John Brooks USA Ecuador 2019Harry Aaron

USMNT drawn against Canada and Cuba in inaugural Concacaf Nations League

The first edition of the Concacaf Nations League is finally set, with the U.S. national team drawing Canada and Cuba in Group A of League A.  

Gregg Berhalter's side qualified for the competition directly as one of the six teams to have competed in the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup alongside Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rica.  

The USA could not manage a top-four finish in that group, but avoided rematches with any other Hexagonal team in the draw for the Nations League.  

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Instead, the U.S. will now face a Canadian team that rolled through qualifying for the competition with an unbeaten record and Cuba, a team which earned its League A position despite a loss to Haiti on the last qualifying matchday thanks in large part to an 11-0 win over Turks and Caicos on the opening matchday.  

League A Group B will feature Mexico, with El Tri drawn alongside fellow World Cup participant Panama as well as Bermuda.  

The Panamanians secured a 0-0 draw against Mexico in the Hexagonal, losing 1-0 in the other match, as they earned their way to Russia.  

Honduras and Trinidad & Tobago are the two Hexagonal participants in Group C, where they are joined by Martinique.  

Costa Rica headlines Group D where the Ticos will be joined by Haiti and Curacao. 

The group phase will feature a home-and-away format to be played during the course of the September, October and November FIFA international dates in 2019, with the schedule to be confirmed at a later date.

The top team from each three-team group will move on to a four-team semi-final round, with the bottom side relegated to League B. 

Every team in League A will participate in the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer, with qualification to the top tier of the Nations League also ensuring a place at the regional championship tournament. 

The top four qualifying teams from League B, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, rounded out the 16-team field for the summer tournament. 

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