USWNT To Face Mexico, Argentina in CONCACAF W Gold Cup: Schedule, Venue and More
The CONCACAF W Gold Cup schedule has been revealed, and the USWNT has been drawn with eternal rival Mexico, Argentina, and the winner of the Guyana Vs. Dominican Republic match. These four teams will comprise Group A.
While the USWNT is the current ruler of North America, Brazil rules South America for Women's soccer as they are the current Copa America Femenina champion. They have been drawn in Group B with Panama and Colombia, as well as the winner of the Haiti Vs. Puerto Rico match.
Finally, over at Group C, Canada has been drawn with Costa Rica and Paraguay. The fourth and final member of that group will be the winner of the El Salvador vs. Guatemala match.
According to ESPN, the CONCACAF W Gold Cup schedule revealed that all Group A games will be held between February 20-26 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Meanwhile, Group B will happen from February 21-27 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. Finally, Group C games will take place from February 22-28 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The top 2 from each group, as well as the best-ranked 3rd place finishers, will then qualify for the knockout round quarterfinals on March 2 and 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. It will then lead to the semifinal matches on March 6 and then the final match on March 10. These games will happen in San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium.
Four South American Teams Invited To Participate in CONCACAF W Gold Cup
While the W Gold Cup is a North American tournament run by CONCACAF, as revealed in the schedule, there will be several South American teams from CONMEBOL that are participating: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay.
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These four CONMEBOL teams have all been invited to the prestigious CONCACAF tournament for doing well in the Copa America Femenina in their home region. Specifically, they were invited because they finished in the Top 4 of that tournament. For example, Group A's Argentina was invited to the W Gold Cup as the third-place finisher at the 2022 CONMEBOL Copa America Femenina, according to the US Soccer official website.
Which Group Will Be the Toughest for the CONCACAF W Gold Cup?
According to CBS Sports, there will be two very tough groups in this tournament: Group A and Group B.
The USA Vs. Mexico rivalry is expected to continue with Group A as the USWNT and Mexico have been grouped together, and they were both undefeated throughout all competitions in 2023. There is also Argentina in the group, which will make it tough to predict who will be the top 2 teams to qualify for the quarterfinals.
As for Group B, Copa America Femenina champions Brazil and tournament runners-up Colombia are going to be a tough matchup for any North American team. Panama and the winner of the Haiti Vs. Puerto Rico match might struggle against these powerhouses.
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Written by: Rick Martin
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