Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinal Review
For the second edition in a row the same four teams met in the Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals. Four years ago Mexico eliminated Honduras and the US dismissed Panama. This time around there was a different combination of Central America vs North America. The results were also a breath of fresh air to a tournament that had become a little too predictable.
The Gold Cup is a tournament that is blatantly designed to allow Mexico and the US to meet each other in the final. Every edition the groups and the knockout stage are set up so the teams will only play each other if one of them fails miserably in the first round and ends up third place. Even then, a match between them in the quarter of semifinals is not guaranteed. Financially, I understand why Concacaf does it. Having the two regional powerhouses fight in front of sold out crowds every year adds significant money to the confederation's coffers. From a footballing perspective, it makes the tournament appear fixed.
Nevertheless we have seen a great surprise this year. Panama's football is growing. They are a force within the region. Making it to the hexagonal was no mistake. They lead the Hexagonal for a bit and, while they are now in fifth place, I wouldn’t discount their chances just yet. Gone are the days in which they were considered a joke. Panama is the only team to play in the championship game outside Mexico and the US since 2003. Seeing Panama beat the US to claim continental glory is not out of the question.
Mexico, on the other side, is in decline. They are no longer the unbeatable team. Their form in this tournament, the Confederations Cup and the Hexagonal is alarming. Their place in the World Cup is not guaranteed. Ironically, if Mexico makes it to the World Cup, they will probably fair better than any other Concacaf team due to their experience in bigger games.
Honduras… ah Honduras… Always competing, but never been able to fully delivery the results their fans would expect. They didn’t show up to the game. The coach made some questionable decisions (leaving Mario Martinez and Marvin Chavez) on the bench. This is the third edition in a row that they are eliminated in this phase of the tournament. They need to step up and not give into pressure if they want to succeed.
The US didn’t break a sweat to make it to the final. After losing the last two tournaments they are hungry for glory. Retaking the regional crown is a must. Landon Donovan has proven he is still a fundamental piece of the national team. While their next game will be hard, they are still the favorites to win.
Prediction: USA 2 – Panama 1
