Gold Cup opens in Pasadena

The XV Gold Cup that this time will have matches in Jamaica and Costa Rica in addition to the United States, will begin in Pasadena, California this Saturday

Mexico vs Cuba and Canada vs Martinique will be the protagonists of the first day. Gold Cup will have 16 teams.

Both Mexico and Cuba will be seeking a bright start to their respective 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup campaigns when they meet in the opening round of Group A on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.

This will be the fourth Gold Cup meeting between the two sides, with El Tricolor having won the previous three.

However, Cuba arrives into the contest boasting plenty of firepower in the form of dynamic Luis Paradela.

Its captain, Yordan Santa Cruz, and another of its main players, did not receive a visa to enter the United States.

Meanwhile, seven-time Gold Cup champion Mexico will be led by MF and captain Andres Guardado, who has 10 goals in 18 Gold Cup appearances.

On the defensive end, fans of El Tricolor will rest easy knowing that veteran GK Guillermo Ochoa is in the squad.

Ochoa is set to appear in his fifth Gold Cup and has 14 Gold Cup matches under his belt.

Other match in Group A will be between Canada and Martinique at the same stadium.

The two teams arrive into the contest fresh off of a successful 2018-19 Concacaf Nations League Qualifying campaign in which they both took collected victories in each of their four matches.

Saturday’s clash marks the fourth Gold Cup contest between the two sides, with Martinique taking the three points in their last meeting, a 1-0 win in Group A in the 2013 Gold Cup, also played at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl.

Martinique will be led by dangerman Kevin Parsemain, who took the Gold Cup by storm two years ago in the 2017 edition when he scored three goals in the group stage.

Meanwhile, there is plenty of young talent on the Canadian side, led by Bayern Munich man Alphonso Davies, who served up four assists during CNLQ.

Canada is appearing in its 14thGold Cup, while Martinique will take the field in the Gold Cup for the sixth time in its history.

Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton FC/Mexico), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea FC/United States), Leon Bailey (Bayer 04 Leverkusen/Jamaica), Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo/Honduras) and Joel Campbell (Club Leon/Costa Rica) are among the notable inclusions to the 16 national team rosters.

The Gold Cup is the main event of national teams of the CONCACAF.