make it into the 12-team Gold Cup tournament. Nicaragua had their World Cup hopes end early as they were knocked off by Netherlands Antilles in the preliminary stages.

Outlook: The situation looks bleak for Nicaragua. They are not known as a football nation as their top sport is baseball. Out of all the FIFA registered teams playing in the Gold Cup, Nicaragua is the worst ranked. They are currently slated at 135th in the FIFA table. This will be Nicaragua’s first-ever Gold Cup and with nothing to lose and a lot to gain they could very well pull off an upset. The chances for that to materialize, though, are slim to none with Mexico being the sure favorite and Panama a possibility to notch the second spot.

Panama
Gold Cup appearances: 4 (1993, 2005, 2007, and 2009)
Gold Cup titles: None
Top finish: Finalist (2005)

Key players
M Nelson Barahona (Atletico Huila)
F Luis Tejada (Millonarios)
GK Jaime Panedo (Municipal)

Update: Panama reached the CONCACAF Gold Cup as the UNCAF champion. Los Canaleros defeated Costa Rica in the UNCAF final via penalty kicks after scoring only two goals en route to the title match. Panama 's UNCAF title was their first major international championship in over 50 years, after having won the now defunct Central American and Caribbean (CCCF) crown in 1951.

Outlook: The Gold Cup offers the Panamanians a second-chance to prove that they continue to be on the rise after their shock elimination from World Cup qualifying at the hands of El Salvador. Now under the guidance of head coach Gary Stempel the Panamanians have once again continued on their road to improving and now have an UNCAF title to boast. With three straight Gold Cup appearances under their belt the Panamanians are heavily favored to advance to the second round along with group rivals Mexico. Whether or not La Marea Roja can mount another title challenge remains to be seen. Panam’s first big test will come in their second group-stage match when they face the Tricolor. A positive result can go a long way in reinforcing the squad’s beliefs that it has what it takes to win the regional championship.

Predicted Finish
1. Mexico
2. Guadeloupe
3. Panama
4. Nicaragua

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