By Paul Nicholson
July 17 – An unexpected Caribbean hurricane has swept through the group stages of the Gold Cup in the US, and it has nothing to do with sports politics or financial corruption.
For the first time four Caribbean teams have qualified for the quarter finals of CONCACAF’s blue riband national team championships. Two of them, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, topping their groups.
The joy and confidence the performances have spread throughout the Caribbean prompted Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president Gordon Derrick to remark that “we may be in the worst place we have ever been politically, but our players have responded by showing what we can do on the field. There has been a lot of work done in all our countries and within the CFU, I think this shows we are doing something right.”
The Caribbean is guaranteed at least one semi-finalist as Haiti meet Jamaica in their quarter final in Baltimore on Saturday.
In the other quarter finals Cuba face hosts USA (also in Baltimore). Trinidad and Tobago face Panama in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday. Jamaica and Trinidad on form would be favourites to progress to the semi-finals.
The US will have to be careful against a Cuban team anxious to prove themselves having been thrashed 6-0 in their opening game against Mexico, but having been unable to get all their players to the US in time after being caught by delays in Antigua following the Olympic qualifying rounds.
The pick of the quarter finals though will be Mexico against Costa Rica. Both teams are unbeaten but have become draw specialists. Costa Rica drew all three of their group games and after their 2014 World Cup quarter final exit on penalties, are yet to find the same form.
Mexico continue to provide what has become a traditional rollercoaster ride for their management and fans. After a 6-0 opening win, they then couldn’t score against 10-man Guatemala in 0-0 draw, following that to concede two extra time goals against Trinidad and turn a 4-2 win and group topping position into a 4-4 draw, group second place and a tie against Costa Rica.
With Mexico you get the sense that anything could happen. But it is the Caribbean nations that have provided the talking points and upset the usual CONCACAF order of results.
Derrick says that this has come from a process of the past three years that has seen the CFU increase the quality of competition within the region by reformatting its major competitions.
“The key has been to format the Caribbean Cup into the international calendar windows so that the teams can get their best players into train camps and playing more matches together,” said Derrick. “This has increased our competitiveness across the board. We know we have the athletes and the ability. It has just taken time and organisation to put it all together. It is an on-going process across all our age groups and major competitions – men and women.”
The Gold Cup moves on to a doubleheader of semi-finals in Atlanta next Wednesday before the finals in Philadelphia on Sunday July 27. The winner gets a play-off against the US (2013 Gold Cup winners) for the CONCACAF slot at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
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