Gold Cup 2017: 5 reasons the U.S. can win
A roster featuring some new and intriguing names, an easy path to the semis and more reasons why you should be more than hopeful about the U.S.’s Gold Cup chances.
The United States national team should win the 2017 Gold Cup. Mexico aren’t sending anything close to a top squad, and the U.S. have the easiest path to the final of any other team. Likely, they’ll win a group in which two of the sides are Martinique and Nicaragua, then face the third-place team from either Group A or Group C, which should be one of El Salvador, Jamaica, Canada or Honduras, and play Costa Rica in the semifinal, should the Ticos win their group and beat (probably) Panama in the quarterfinal.
Their roster is missing more than a few key contributors — for at least the group stage, Michael Bradley, Christian Pulisic, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Tim Howard, Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin will all be vacationing or playing in MLS — but is certainly capable of doing all that needs to be done in the first three games and beyond, especially with up to six players able to be called in as reinforcements before the quarterfinals.
After the major disappointment in 2015 (in which they fell to Jamaica in the semifinals) and a loss in the CONCACAF Cup to Mexico in October 2015, which lost them the opportunity to play in the Confederations Cup, the U.S. should be looking to lift a trophy in this tournament, or it will be another big disappointment.
Five reasons the U.S. will do it:
A CONCACAF-ready backline
Brooks, Cameron, Yedlin and Jorge Villafana make up the presumed first choice back four for Bruce Arena, should he, of course, even play a back four. But three of those players aren’t in the initial roster, and may not make it to this tournament at all. That means the first choice starters should be as follows, from left to right: Villafana, Matt Hedges, Omar Gonzalez, Eric Lichaj. You’ll see others, like Justin Morrow, Matt Miazga and Graham Zusi, when Arena mixes and matches and maybe tries out a 3-5-2.
These aren’t necessarily battle-tested U.S. veterans, but most of them have a history in high-level competitive games against feisty, CONCACAF opponents. Hedges went through the CONCACAF Champions League with FC Dallas and came ridiculously close to beating Liga MX champions Gonzalez and Pachuca, falling in the semis on a last-second goal. Villafana competes in nutty Liga MX with Santos Laguna and Zusi is a famous participator in North American soccer, scoring the memorable San Zusi goal a few years ago to save Mexico in World Cup qualifying. This is a good and talented group that knows what to expect in a frenzied and unpredictable tournament.
New players in midfield
Finding depth behind important starters is a consistent feature for the U.S. in Gold Cups. As has been mentioned, there are few newer faces throughout the roster. They are most prevalent in the midfield.
Dax McCarty will get his opportunity to officially assert himself as the Michael Bradley backup in defensive midfield, while Kellyn Acosta further lets Arena see him as the starting No. 8, next to Bradley in big games. There is no established creator in the squad — the starting spot there was up for grabs until Pulisic took it and ran with it — so Kelyn Rowe is here, as both a utility option and as a potential Pulisic backup.
Cristian Roldan is a young midfielder who made it, and we could see him compete for time as either a No. 6 or a No. 8. If he makes it through as a 6, that will go a long way towards pushing Wil Trapp out of the conversation for future rosters. Tijuana starter Joe Corona also could make a case for himself, and recent convert Kenny Saeif will get his first minutes as a left winger. Certainly some good options in here, and players that you could see in a USMNT uniform for years to come.
MLS center forwards
Only three players are listed as ‘forwards’ on the roster, although Rowe can play anywhere and Gyasi Zardes’s best position is center forward. New English convert Dom Dwyer made it, slumping Seattle speedster Jordan Morris also did, and, possibly with the most effect on future rosters, Juan Agudelo is here, and likely will be playing as a center forward.
The US will, in all likelihood, use a two-striker formation more often than not, so expect to see all three of these guys. Agudelo especially, because he’s caught fire with New England recently playing as a true No. 9, but also Dwyer, who feels like a perfect CONCACAF battering ram, even if CJ Sapong could have been a better one.
This is an intriguing group.
Mexico’s weakened roster
El Tri are playing in the Confederations Cup, which is close to a week from running at the same time as the Gold Cup. That means a number of big-name guys won’t be traveling to the US — Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Hirving Lozano, Rafa Marquez, Carlos Vela, Andres Guardado, to name a few.
Costa Rica are still pretty potent. But they’re beatable, and they have a history of losing games they shouldn’t to Central American opponents. Mexico aren’t too threatening either, so the competition isn’t as great as it has been in the past. The path is walkable, if Arena plays his cards correctly.
Next: 5 questions facing USMNT at Gold Cup
Home-field advantage
(Maybe not against Mexico in some places. We’ll skip over that).
Let’s not discount something obvious if maybe a bit cliche: the U.S. are playing at home for this entire tournament. They are the only ones in the field who know how to navigate the extensive travel required, the altitude of some places (exception: Mexico), and the turf, which is a feature at a few of these stadiums, including the semifinal arena the US would compete in.
The American Outlaws are loud, Costa Rica aren’t used to flying three or four hours and Mexico struggle playing indoors or on a tricky, sometimes painful artificial surface. That only adds to the U.S.’s advantages.