SOCCER CONCACAF ARTICLES

The script has been flipped from 2015. Two years ago, Jamaica upset the United States in the semifinals of the Gold Cup in what was effectively the beginning of the end for Jurgen Klinsmann as the coach of the USMNT. Now, Jamaica has upset Mexico in the Gold Cup semifinals in what will probably signal the beginning of the end (or the end of the end) for Juan Carlos Osorio.... 

Two years ago, Mexico and Jamaica met in the Gold Cup final, a match that proved to be nothing all that close for the Reggae Boyz. They were merely happy to be in the finale, having beaten the United States in the semifinals in one of the biggest wins in the nation's history. Now, the Jamaicans have their eye on the prize that slipped through their hands in Philadelphia. The task of beating El Tri in Pasadena, though, is one that is nothing short on unenviable.... 

After all of the nonsense of the group stage and the first knockout round of the tournament, we're finally down to the real nitty-gritty of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The United States and Costa Rica were always on a crash course for each other in the semifinals of this event in Arlington, and this is the way it has played out. Without a shadow of a doubt, aside from the championship match itself, this will be the most intriguing of all of the fixtures in the 2017 Gold Cup.At 10 p.m. ET, tune into FOX Sports 1 for live television coverage of this Gold Cup match on Saturday, July 22, 2017, at AT&T Stadium.... 

The last spot in the semifinals in the Gold Cup will be up for grabs on Thursday night in Glendale. The duel between Canada and Jamaica will probably the toughest of the four matchups to handicap, and you can bet that whichever team advances will end up being the longest shot on the board to ultimately win the event amongst the four teams left standing.Don't miss the Gold Cup action from University of Phoenix Stadium at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 20, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.... 

Honduras should be counting its lucky stars that it qualified for the second stage of the Gold Cup. The team only advanced on the back of a forfeit by French Guiana in the second match of the group stage. The lease of the life for the Hondurans hasn't netted them much. Their reward is a duel against a Mexico team that has been either the favorite or the co-favorite to win the Gold Cup every step of the way.This Gold Cup duel will go down Thursday, July 20, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. ET at University of Phoenix Stadium. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.... 

The United States didn't have the greatest opening round of the Gold Cup ever. That said, the team has gotten through with seven points as the top qualifier, and it will take on El Salvador in what should end up being a relatively easy quarterfinal jaunt.... 

On the surface, both Costa Rica and Panama had wildly successful group stages in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Both finished with seven points, and it's almost a little unfair that the two are going to be pitted against each other in the quarterfinals of this event. Los Ticos are the favorites to advance, but this is about the worst case scenario they could have asked for in an event they were hoping to have a serious chance of winning.... 

The last match of the group stage of the Gold Cup suddenly took on a little more meaning for Mexico. After being held to a surprising draw by Jamaica, the Mexicans know they're still at least some sort of a result against Curacao away from winning this group.... 

The United States only very narrowly averted a major disaster against Martinique on Wednesday night in Tampa. With that out of the way, the team will head up to Cleveland for the last of the group stage matches in the Gold Cup against a Nicaragua team that should ultimately go down easily.... 

Costa Rica simply can't seem to get out of its own way right now. Los Ticos have won just three of their 11 matches this year, and there really hasn't been one in the 11 where you would have thought going in they were overmatched. In fact, it's been quite the contrary. Outside of the team's last Copa Centroamericana fixture against Panama in Panama City and a World Cup qualifier at Estadio Azteca, Costa Rica has been favored in the rest of these matches. French Guiana presents the easiest challenge of the bunch on Friday night to wrap up the group stage.Don't miss the Gold Cup action from Toyota Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, July 14, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.... 

Cyle Larin was largely thought of for a long time to be the future of Canadian soccer. He has taken the MLS by storm and is already one of the best strikers in the league for Orlando City in just his third season. That said, he isn't on the Gold Cup roster. That figured to make this tournament a bit of a drag for the men from the Great White North.Instead, Alphonso Davies has taken over, scoring three goals and committing himself to an inside track to the Golden Boot. Davies left the match against Costa Rica due to injury, though, and once again, Canada might be asked to play at its best without one of its rising stars when it takes on Honduras in the last match in Group A on Friday night.... 

Central Florida has become a hotbed for American soccer fans, and you can bet that the city of Tampa is going to be showing out for its Red, White and Blue on Wednesday night. The United States' Men's National Team is all of a sudden thrust into a major match against Martinique. If disaster strikes in this second fixture in Group B, the Yanks will suddenly be in a real uphill battle just to make sure it gets into the quarterfinals of a tourney many tipped them to win.This Gold Cup duel will go down Wednesday, July 12, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.... 

Nicaragua now knows that the pressure is on for the rest of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The team was shockingly beaten by Martinique in the first match of the group stage, and now, with a match against the United States looming in Cleveland, one figures it must beat Panama on Wednesday night to have a realistic shot of getting into the knockout rounds.Don't miss the Gold Cup action from Raymond James Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 12, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.... 

Of the four teams in Group C playing on Sunday night, only Mexico truly looked like a side capable of winning the Gold Cup. El Tri can put Group C away and lock up a bid in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF championship if they can bounce Jamaica as they'll be expected to do in Denver.At 10 p.m. ET, tune into FOX Sports 1 for live television coverage of this Gold Cup match on Thursday, July 13, 2017, at Sports Authority Field.... 

It's officially time to panic for Honduras and French Guiana. Neither one really expected to get anything from their first matches at the Gold Cup, but now that both have failed, they're both on the verge of elimination. Neither team can be formally knocked out on Tuesday night in Houston, but if there is a loser, that team will be facing a must-win situation in the final group match.At 10 p.m. ET, tune into FOX Sports 1 for live television coverage of this Gold Cup match on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at BBVA Compass Stadium.... 

El Salvador and Curacao are going to have a lot on their minds going into their match on Thursday night in Denver. Both teams have been stranded without a point from their opening match, and there's a good chance the loser of this one is going to effectively see their Gold Cup dreams come to an end. There's a lot on the line here for sure for two teams who know all about each other from their recent friendly fixture played in March.At 8 p.m. ET, tune into FOX Sports 1 for live television coverage of this Gold Cup match on Thursday, July 13, 2017, at Sports Authority Field.... 

Costa Rica and Canada have probably already done enough to assure they're going to be in the second stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. If either one can get three points against the other on Tuesday night, though, that squad won't have anything left to worry about when it comes to the final match day of the group stage.... 

Curacao hasn't played in the Gold Cup or a CONCACAF championship since 1973. The best opportunity to get into the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup will come on Sunday night in the first match of Group C against Jamaica. The Reggae Boyz, though, are flying high after reaching the Gold Cup final two years ago, and there will be a supreme confidence for a repeat appearance this year.... 

The United States might not exactly be bringing its A-team to the Gold Cup in 2017, but there's still a lot of pressure on this squad to succeed. The opening match of the team's tournament is significantly bigger for Panama, a team that is playing all-out in the Gold Cup in hopes of securing at least a shot at the Confederations Cup four years from now.Don't miss the Gold Cup action from Nissan Stadium at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 8, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX.... 

You probably wouldn't believe it, but El Salvador is playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the sixth straight time. This isn't your average bottom-feeding team either. The El Salvadorians have mustered at least two points in each of their last five trips to this juncture of the CONCACAF championship. This is probably the worst El Salvador team that has been brought to the Gold Cup in recent history, though, and Mexico is surely one of the toughest opponents to be faced along the way as well.Don't miss the Gold Cup action from Qualcomm Stadium at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.... 

Even though Honduras is very likely going to end up qualifying for the last stage of World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF, it will still be facing nervous moments if Canada happens to beat El Salvador in a match going on just a couple hours earlier. The last test in the fourth round comes at Mexico, a team trying to finish off a perfect qualifying campaign at 6-0-0.... 

Mexico is just one point away from reach the Hexagonal stage of World Cup qualifying. Tuesday's game against Canada should provide the finishing touches on the Group A title.... 

Every soccer confederation in the world sends one team to the Confederations Cup the year before the World Cup is played, and the tournament has started to grow in stature as the years have progressed.... 

There's only one bid for the teams in CONCACAF for the 2017 Confederations Cup available to be had, and the winner of the Gold Cup in 2013 and the winner in 2015 will get the right to battle it out for that one spot. Since the United States wasn't able to win the tournament which it hosted this summer, it will be forced into a one-match, winner-take-all playoff against Mexico at the Rose Bowl on Saturday for a match which will have huge implications for both teams in their immediate futures.... 

Like it or hate it, Mexico is playing for the Gold Cup on Sunday in the City of Brotherly Love. No matter how controversial El Tri has been, they are playing for it all CONCACAF's biggest competition, and they are doing so against one of the best stories we've ever had in this tournament.Clearly, this is the biggest game in the history of Jamaica's soccer team....