2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup First Round Betting Predictions

Every two years, 12 teams from the CONCACAF region get together to play for the Gold Cup, and this weekend will see the kick-off of the 2017 version. As always, it will be the US and Mexico who will be considered the favorites, but this is a tournament that has delivered some surprises over the years, so nothing in set in stone here. The opening round is comprised of 3 groups of 4 teams, and that is what we will be looking at today. We will take a look at each of the groups and will make some predictions along the way. The top two teams in each group automatically move on, while the two best 3rd place finishers will also get a spot in the quarter-finals. Let’s take a closer look at each group and their current soccer predictions.

Here’s A Closer Look At The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup First Round Betting Predictions

   

2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A Preview

This is the group that does not feature the US or Mexico, so it could prove to be wide open. Honduras are the seeded team after winning the Copa Centroamerica, but they have been in poor form since winning that tournament. They are just 1-4-3 since January, with their sole win coming in a friendly game versus Nicaragua. Honduras may be the fan favorites in the opening round, as all of their games will be played in Texas, and they have a pair of strikers who play for the Houston Dynamo of the MLS. Costa Rica are quite possibly the team most likely to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup if the US and Mexico stumble. This is a team loaded with talent, including 6 players who ply their trade in the MLS, including David Guzman, who is having a fantastic first season with the Portland Timbers. I think Costa Rica wins this group quite handily. Canada are going to be using this tournament to try out some of their younger players, as they have long since been ousted from World Cup qualifying. There is a good young crop of talent coming through, and this team has the chance to take the 2nd spot in this group, although it is likely going to come down to the final game against Honduras to decide which of those two teams gets the automatic spot. Rounding out Group A is French Guiana, who we don’t really know much about. They are likely to be on to a bit of a beating in this group.

Teams Information for Group A

Draw Pos.	Team	Zone	Method of qualif.	Date Qualif.	Previous Perform.	FIFA Rank
A1	Honduras	UNCAF	2017 1st place	17-Jan-17	Runners-up (1991)	72
A2	Costa Rica	UNCAF	2017 4th place	20-Jan-17	Runners-up (2002)	26
A3	French Guiana	CFU	2017 3rd place	9-Nov-16	Debut	N/A
A4	Canada	NAFU	Automatic	N/A	Winners (2000)	100

Final standings: Costa Rica, Canada, Honduras, French Guiana

2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B Preview

The US are the seeded team in Group B, and while they are going with a secondary squad, they should still be good enough to navigate this group. Almost all of the big-name players will be sitting this tournament out, and it will be fringe squad players who get the nod here. This will be a good chance to impress Bruce Arena as the US heads into the final round of World Cup qualifying games. The toughest opponent for the US in the group stage will almost certainly be Panama. These two have already met in World Cup qualifying, tying 1-1 in that meeting. Panama are still very much in the hunt for a World Cup berth, so they cannot be discounted here. On the other hand, Nicaragua appear to be in tough here, but they have one advantage over the others, which is that the majority of their starters play for the same club team in Nicaragua. The familiarity of playing alongside one another may help their cause. Martinique round out this group, and are almost certainly going to finish dead last. They have not won a competitive game since last October, and look to be in very tough here.

Teams Information for Group B

Draw Pos.	Team	Zone	Method of qualif.	Date Qualif.	Previous Perform.	FIFA Rank
B1	United States	NAFU	Automatic / Hosts	N/A	Winners (91, 02, 05, 07, 13)	35
B2	Panama	UNCAF	2017 2nd place	20-Jan-17	Runners-up (2005, 2013)	52
B3	Martinique	CFU	2017 4th place	11-Oct-16	Quarter-finals (2002)	N/A
B4	Nicaragua	UNCAF	Play-off winners	42822	Group stage (2009)	105

  Final Standings: USA, Panama, Nicaragua, Martinique

2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group C Preview

The players who played for Mexico in the recent Confederations Cup will be given a rest, as a younger squad filled with talent pulled from the Mexican domestic league will be on display. They should still be more than good enough to navigate their way out of Group C. The Mexicans biggest challenge in the group stage will more than likely come from Jamaica. They finished runners-up in the last CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2015, losing out to Mexico in the final, and they will be out looking for revenge for that loss. Moreover, El Salvador will open up their tournament versus Mexico, and how they perform there will likely dictate how things go for them the rest of the way. Again, this will be a younger squad made up of players pulled from the domestic league, so it’s tough to know what to expect from this bunch. Curacao were the surprise winner of the Caribbean Cup, so we should perhaps not totally overlook them here. Realistically, they are probably looking at 3d place in this group, and it will be their game against El Salvador that may decide their Gold Cup fate.

Teams Information for Group C

Draw Pos.	Team	Zone	Method of qualifi.	Date Qualif.	Previous Performance	FIFA Rank
C1	Mexico	NAFU	Automatic	N/A	Winners (93, 96, 98, 03, 09, 11, 15)	16
C2	El Salvador	UNCAF	2017 3rd place	22-Jan-17	Quarter-finals (02, 03, 11, 13)	103
C3	Curaçao	CFU	2017 1st place	11-Oct-16	Debut	68
C4	Jamaica	CFU	2017 2nd place	42687	Runners-up (2015)	76

  Final Standings: Mexico, Jamaica, Curacao, El Salvador