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Regional bragging rights U.S. seeks World Cup clues in Gold Cup defensePosted: Thursday July 10, 2003 10:28 AMFOXBORO, Massachusetts (Reuters) -- The United States start its defense of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday with the qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup firmly in the minds of players and coaches. "The whole job is to get in the next World Cup," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena, whose team opens against El Salvador on Saturday in Group C, which also includes Martinique. "Obviously, along the way there are competitions you'd like to win, but the bottom line at the end of the day is putting yourself in position to qualify for the next World Cup. "We can win the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup, but if we don't qualify for the World Cup, that, to me, is a failure." The tournament begins on Saturday at Gillette Stadium and runs until July 27 with the Orange Bowl in Miami and Mexico City's Azteca Stadium -- site of the final -- also hosting games. The 12-nation, 20-match tournament features the U.S. and 2002 runner-up Costa Rica along with CONCACAF nations Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Canada and Cuba plus South American invitees Brazil and Colombia. Last year Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Pablo Mastroeni impressed for the U.S. at the tournament and became first-team regulars, proving vital in the Americans' improbable run to the World Cup quarterfinals. The U.S. is ranked ninth -- ahead of rival Mexico -- in the world, and Beasley and Donovan are now considered Major League Soccer's top players. Make or break For Mexico, the tournament could be the undoing for embattled coach Ricardo Lavolpe. He has only won one of six fixtures and his team has scored a paltry three goals since he took charge following the World Cup. Lavolpe has not called his strongest side in for the tournament, and only compounding matters was a 2-1 loss to El Salvador last weekend for the three-time Gold Cup champion that is drawn with Brazil and Honduras in Group A. World Cup holder Brazil, which also failed to advance past the first round of the Confederations Cup, opted to bring in what is essentially its under-23 team. Players like Diego, Kaka and Robinho form what could be the nucleus of Brazil's 2006 World Cup team. Colombia, which advanced to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup, will face Jamaica and Guatemala in Group B. Due to last month's Copa Libertadores, the South American champion was unable to call in players from Amrica de Cali and Independiente Medelln, but coach Francisco Maturana has bolstered his 18-man squad with nine players from the two clubs. In-form Costa Rica, which meets Canada and Cuba in Group D, brings a nearly full-strength squad for the tournament, which serves as a homecoming of sorts for former U.S. coach Steve Sampson. Sampson -- who has enjoyed an impressive start and lost only once in eight fixtures since taking over the Ticos -- will coach his first game in the U.S. since 1998, when he was sacked after the U.S. finished last at the World Cup. Depending on their respective results, there could be a tantalizing U.S.-Costa Rica showdown in the quarterfinals or semifinals.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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