The 17th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup will be having its kick-off this next Saturday. The 16 teams get ready to fight each other on the group stage to see which of them will be the 8 to make it into the Knock-out stage.
The first Matchday will start on Saturday 24th, and continue up to Tuesday 27th.
The Schedule:
With the Groups set, we know who will be playing first, as the matches will take place in the order of the groups. This means that A team will have the match to kick off the cup, with the Saturday Meeting between USA and Jamaica at 9:30 PM ET.
Sunday will have the Group A match between Trinidad & Tobago vs. St. Kitts & Nevis at 3:30 PM ET. The Group B matches, Haiti vs. Katar (6:00 PM ET) and Mexico vs. Honduras (8:00 PM ET) will also take place on the last day of the week.
Group C, they have Monday all to themselves with El Salvador vs. Martinique at 6:30 PM ET. We’ll also have Costa Rica vs. Panama at 8:30 PM ET.
Group D will be the last to play, as they got Tuesday for Canada vs Guadeloupe at 7:00 PM ET and Guatemala vs. Cuba at 8:45 PM.
We are excited to see how things will unfold, and where we will be standing this Wednesday as the 2nd matchday begins, but first, let’s break down what we believe will be the 3 most important games in the first matchday.
2023 Gold Cup Matchday 1: Jamaica vs. the United States of America
When:
Saturday, June 24th – 09:30 PM ET at the Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois
Moneyline odds:
Jamaica +380
USA -147
Draw:
+310
Where can I watch it?
Despite the coaching uncertainty and a scandal that broke out following their exit from the 2022 World Cup, the Americans put it aside this past weekend and lifted another trophy on the continental stage.
That coaching question has since been answered as Gregg Berhalter will re-assume his role as full-time manager when this competition concludes, after being away from the sidelines while the US federation looked into a domestic abuse case involving the man who guided them to the finals in Qatar.
For the Caribbean men, making their fifth successive trip to the Gold Cup, there is a belief that this upcoming tournament may be the last opportunity for many Jamaican standouts to win a trophy on the continental stage.
Jamaica came close to winning this competition not too long ago, becoming the first island nation to reach the final in 2015 and making it again two years later, but falling at the final hurdle versus Mexico and the USA, respectively.
The United States has perhaps the best talent pool to choose from in all of CONCACAF, and although many of those selected have not played together on the international stage, they should be familiar with one another as all but seven of them currently feature in MLS.
For Jamaica, their golden generation is nearing its end, and their lack of cohesion could cost them this weekend against a side with a ton of attacking quality.
Jamaica vs. United States of America Betting Pick: USA
2023 Gold Cup Matchday 1: Honduras vs. Mexico
When:
Sunday, June 25th – 08:00 PM ET at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas
Moneyline odds:
Honduras +500
Mexico -157
Draw:
+270
Where can I watch it?
Mexico, as they commonly do, come into the Gold Cup as one of the strongest teams, and their recent international matches seem to showcase that, as they have only been beaten by the USA, who looks like the strongest contender, in their last 6 matches.
Honduras is not in bad shape but they are simply not looking like such a strong contender to upset the Mexican team.
There is a slight chance that they take the battle to “El Tri” but we believe that there is no way that the Mexican team will settle for a draw in their first match.
We expect things to go 2-1 in favor of Mexico in this first match.
Honduras vs. Mexico Betting Pick: Mexico
2023 Gold Cup Matchday 1: Guadeloupe vs. Canada
When:
Tuesday, June 27th – 07:00 PM ET at the BMO Field in Toronto, Canada
Moneyline odds:
Guadeloupe +1125
Canada -370
Draw:
+460
Where can I watch it?
Canada is going to be trying to get the cup for a second time now that they are hosts of the whole event, and as they are going to be playing at home against Guadeloupe in the first match, they have the perfect way to begin their run and get their momentum going.
The Artic team has been strong, only falling to the USA in the CONCACAF Nations Final, so we expect them to make a statement by taking over group D on their way to the knockout stage.
On the opposite note, we believe Guadeloupe will end up at the back of the group, so this first clash is not going to favor them at all.
Guadeloupe vs. Canada Betting Pick: Canada
The odds and our picks for all of Matchday 1:
Jamaica +380 vs. USA -147 (Draw +310)
Saint Kitts And Nevis +350 vs. Trinidad and Tobago -119 (Draw +250)
Qatar +106 vs. Haiti +265 (Draw +246)
Honduras +500 vs. Mexico -157 (Draw +270)
Martinique +300 vs. El Salvador -107 (Draw +255)
Panama +164 vs. Costa Rica +185 (Draw +212)
Guadeloupe +1125 vs. Canada -370 (Draw +460)
Cuba +580 vs. Guatemala -189 (Draw +300)
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