LOS ANGELES: The soccer championship of North America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) kicks off on Sunday and the United States are hungry for a title. Last time around, in 2009, the United States met Mexico in the final, receiving a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of their neighbors to the south. This year, however, the tournament is of utmost importance for the two top teams in the CONCACAF region who have met in the final each of the past four tournaments. The winner gets a bid to Brazil to play in the Confederations Cup with the other continental champions and Brazil, the host nation for the 2014 World Cup. In the Americans final tune-up for the tournament they were pounded 4-0 by defending World Cup champions Spain, a team they beat in the 2009 Confederations Cup semi-finals in South Africa, before losing to Brazil 3-2 in the final. “If we win the Gold Cup in a couple of weeks, nobody will remember this,” goalkeeper Tim Howard said afterward. The US are hoping to return to form, but will still employ a conservative style of play, according to coach Bob Bradley. “We have said since the start of the new cycle that winning the Gold Cup this year is a top priority,” he said. Costa Rica and Cuba will get the 12-team tournament underway at Cowboys Stadium in Texas, followed by Mexico and El Salvador in Group A clashes. Group B begins play Monday at the Home Depot Center in Carson City, California, with Jamaica facing Grenada, then Honduras and Guatemala in the following match. The Americans are drawn in Group C and meets Canada in its first match Tuesday in Detroit. Panama takes on Guadeloupe in the group opener. The top two teams in each group, plus the two best third-place teams, advance to the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be June 22 in Houston with the winners advancing to Pasadena for the final at the Rose Bowl. Anything less than a final between Mexico and the US would spell major disappointment from both countries. BM
